how to fix Switch to an account that has permission

To resolve the issue of switching to an account that has permission, you can try the following steps:

1. Check Permissions: Ensure that the account you are trying to switch to has the necessary permissions for the action you are attempting. If you are using Microsoft Entra, verify that the account has the appropriate roles assigned.
2. Use Incognito Mode: Sometimes, browser caching issues can prevent account switching. Try opening a new incognito or private browsing window and log in with the account that has the required permissions.
3. Clear Browser Cookies: If you're still facing issues, clearing your browser cookies may help. This can reset any session-related problems that might be causing the issue.
4. Single Sign-On Policies: If single sign-on is enabled in your Microsoft Entra tenant, it may be preventing the switch. You might need to log out of the current account completely before switching.
5. Update Software: Ensure that your Microsoft applications are up to date, as updates may contain fixes for account management issues.

If these steps do not resolve the issue, consider reaching out to your IT support for further assistance.

Hi @Charlie Dardashti, 

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

Based on your description, you are seeing the message “Switch to an account that has permission” when accessing a Microsoft 365 resource. We truly understand your situation and appreciate the effort you’ve made to get this resolved. 

This message appears when the signed‑in account doesn’t have permission to the file, site, or admin portal you’re opening. It can also occur if a different profile is being used by the app, if cached credentials are still applied, or if licensing or access changed in your organization.  

To help you address this, we’ve outlined some alternative steps that may work well for your situation: 

1/ Start by confirming you’re using the appropriate account and that required permissions are in place: 

• Identify which work account should have access to the file/site/team. 
• In SharePoint/OneDrive, check Site permissions or use Check Permissions to confirm your account has at least View or Edit access; have the owner re‑share if needed.  
• For your reference: Access Denied or You need permission errors in SharePoint Online and OneDrive - SharePoint | Micros… 

2/ Proceed by re‑signing into Teams and clearing the cache to help display the most current details: 

• Sign out of all Microsoft 365 apps (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Teams) via File > Account, close the apps, and sign out of office.com, sharepoint.com, onedrive.com, and microsoftonline.com in the browser. 
• Reopen a private/incognito window and sign in with the account that has permission. 
• Remove cached credentials (Windows: Credential Manager > Windows Credentials) 

3/ Then, verify your licensing details and ensure you’re working within the right tenant environment:

• Ensure your account has an active Microsoft 365 license; if licenses changed, reassign/reapply. 
• In web apps, pick the correct organization/tenant in the account switcher. 
• If you’re accessing the Microsoft 365 admin center, use the tenant admin account (e.g., ******@yourcompany.onmicrosoft.com) or contact Microsoft Support for identity verification if credentials are unknown.  
• Here is a resource and discussion that others have found useful in resolving similar concerns: I cannot access my M365 admin Portal. When I try to login, it comes up with a message saying 'Switc… 

4/ If using synced files or desktop apps, re‑link OneDrive and retry 

• Open OneDrive settings > Account > Unlink this PC, then sign in again with the correct account. 
• Check sync status and, if needed, follow the OneDrive troubleshooting guide before retrying.  

5/ As your account is managed by your organization, please contact your IT administrator to check your permission and policies. For a more efficient resolution, we recommend using your administrator account or contacting your IT administrator to submit a support request directly to Microsoft Support team.    

They can raise a support ticket by visiting: Get support - Microsoft 365 admin | Microsoft Learn 

If the message continues after these steps, please share the resource you’re opening (URL), the app you’re using, and the signed‑in email address or the screenshot of your error. We’ll verify permissions and help you gain access quickly. 

As community moderators, we appreciate your understanding that our access to internal development details is limited. Our primary role is to guide users toward the appropriate resources and support channels. While we may not have visibility into deeper backend analysis, we’ll continue doing our best to support you within the scope of our responsibilities.  

I hope this information is helpful. Please follow these steps and let me know if it works for you. If you have any updates regarding the issue, please feel free to share them with me.   

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.   

I look forward to continuing the conversation.

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