Can't get into MY account now Ive taken over previous users MAC

Question

Can't get into MY account now Ive taken over previous users MAC

Carl Bebbington 0

I have taken over a work colleagues MAC and Microsoft won't allow me to access my Teams account. When I out in my password etc it keeps asking for my previous colleagues password etc. I've deleted Teams and resinstalled, emptied cache, deleted files from the library but still it won't let me get to my account or open Teams.

Alexis-NG 18,070 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator

2026-07-28T20:14:44.4833333+00:00

Hi Carl,

I hope everything is going well on your end.

I am following up on the support thread that has been discussed and wanted to check whether the information shared in my previous response helped address the issue you were experiencing.

If you are still encountering any issues or have additional questions, please feel free to reach out at any time. I would be happy to assist further as needed.

Additionally, ensuring that everything is functioning as expected and that your experience remains smooth is a top priority.

Thank you again for your collaboration throughout the troubleshooting process. I look forward to hearing from you soon.
Carl Bebbington 0 Reputation points

2026-07-29T08:54:26.6166667+00:00

to be honest I've not had the time to try the things in the answer as yet, shame its such a faff to resolve something that should be simple. But thanks for following up on this.
Alexis-NG 18,070 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator

2026-07-29T20:01:38.46+00:00

Hi Carl,

Thank you for the update. I completely understand that troubleshooting can sometimes be more involved than expected.

Please feel free to take your time to work through the suggested steps whenever it is convenient for you. If you run into any issues or need any assistance along the way, don't hesitate to reach out and I'll be happy to help.

1 answer

Your answer

Alexis-NG 18,070 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator

2026-07-28T20:14:44.4833333+00:00

Hi Carl,

I hope everything is going well on your end.

I am following up on the support thread that has been discussed and wanted to check whether the information shared in my previous response helped address the issue you were experiencing.

If you are still encountering any issues or have additional questions, please feel free to reach out at any time. I would be happy to assist further as needed.

Additionally, ensuring that everything is functioning as expected and that your experience remains smooth is a top priority.

Thank you again for your collaboration throughout the troubleshooting process. I look forward to hearing from you soon.
Carl Bebbington 0 Reputation points

2026-07-29T08:54:26.6166667+00:00

to be honest I've not had the time to try the things in the answer as yet, shame its such a faff to resolve something that should be simple. But thanks for following up on this.
Alexis-NG 18,070 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator

2026-07-29T20:01:38.46+00:00

Hi Carl,

Thank you for the update. I completely understand that troubleshooting can sometimes be more involved than expected.

Please feel free to take your time to work through the suggested steps whenever it is convenient for you. If you run into any issues or need any assistance along the way, don't hesitate to reach out and I'll be happy to help.

Answer 1

Hi Carl,

Thank you for your effort in troubleshooting this issue,

To ensure the old license is fully removed from your Teams account, please follow the steps below and execute the additional script provided.

Sign Out from All Office Apps

Microsoft OneDrive

Click the OneDrive cloud icon in the menu bar (top-right)
Click the three dots (...)
Select “Preferences”
Go to the “Account” tab
Click “Unlink This Mac”
Confirm by clicking “Unlink account”
Optional: To completely remove, drag OneDrive app to Trash

Microsoft Outlook

Open Outlook
Click “Outlook” in the top menu bar
Select “Preferences”
Click “Accounts”
Select your account and click “Sign Out”
Restart Outlook

Microsoft Office Applications (Word, Excel, PowerPoint)

Open any Office application
Click on the application name in the top menu bar
Select "Preferences"
Click "Sign Out"
Restart the application

Microsoft Teams

Click your profile picture in the top-right corner
Select "Sign out"
Confirm the sign-out
Quit Teams completely

2. Remove Cached Credentials

Open Keychain Access on your Mac.
Search for entries like MicrosoftOffice, ADAL, or Office.
Delete any credentials related to your old work account.
Restart your Mac after this step.

3. Use the license removal tool.

Download it from this link: Download the license removal tool. Then run it. For more information, see How to remove Office license files on a Mac | Microsoft Support

In the meantime, you can use Teams on the web as an alternative option.

However, if the issue persists, the most effective next step is reaching out to your IT admin and ask them to use their admin credentials to submit a support request through the Microsoft 365 Admin Center.

Microsoft also provides customer service phone numbers based on your region. Your It admin can find the appropriate contact number here: Customer service phone numbers - Microsoft Support

This route ensures that a Microsoft support engineer can initiate a remote session to investigate backend configurations, run advanced diagnostic tools, and, if necessary, escalate the case to specialized teams with access to internal systems and logs. These backend resources are essential for resolving issues that go beyond what’s visible in the user interface.

As community moderators, we’re here to guide you, but due to privacy and security limitations, we don’t have access to the backend tools required for a full resolution. For this reason, contacting Microsoft Support via the Admin Center is the most secure and efficient way forward.

I hope this provides enough clarity and helps you stay inform with your current situation.

Thank you for your patience and your understanding. If you have any questions or need further assistance, please feel free to share them in the comments on this post so I can continue to support you.

If the answer is helpful, please click "Yes" and kindly upvote it.

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