How to regain control over ms365 family user

Question

How to regain control over ms365 family user

Albert Boeve 0

I sent invites to all members of my family, and they set up outlook email accounts to use in place of a domain that was now shutdown by the ISP.
One of the users has forgotten the password for the account and also mistyped the phone number in the details pane.
The user has no way of recovering the account as only 2 email were sent from the outlook account, and the original email account does not exist.
Is there a way as the owner of the family subscription to manage the user details for the family members?

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AI answer

A Microsoft 365 Family subscription owner cannot reset a family member’s password or edit that person’s recovery phone number; the family member must recover their personal Microsoft account through Microsoft’s account-recovery process.

Sharing Microsoft 365 provides subscription benefits, but each member’s email, files, contacts, and other personal data remain separate and private from the subscription holder.[^1^](https://support.microsoft.com/accounts-billing/subscriptions/[Subscription ID] "Microsoft 365 subscription sharing FAQs")

If two-step verification is not enabled

Open the Microsoft Sign-in Helper and enter the locked Outlook address. It will identify the available recovery route.^2^
If the displayed phone number is incorrect or inaccessible, proceed to the Microsoft account recovery form when directed.
Provide a different, working email address where Microsoft can send the result. This may be any accessible account, including one belonging to a relative.
Complete the form from a device and location previously used with the locked account, if possible.
Supply as much account information as available:
- Previous passwords, including any saved in a browser or Windows Credential Manager.
- Exact subject lines and recipient addresses from the two messages that were sent.
- The name, birth date, and other details entered when the account was created.
- Information about any Skype, Xbox, or other Microsoft services used with it.

Microsoft normally sends the result to the working contact email within 24 hours. If verification fails, the account holder can submit the form again, up to twice per day.^3^

Because the account has sent only two messages, enter their subject lines exactly and include every other known detail. Microsoft Support cannot manually reset the password, change the phone number, or override an unsuccessful ownership check.^4^

If two-step verification is enabled

The standard recovery form cannot recover an account when two-step verification is active and none of its verification methods is accessible.

If the member saved the 25-character recovery code:

Go to account.microsoft.com.
Select Forgot password.
Select I don’t have any of these for the unavailable verification methods.
When asked whether there is a recovery code, select Yes.
Enter the 25-character code and follow the security-information replacement process.

Replacing security information may impose a 30-day waiting period, during which sign-in may be unavailable.^5^

If two-step verification is enabled and the member has neither an accessible verification method nor the recovery code, Microsoft documents no support override to restore access.^3^

If recovery remains impossible

The organizer can remove the inaccessible account from the family group and invite a newly created Microsoft account:

Sign in to the Microsoft family page with the organizer account.
Select the inaccessible member.
For a child account, first select Remove consent.
Select Remove from family group.^6^
From the Microsoft 365 subscription sharing page, share the subscription with the member’s new Microsoft account.^7^

This restores Microsoft 365 benefits for the new account only. It does not transfer or recover the old Outlook mailbox, OneDrive files, contacts, purchases, or other private data. Personal Microsoft accounts cannot be merged or combined.^8^

References

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1 additional answer

Your answer

Answer 1

Hello,

Only the account owner can make security changes or have full control over the account. As a Family Organizer, you cannot manage another user’s Microsoft account, even if they are part of your Microsoft 365 Family subscription.

Since the account is new, the owner may have difficulty replacing the security information. Because, the account recovery process is fully automated process, with no human intervention. If the owner cannot provide enough information to verify their identity, they may not be able to recover the account through the recovery form.

Given that the account is new, you could ask the user to create another Microsoft account. Then remove the affected email address from the Microsoft 365 Family sharing page and send an invitation to the new account.

Also, make sure everyone sets up at least three security verification methods, such as a recovery email address or the Microsoft Authenticator app, to help verify their identity.

https://account.live.com/proofs/Manage