Microsoft Confirms Global Exchange Admin Center Outage, Offers Temporary Workaround
Microsoft has officially acknowledged a global outage impacting the Exchange Admin Center (EAC), leaving administrators across the globe unable to access essential management tools. The issue, classified as a critical service incident under ID EX1051697, is disrupting Exchange Online services and affecting mailbox and group management functions.
Administrators attempting to log into the EAC are met with an “HTTP Error 500,” indicating an internal server failure. This error effectively blocks access to vital administrative features, posing operational challenges for many organizations that depend on the web-based platform for managing their Exchange environments.
In light of the outage, some users have reported limited success using an alternative access route: https://admin.cloud.microsoft/exchange#/. Microsoft is currently validating this workaround and has advised administrators to use it while the investigation continues.
Microsoft’s engineering team has detected elevated error spikes and is actively examining recent service changes as possible causes. The company has reproduced the issue internally and is analyzing telemetry data to isolate the root of the problem. Diagnostic data is also being reviewed to guide the troubleshooting efforts.
“We’ve identified increases in error spikes and are investigating these further,” Microsoft stated. “Additionally, we’re reviewing recent changes made to the service as a potential root cause.” While PowerShell remains a fallback option for some administrative tasks, the EAC remains a preferred tool due to its user-friendly interface and centralized control capabilities.
Microsoft has emphasized that resolving this issue is a high priority. Although no estimated time for resolution has been given, administrators are encouraged to stay updated through the Microsoft 365 Admin Center, where real-time service announcements are being posted.
In the latest update, Microsoft noted, “We’re currently investigating routing logs to identify the root cause, as well as testing a potential mitigation by re-routing user requests to working URLs.”
As this is a developing situation, further updates are expected. In the meantime, administrators should consider using the workaround URL or alternative management tools until full functionality is restored.
