Microsoft 365 MFA - Known Issues

Multiple MFA Prompts in the Same Browser Session

Issue

Some users may be prompted to complete multi-factor authentication (MFA) multiple times throughout the day while using the same browser and device. This behavior is not expected.  

Workaround

Resolution

Under Investigation: OIT has not yet identified the root cause of this issue and is continuing to investigate.

 

Sign-In Errors When Using Multiple Accounts

Issue 

Users who work with multiple Microsoft accounts may experience sign-in problems when accessing services that use federated authentication. In some cases, users may receive an SSO error or may not be prompted to enter a username before authentication fails. 

Workaround

Try one of the following options:  

1. Sign into both of your accounts in Outlook first
  • Go to outlook.office.com 
  • If you are not signed in with any account, sign in with one of your accounts (it doesn't matter which one you try) 
  • In the top right, click on your profile icon 
  • Select “Sign in with a different account” 
  • If the second account you are using is already listed, you can click on it to sign in 
  • Otherwise, click “Use another account” to add your second account 
  • Once you have signed in with both accounts, you can go back to the service page you were trying to sign into
2. Sign out of all your accounts in Outlook, then sign into site
  • Go to Outlook.office.com 
  • Click on your profile icon in the top right 
  • Click “Sign out” 
  • Close your browser and re-open it 
  • You should now be able to sign into the protected site
3. Use an Incognito or Private browsing Window

Use an incognito or private browsing window to avoid this issue. 

Google Chrome

  • Select the three vertical dots from the upper right corner of your browser window to open the menu.
  • From the menu select New Incognito window
  • Try accessing the service again in the Incognito window
Image
incognito window in chrome


 

Microsoft Edge: 

  • Select the three horizontal dots from the upper right corner of your browser window to open the menu.
  • From the menu select “New InPrivate window
  • Try accessing the service again in the InPrivate window 
Image
incognito window microsoft edge
4. Use different browsers for multiple accounts

If you utilize multiple accounts, try using different browsers depending on which account you need to use. For example: 

  • When logging into to services with a primary account use Google Chrome
  • When logging into to services with a secondary or departmental account use Firefox. 

 

Resolution

No Known Resolution: A permanent resolution is not currently available. OIT recommends using the workarounds above when encountering this issue. 

 

Department, Team, and Shared Account MFA Challenges

Issue

Some department, team, group, and other secondary accounts may not work as expected following the Microsoft MFA implementation. 

Workarounds

Resolution

In Progress: OIT continues to evaluate long-term solutions and guidance for secondary account access. 

 

Authentication Error Accessing Bill & Pay or Degree Audit 

Issue

Some users encounter an authentication error when attempting to access Bill & Pay or Degree Audit. 

Image
Degree audit/ Bill & Pay error

Workaround

Try one or both of the following troubleshooting steps:

1. Clear your browser cache and all cookies

Authentication issues can sometimes be caused by outdated browser data. Visit OIT's Web Browsers - Clear the Cache page for instructions on clearing your cache in Chrome, Firefox, Edge and Safari.

No matter what browser you use, clear your cache including all cookies. Following the cache clear completely close your browser for changes to completely take effect.  

2. Try to connect using an incognito window

Attempt to replicate the issue in an Incognito or InPrivate Browsing Window.

Google Chrome

  • Select the three vertical dots from the upper right corner of your browser window to open the menu.
  • From the menu select New Incognito window
  • Try accessing the service again in the Incognito window

Microsoft Edge: 

  • Select the three horizontal dots from the upper right corner of your browser window to open the menu.
  • From the menu select “New InPrivate window
  • Try accessing the service again in the InPrivate window 

Resolution

In Progress: OIT has resolved this issue and users should no longer get this error. 

 

Sign in errors for secondary accounts in Zoom, Event Management System (EMS) or Mediasite

Issue

Some users were unable to sign in to Zoom, Event Management System (EMS), or Mediasite using a secondary account because MFA authentication is required. 

Resolution

Resolved: OIT has resolved this issue and secondary accounts are no longer being prompted by MFA when logging in to Zoom, EMS or MediaSite