Introduction to Troubleshooting MFA
Most of the time setting up the MFA for Microsoft 365 is a quick process, but there is a chance a variety of errors or issues can occur. This article covers some of the common problems that can temporarily impede setting up or confirming MFA for your account and what to do in those circumstances. Check out the scenarios further below, which includes screenshots of the errors that can be encountered.
Please visit this Microsoft Support page if you are encountering a different error than what can be found in this article.
Overall the most reliable and secure option for MFA is the Microsoft Authenticator app. Using MFA on an office phone can be more prone to errors and is not as readily available as well.
Looking for general information, instructions on how to initially add MFA options, or needing assistance adding more MFA options? Here are the other articles available about MFA for Microsoft 365:
- For general information and tips about MFA, check out the How to Setup MFA for Microsoft 365 article.
- Want to add more MFA options to your account, or looking to edit your existing settings? Learn how to make changes in the Add and Edit MFA Options for Microsoft 365 article. We recommend setting up multiple methods so you have more than one that can be relied on.
- For initially setting up a MFA option, check out these setup guides for the methods available:
General Tips:
- Common fixes include:
- Start over from the beginning of the MFA setup process (previous page may also work).
- Switch to another web browser.
- Clear browser data (cookies/cache).
- Trying to add a MFA option that isn't working at a later time.
- Timeouts are known to occur frequently and can halt progress. If this occurs, simply head back to the beginning of the setup process. It is recommended to complete MFA setup in one sitting and without staying on the same page for a length of time.
- Airplane mode will need to be disabled if it is on, otherwise setup and retrieval of verification codes will not work.
- Removing and reinstalling email applications on mobile devices may be necessary to clear up some issues that arise.
- While it is best to avoid adding an office phone number altogether besides as a backup option, if it appears it is not working correctly, try adding the number using the Authentication Phone option instead.
- If you are not receiving phone calls to confirm verification, try switching to a different browser to see if that will trigger the calls to go through.
- When using the Additional Security Verification screen to add MFA options, if an option was not working before, try clicking Save and then try the option again to see if it will work.
- In the event no MFA option can be accessed, contact the IT Support Desk via phone or by creating a ticket for assistance.
List of Known Errors:
Listed below are potential error messages and issues that can happen in the MFA process. Check out this list first and refer to the corresponding number for more information.
- (1) “Sorry, but we’re having trouble signing you in.”
- (2) “An error was encountered. Error updating user.”
- (3) Multiple App Passwords – Security Info
- (4) “We're sorry, we ran into a problem. Please select "Next" to try again”
- (5) “Request failed due to exceeding the number of allowed attempts”
- (6) “Session expired. Please try signing in again.”
(1) “Sorry, but we’re having trouble signing you in.”
This common error message can occur if you were initially setting up an MFA option and a verification code was not entered right away or the page timed out. Here are some potential fixes:
- Simply head back to the previous page and try again.
- Start over from the beginning of the MFA setup.
- If the issue persists, temporarily switch to another browser to setup the MFA.
- Clear the browsing data (cookies/cache) in the web browser.
(2) “An error was encountered. Error updating user.”
Can occur when initially trying to setup an MFA such as Authentication phone – Call me in Step 1 of the MFA process. You may be able to proceed all the way through each Step until clicking the Done button at the end when this message will appear. Here are some potential fixes:
- If you are initially setting up MFA for the first time, it is recommended to start over for the time being and select a different option. This can always be added later.
- Try this option again later and you may be successful in adding the MFA option with no error.
- If the issue persists, temporarily switch to another browser to setup the MFA.
- Clear the browsing data (cookies/cache) in the web browser.
(3) Multiple App Passwords – Security Info
If you see there are multiple app passwords in your Microsoft 365 account in the Security Info section, it is likely they will not interfere with your account. If you do not plan to use these app passwords, as it is most probable you won’t need to use them, they can be deleted in this section via the Delete button to the right of each listed App password. Keep in mind that app passwords will primarily be used for devices that do that not have two-factor authentication capabilities, typically for older operating systems, and the general setup for MFA will not require it on a daily basis.
(4) “We're sorry, we ran into a problem. Please select "Next" to try again”
This error can potentially occur when trying to add or edit a method in the Security Info area in Microsoft 365. In the case for the below image, this occurred when trying to switch the option from text to a phone call for MFA. Here are some potential fixes:
- Try this option again later and you may be successful in editing the MFA option with no error.
- If the issue persists, temporarily switch to another browser to change the MFA.
- Clear the browsing data (cookies/cache) in the web browser.
(5) “Request failed due to exceeding the number of allowed attempts”
While initially setting up a MFA method, this error may happen when continuously trying to add a method in a short time frame, often if the attempted method is not working. It may be difficult to notice this error right away as the error might only appear for a moment before disappearing, with the process proceeding to Step 3 automatically. This may lead to the message: “An error was encountered. Error updating user.” See details above for that error. Here are some potential fixes:
- If you are initially setting up MFA for the first time, it is recommended to start over for the time being and select a different option. This can always be added later.
- Try this option again later and you may be successful in adding the MFA option with no error.
- If the issue persists, temporarily switch to another browser to setup the MFA.
- Clear the browsing data (cookies/cache) in the web browser.
(6) “Session expired. Please try signing in again.”
This message will mostly occur if the MFA setup is not completed all at once and the page timed out, or if you step away and left the setup on a page for more than a few minutes. It is best to complete the MFA in one sitting and without staying on one page for too long. Here are some potential fixes:
- Simply head back to the previous page and try again.
- Start over from the beginning of the MFA setup.
- If the issue persists, temporarily switch to another browser to setup the MFA.
- Clear the browsing data (cookies/cache) in the web browser.
For further assistance, questions, or concerns, please either create a ticket or call the IT Support Desk at 321-433-7600, open 7am to midnight, 7 days a week. After accessing myEFSC, the Open an IT Ticket button can be found in the IT Support section, typically found near the bottom of the page.
When creating a ticket, select the Email, Teams & Calendaring category, followed by the appropriate Email Assistance service to submit a ticket. Please include an alternative contact method (if you cannot access your email). Include details, error messages, and provide screenshots if possible of the steps you have taken so we may further assist you.
