Microsoft Developer Program did not detect my activity

Question

Microsoft Developer Program did not detect my activity

Nay Linn Aung 0

Hello,

I have a Microsoft Developer Program E5 sandbox subscription. I have been using it to test Microsoft Sentinel and Defender XDR stack, however it has not detected my usage activity and now it's expired. User's image

The followings are the test/development activities I have done in this tenant.

Created and registered enterprise apps
Signed in as sample users and generated user activities (Teams messages, emails)
Onboarded on-prem servers to Azure Arc
Deployed Microsoft Sentinel
Created test endpoint security policies in Defender XDR

It would appear none of it were detected by Developer Program and now it's expired. It's still telling me to start using it even though I have been using it. User's image

I have raised a support ticket from the Defender Portal but the support team who got back to me was less than helpful. They didn't understand about the Developer Program and kept telling me to just reactivate the subscription by paying for it.

Then, they told me to contact the partner/reseller or go through the unified support -- the latter didn't work because the unified support link just signs me out. Eventually, this support team just told me Microsoft Developer Program was out of their scope.

So, I don't know what to do. I'd rather not lose the work I've done in this portal if it can be helped. Please help.

Thank you.

2 answers

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Answer 1

Vergil-V 7,305 Microsoft External Staff Moderator

Please note that our forum is a public platform, and we will modify your question to hide your personal information in the description. Kindly ensure that you hide any personal or organizational information the next time you post an error or other details to protect personal data.

Hi @Nay Linn Aung

Thank you for reaching out to the Microsoft Q&A forum

Based on my research, I’m happy to share some insights that may help clarify your situation regarding the inactive Microsoft E5 Developer Program.

The process of detecting inactivity and extending the subscription is completely automated and handled by the system’s algorithm. That said, as a forum moderator, I’m just an end user like you and unfortunately cannot intervene in this process directly.

From the image you shared, your account currently shows an “inactive” status. To increase the chances of the system recognizing your account as active and extending your subscription, please continue engaging with the environment such as performing more tests and activities.

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Many users have shared that the process can take anywhere from one week to one month for the system to automatically extend the subscription. This means I highly recommend backing up your work in case your subscription expires. After expiration, you have 30 days to migrate any data.

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For more details, please refer to: Microsoft 365 Developer Program FAQ | Microsoft Learn

Regarding the issue where you are signed out when accessing Unified Support, could you confirm if you see a message similar to the one shown in the image below? undefined

If so, please review this article for guidance to complete your registration: Services Hub sign in FAQs | Microsoft Learn

I sincerely hope this information helps clarify your situation. Please don’t hesitate to reply if you have any updates.

Thank you for your understanding.

Note: Please follow the steps in our documentation to enable e-mail notifications if you want to receive the related email notification for this thread.

Vergil-V 7,305 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator

2025-11-11T05:59:00.62+00:00

Hi @Nay Linn Aung

I just wanted to kindly follow up to see if you’ve had a chance to review my previous response.

We would greatly appreciate any updates you may be able to provide.

Your feedback is essential to our ongoing efforts to enhance the quality of our support.

Thanks again for your time, and we look forward to hearing from you
Nay Linn Aung 0 Reputation points

2025-11-11T13:33:12.0633333+00:00

I've been using it for months and it hasn't detected the activity.

I've read the Microsoft Learn Q&A pages you've quoted and the activities I've undertaken in the tenant should've been good to keep it 'active' IF they had been detected. For some reason, they weren't.

As for the support, no -- I didn't see the 'registration required' page, it just signs me out straightaway.

Subscription is already expired so are the E5 licences. There isn't a lot I can do with it anymore.
Vergil-V 7,305 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator

2025-11-12T13:24:46.88+00:00

Hi @Nay Linn Aung
Thank you for sharing this with us.

I understand how frustrating and inconvenient it can be when you are actively engaged in the Developer Program, but the system has not yet recognized your activity to extend your subscription. I truly wish I could resolve this for you directly; however, the process is fully managed by an automated algorithm.

Regarding the sign-in issue with Services Hub, it appears you may have been signed out because the account type you are using is not supported for access.

You can find more details here: Services Hub sign in FAQs | Microsoft Learn

If your account is a work account associated with a Microsoft 365 tenant, please try clearing your browser cache and then signing in using a private/incognito mode.

I hope this provides additional clarity, and I truly hope your subscription is updated soon.
Thank you for your time and for your patience.
Nay Linn Aung 0 Reputation points

2025-11-13T10:36:19.51+00:00

If your account is a work account associated with a Microsoft 365 tenant, please try clearing your browser cache and then signing in using a private/incognito mode.

@Vergil-V

Already done this and didn't work. As I have stated in my original post before, I had been through this with MSFT support and they suggested this. Didn't work. -- still keep signing me out.

There's nothing I can do anymore from the sound of it (as said before, all licences have expired already) so I'm just going to let it be deleted.

Thanks.
Vergil-V 7,305 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator

2025-11-13T10:47:55.1433333+00:00

Hi @Nay Linn Aung

I’m sorry to hear that my previous suggestion didn’t resolve the issue. I’ve done some additional research to help you connect with the Microsoft Services Support Team.

You can sign in using this link: https://support.serviceshub.microsoft.com/supportforbusiness/onboarding?origin=/supportforbusiness/… to check whether you’re able to create a support ticket directly.

Alternatively, you can contact them through Services Hub phone support by visiting: Services Hub - Support contacts.
Please note that this is a paid support option, which means it requires an active support plan or a one-time support purchase.

I hope this additional information makes it easier for you to move forward in contacting the Microsoft Services Hub Support Team.
Vergil-V 7,305 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator

2025-11-14T10:58:29.64+00:00

Hi @Nay Linn Aung

I hope you are having a good day.

I wanted to follow up and see if you had a moment to look over my previous message.

I sincerely apologize for not sharing this alternative sooner, but I found a different approach that might significantly simplify things. This method should help you reach the Service Hub support team without needing to go through the direct sign-in steps that were causing trouble.

If you give it a try, please notify us of the result at your earliest convenience.

Thank you for your time.
Nay Linn Aung 0 Reputation points

2025-11-17T17:26:55.3433333+00:00

I'm not going to contact MSFT support only to be told to go visit the FAQ pages, or to "just pay for it". So, as I said, I'm just going to let it expire and delete my dev tenant.
Perhaps, I'll sign up again in the future.

Thanks.
Vergil-V 7,305 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator

2025-11-18T10:39:06.0966667+00:00

Hi @Nay Linn Aung
I completely understand and respect your decision.

If you choose to delete your developer profile and create a new one, please note that you will need to wait 60 days before you can register again using the same account.

Answer 2

Nay Linn Aung 0

@Vergil-V

Just a quick update. Out of the blue, I received an email that my developer subscription has been renewed. I'm not sure why it's just 74 days as opposed to 90 but at least it's been renewed.

User's image Not out of the woods yet though. My Azure subscription in this tenant is still in a 'disabled' state and cannot be reactivated. The error didn't give me any details so I've raised a support request.
Thank you.

Vergil-V 7,305 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator

2025-11-19T15:21:10.7666667+00:00

Hi @Nay Linn Aung

Thank you so much for the updates!

I’m glad to hear that your E5 development subscription has been renewed. This is great news after such a long wait

Regarding the 74-day duration, it’s due to Microsoft’s new policy where subscriptions remain active for a range of 60–90 days.

For reference, here’s a similar case where a user’s subscription was active for 68 days after renewal: Microsoft 365 Developer subscription renewed for 68 days - Microsoft Q&A

As for the Azure subscription, I understand that the E5 development program does not include an Azure subscription. Renewing an Azure subscription is a separate process. Based on what I found in Reactivate a disabled Azure subscription - Microsoft Cost Management | Microsoft Learn, after the 30-day free trial, you need to upgrade your subscription to continue using Azure.

I hope this clarifies your situation. If you receive any new updates after reaching out to the Azure Support Team, please feel free to share.
Nay Linn Aung 0 Reputation points

2025-11-20T09:58:01.1533333+00:00

@Vergil-V

I just didn't know the renewal to 60-90 days would result in a random number of days such as 68 or 74. It's not a problem, good to know.

Regarding the Azure subscription, I'm not certain you are right. Remember, you cannot create a subscription in a Dev Tenant. You have to do that elsewhere and change directory (aka import) to a Dev tenant. As such, there is no way to upgrade it. There are no options available for that.

Hence why I'm waiting for the support to get back to me.

Thank you.
Vergil-V 7,305 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator

2025-11-20T12:23:07.7133333+00:00

Please note that our forum is a public platform, and we will modify your image to hide your personal information in the description. Kindly ensure that you hide any personal or organizational information the next time you post an error or other details to protect personal data
Hi @Nay Linn Aung
Thank you for sharing.

I truly appreciate that.

From what I understand, the Azure subscription and the E5 development program are mostly separate. However, I can see the idea of transferring the original tenant to the developer tenant makes sense. You are also correct that the E5 developer program does not include commercial support.

If you receive any updates from the Azure Support team, please feel free to share them.

Thank you for your contribution.
Nay Linn Aung 0 Reputation points

2025-11-21T09:13:17.9466667+00:00

@Vergil-V

You are right, they are separate but when it comes to things like Sentinel or Defender for Cloud, they are somewhat related.

As you know, Sentinel still needs to be deployed on Azure portal. For that, we need a sub, an rg, and a law. However, to enable Sentinel Data Lake, you need to do so from the Defender portal and that needs you to have an active sub.

In short, if you were testing the XDR stack, you need both the sub and the defender portal to be active.

Thank you.
Vergil-V 7,305 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator

2025-11-21T14:30:00.8633333+00:00

Hi @Nay Linn Aung
Your explanation of the XDR stack was truly helpful. It gave me a much clearer understanding of the context. I’m also grateful for the opportunity to learn something new today.

Thank you so much for taking the time to share your insights!

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Microsoft Developer Program did not detect my activity

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