How can a Global Admin access a user-created Microsoft Form when the employee is unreachable?

Question

How can a Global Admin access a user-created Microsoft Form when the employee is unreachable?

Antoni Skrzypczyk 0

Why do I, as a Global Admin, not have access to Microsoft Forms created by the users? I need access to one of the user's forms, but the employee is currently unavailable. Can I do anything without deactivating her account (which is out of the question as she is actively using it)?

0 comments

2 answers

Your answer

Answer 1

Darren-Ng 10,455 Microsoft External Staff Moderator

Dear @Antoni Skrzypczyk,

Thank you for posting your question in the Microsoft Q&A forum.

Based on your description, you wonder why a Global Admin does not have access to Microsoft Forms created by users when the employee is unavailable.

For better understand your situation, could you please provide some more detail information as:

Was the Form created as a personal form or inside a Microsoft 365 Group / Team?

Was any collaborator (edit or view responses) added to the form before the owner became unavailable?

Please understand that the more information you provide, the more effectively I can support

Looking forward to your update.

Darren-Ng 10,455 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator

2026-02-19T07:01:26.3166667+00:00

Dear @Antoni Skrzypczyk,

Just checking in to see if you had a chance to review the previous suggestions. Could you please share the additional details requested ? This information will help us better understand the problem and provide an effective solution.

Looking forward to your update. Thank you!
Antoni Skrzypczyk 0 Reputation points

2026-02-19T08:35:29.9733333+00:00
The Form was created as a personal form. Creating a group form is impractical for us, unless there is a way to hide it from other members as well - we don't want every member of our team to be able to access every created form.

Not to my knowledge, no - there were no collaborators added to the form.
Darren-Ng 10,455 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator

2026-02-20T03:52:27.2666667+00:00

Dear @Antoni Skrzypczyk,

Based on your reply, could you please confirm whether the person who created that form used a company account or a personal account? Once confirmed, I will guide you through the next steps to resolve this issue.
Antoni Skrzypczyk 0 Reputation points

2026-02-20T07:53:00.0933333+00:00

The employee used her company account.
Darren-Ng 10,455 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator

2026-02-23T06:40:48.76+00:00

Dear @Antoni Skrzypczyk,

Thank you for confirming.

Is your goal to edit this form, or do you only want to view the data?

I am trying to see if there is any other option besides deactivating the account, as you mentioned above.
Antoni Skrzypczyk 0 Reputation points

2026-02-23T10:15:40.8466667+00:00

I need to edit the form - but also be able to view the responses.
Darren-Ng 10,455 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator

2026-02-25T07:29:11.8366667+00:00

Dear @Antoni Skrzypczyk,

Thank you for your update,

Thank you for providing the additional information. To look for any other possible insights beyond what you have shared, I need a bit more time to run some additional tests. I will do my best to get back to you as soon as possible, and no later than two days.

Thank you for your understanding.
Antoni Skrzypczyk 0 Reputation points

2026-04-20T15:01:37.06+00:00

Hi @Darren-Ng ,

Have you found any solutions to my problem since your last message?
Darren-Ng 10,455 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator

2026-04-21T01:27:19.5366667+00:00

Dear @Antoni Skrzypczyk,

Thank you for your patience, and I sincerely apologize for keeping you waiting for so long. However, in this scenario, although you are a Global Admin, you are trying to change the access permissions of a Microsoft Form that you do not own, without deactivating the form owner’s account.

From a design and permission standpoint, this action is not supported. As a Global Admin, you are not allowed to change the permissions or ownership of a personal Microsoft Form unless the owner’s account is deactivated or the access was granted in advance.

Here is office article Admin information

This is a workaround you can use:

Reset their password.

Remove MFA (if applicable).

Sign in as the user and export the form responses.

Kindly noted: This approach is intrusive and can disrupt the user’s work and is not recommended unless you have proper authorization.

Answer 2

As a Global Administrator, you typically do not have direct access to Microsoft Forms created by individual users unless specific permissions are granted. However, if you need to access a user-created form while the employee is unavailable, you can follow these steps:

Check Admin Permissions: Ensure that you have the necessary admin permissions to manage Microsoft Forms within your organization.
Access the Microsoft 365 Admin Center: Log in to the Microsoft 365 admin center. You may need to check the Message Center for any relevant notifications regarding forms.
Review and Unblock Forms: If the form has been flagged for phishing or malicious intent, you can review and unblock it through the admin center. This is done by navigating to the Message Center and checking for any blocked forms.
Contact Microsoft Support: If you are unable to access the form through the admin center and it is critical for your operations, consider reaching out to Microsoft Support for assistance.

Unfortunately, without deactivating the user's account or having prior access permissions set, your options may be limited. It is advisable to establish a protocol for accessing shared forms in the future to avoid similar situations.

References:

Share via

How can a Global Admin access a user-created Microsoft Form when the employee is unreachable?

2 answers

Your answer