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Can't Log In

Having trouble accessing the ACX Lab? Work through these steps to diagnose and resolve login issues.

Quick Diagnosis

Where are you trying to log in?

Destination Credentials to Use Common Fix
Azure portal Your @microsoft.com account Switch to ACX Lab tenant/directory
Windows VM (Bastion RDP) AC\youralias + AD password Use the domain prefix
Linux VM (Bastion SSH) youralias + AD password Don't include the domain prefix
AKS Arc (kubectl) Azure AD via az login Log in to the correct tenant

Issue: "You don't have access to this resource"

Cause: You're signed into the Azure portal under your corporate tenant, not the ACX Lab tenant.

Fix:

  1. Click your profile icon in the top-right corner of the Azure portal
  2. Click Switch directory
  3. Select the ACX Lab directory from the list
  4. Retry accessing your resources

If the ACX Lab directory doesn't appear in the list, your Entra guest account may not be set up yet:

  • Check if you've redeemed your Entra invitation email
  • Check your registration status
  • Wait 15 minutes for RBAC propagation after registration

Issue: Azure Portal Shows No Resources

Cause: RBAC role assignments can take up to 15 minutes to propagate after account creation.

Fix:

  1. Wait 15 minutes after receiving your registration confirmation email
  2. Hard-refresh the Azure portal (Ctrl+Shift+R or Cmd+Shift+R)
  3. Verify you're in the ACX Lab directory (not your corporate directory)
  4. Check that the correct subscription filter is applied — click Subscriptions filter at the top and ensure the ACX Lab subscription is selected

Issue: Windows VM "Authentication Failed"

Cause: Incorrect credentials or format.

Fix:

  1. Ensure you're using the AD credentials (not your @microsoft.com password)
  2. Use the full domain format: AC\youralias
  3. Verify your AD password hasn't expired
  4. If you've lost your AD password, contact the ACX Lab team for a reset

Issue: Linux VM "Permission Denied"

Cause: Wrong username format or expired credentials.

Fix:

  1. For Linux VMs, use just your alias (youralias), not AC\youralias
  2. Verify your AD password
  3. Ensure SSH is enabled on the target VM (it should be by default for Linux VMs)

Issue: MFA Prompt Loop

Cause: Cached authentication tokens conflicting between tenants.

Fix:

  1. Clear your browser cache and cookies for *.microsoft.com and *.microsoftonline.com
  2. Open an InPrivate/Incognito browser window
  3. Go to https://portal.azure.com
  4. Sign in fresh and complete MFA

Issue: "Account is locked" or "Account is disabled"

Cause: Your access may have expired, or too many failed login attempts locked the AD account.

Fix:

  • If access expired: Re-request access through My Access
  • If locked due to failed attempts: AD accounts auto-unlock after 30 minutes. Wait and try again.
  • If disabled: Your lab access may have been revoked. Check your access package status in My Access.

Still Can't Log In?

If none of the above resolved your issue:

  1. Check the ACX Lab Status Page for any ongoing outages
  2. Post in the ACX Lab Teams channel with:
    • Your @microsoft.com email
    • What you're trying to access (portal, VM, AKS)
    • The exact error message you see
    • Screenshot if possible