Password & Account Recovery

How to Reset a Microsoft 365 onmicrosoft.com Administrator Password

Muhammad Talha Sep 27, 2026 869 views

Question details

The user is unable to sign in to their Microsoft 365 onmicrosoft.com administrator account because they have not registered for self-service password reset.

How to Reset a Microsoft 365 onmicrosoft.com Administrator Password

Product: Microsoft 365
Device & OS: not provided
Scenario: The user needs to regain access to a locked Microsoft 365 administrator account when self-service recovery is unavailable.
Observed behavior: The Microsoft 365 admin center blocks the password reset attempt, stating that the user has not registered for password reset, preventing account access.

Before you start

Verify that the Microsoft 365 admin center recognizes your onmicrosoft.com email address and check if there is another active administrator in your organization who can assist you.

Solution 1Recommended

Ask Another Active Administrator to Reset the Password

If there is another global or user management administrator in your tenant, they can force a password reset for your locked account.

In Microsoft 365, standard administrative accounts cannot reset their own passwords unless the Self-Service Password Reset (SSPR) feature was previously enabled and configured. An alternative active administrator has the permissions to manually generate a new password for you.

Sign in as an administrator

Have the other active administrator sign in to the Microsoft 365 admin center using their own credentials.

Navigate to Active users

On the left-hand navigation menu, click on 'Users' and then select 'Active users'.

Select the locked account

Locate your onmicrosoft.com administrator account in the user list and click on it to open the account details pane.

Initiate password reset

Click the 'Reset password' button located at the top of the user details pane.

Generate and share the password

Choose to either auto-generate a password or type a custom one. Ensure the 'Require this user to change their password when they first sign in' option is checked, then securely share the temporary credentials with the locked-out user.

Ask Another Active Administrator to Reset the Password

Best Practice: Once you regain access, immediately configure your recovery email and phone number to prevent future lockouts.

Solution 2

Contact Microsoft Support for Tenant Recovery

If you are the only administrator on the tenant and cannot sign in, you must contact Microsoft Data Protection to regain access.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Why does Microsoft 365 say I cannot reset my own admin password?

This error occurs because the Self-Service Password Reset (SSPR) feature was not configured or registered for your specific admin account prior to the lockout. Without prior setup, the system cannot verify your identity automatically.

How do I enable Self-Service Password Reset for the future?

Once you regain access to your account, an administrator can enable SSPR in the Microsoft Entra ID (formerly Azure AD) portal under 'Password Reset' settings, and you can then register your authentication methods.

What happens if I am the only administrator on the onmicrosoft.com account?

If you are the sole global administrator and are locked out without SSPR configured, you cannot resolve this internally. You must contact Microsoft Business Support by phone to undergo a strict identity verification process for tenant recovery.

Login & Account Issues