Now I am faced with this problem. The code didn't arrive in the mail. I tried to ignore it and entered the password again (several times), I restarted the client 5 times and restarted the computer 2 times. Nothing helped
After going through the solutions listed here, the option of getting the code for the account in the browser turned out to be working. After that, I closed the browser and closed the game, started the browser and logged into my account on the site again. Then I started the game and the game no longer needed the code
I can't log in due to the fact that I am not receiving the access code in my email inbox, I checked my junk mail aswell by the way, nothing, I opened a ticked Reference # 230315-004634
ESO Tech support was "responsive" to my (third) ticket (responding at the rate of ~1 update per day). They changed the email address associated with the account from one email domain/service-provider (where I am having/had problems with access code emails for 2 ESO accounts) to another email domain/service-provider (where I am having problems with access code emails for 10+ ESO accounts, and problems with account activation emails on 1 account).
Nevertheless, after they switched the email (associated with the ESO account) from the original dubiousl/problematic email domain to this other dubious/problematic email domain, I successfully received an access code email and was able to log into my account. Don't know how long this will last, but it is working now. The ESO account is back on the road, at least for the moment.
I am left with the definite impression that the SIMPLE ACT of changing the email address on an ESO game account is resetting something at the ESO end that serves as a workaround to this problem.
The implication of this is that all ESO users may, in fact, need to maintain multiple email addresses at two or more service providers, so they can switch back and forth when ESO account-related automation SNAFUs like this (making sure to switch email service providers as part of the workaround). And for those of us who have more than one ESO game account, this becomes even more complicated (we could end up needing an email address for each ESO account, on multiple service providers).
Beyond that, I still do not have the sense that ESO is necessarily all that interested in verifying, diagnosing, and rectifying the underlying problem. So far, it seems the sum total of the action they are willing to take is to change email addresses for people. If I am mistaken about this (I have no visibility on what they may be working on, internally), apologies. Maybe at some point they will show us.
But at this point I have seen a workaround actually succeed, so I have some hope that I will be able to regain access to all (~15) of my ESO game accounts... at least until the problem crops up again, and I have to repeat the whole process.
Of course, at this rate (one ticket per week), it will take ~3 months to get all of these accounts "fixed". Doesn't seem to be any way around it. An actual comprehensive fix is just not happening. Maybe it will be possible to submit more than one ticket at a time? I may try that, once I am a bit farther along, and have a bit more trust in the process... though historically that just seems to confuse the ESO people, so it may not work.
I am also currently engaged in the process of setting up a new email service provider, which allows 20+ email aliases (purchased in blocks; basically as many as you want, as long as you pay), where I can centralize email related to all of my ESO accounts (and games in general... plus some other applications I have for email addresses, also related to service automation/monitoring/recovery). Once complete, hopefully that will simplify things at my end (I can log in once, and see everything), and remain stable and viable for a while.
So, all my accounts are "recovered', everything I need to log in and manage the accounts appears to be working (a new and hopefully more reliable email service provider is now successfully receiving access code emails, etc)... EXCEPT for two.
Tickets have been filed related to the two remaining problem accounts. No response (yet). I may or may not be able to receive emails from ESO support at the email addresses associated with these accounts, and I am not able to login to either of these accounts, so asking me to log in at "My Support" is unlikely to be helpful (I will just have to wait 96 hours and file a new ticket).
I have provided an alternate contact email for both of these tickets (an email address which has been working).
230318-004045: new account, never received an account activation email (similar problem to the missing access code email issues); account is effectively "orphaned", no way to complete the activation process without successful origination/receipt of an activation email (or perhaps manual intervention by ESO)
230318-003797: Password recovery, account is in an infinite loop: Click on the "Forgot Password" link, receive a "Password Reset Instructions" email, follow the link in the email, answer my secret question and enter a new password, receive a "Password Reset Success" email, attempt to log in at elderscrollsonline.com using the new password (which has been confirmed as successful!), receive error: "There have been too many login attempts, so you need to create a new password using the Forgot Password? link." ESO doesn't seem to reset this "too many" condition when the password is forgotten/changed (or indeed ever). The condition doesn't seem to time out either (its been a couple of weeks)
Any information on the current status of these tickets would be appreciated.
The not recognizing this machine when I'm logging into my account seems to be resolved.
It appears for the last little while the whole account page and such has been reformatted. Since that happened I haven't seen the issue.
If they were working on rebuilding the account layout all along why not just say so.... obviously something got fixed because I guarantee I did not do anything on my end.
Hopefully it will keep up.
Tickets have been filed related to the two remaining problem accounts. No response (yet).
So, my two remaining tickets (230318-003797, 230318-004045) have apparently been ignored. No response directly in email, no update on the forums, and as I have explained, I cannot access anything at "My Support" (and in fact, now that I am able to login at elderscrollsonline.com, none of my recent tickets appear to be available at "My Support" anyway).
I am still not able to gain access to 2x of my accounts.
So, on Monday (March 27, 2023), I will start new tickets. I will keep doing that (for as long as it takes) until the show-stopping defects I am dealing with in ESO account management have been addressed, and I regain access to these 2x accounts.
I will post the results of my adventures here in the PC Tech Support forum. As these problems no longer relate directly to the (broken) access code mechanism, are more relevant to problems with (broken) account creation and (broken) password recovery, I will probably start a new thread to document these efforts.
If anyone has a better idea for how to get problems dealt with, please let me know.
Yep, happens to me constantly. I currently cannot log in as it does not recognize my ip and have not received an email. It seems to do this about every two weeks. This is getting really old. When you pay for a game, you'd like to be able to play it. I cringe whenever they have us update the TOS agreements because I know what's going to happen. It won't recognize my ip and I will not receive an email for about 24 hours. Yay...
24 hours later and I STILL cannot get on the game. No email sent...
24 hours later and I STILL cannot get on the game. No email sent...
Only thing that ultimately worked for me was to file a ticket (which was ignored, so I re-filed... and re-re-filed... took multiple tickets over the space of 2+ weeks, on multiple accounts), and get the email address associated with each of my accounts changed.
Is this problem of a high enough priority that ZOS is working (in the background, secretly?) on a more coherent, proactive solution (one that maybe doesn't center on bureaucratic apathy)? Perhaps a different form of two-factor authentication (for instance, Guild Wars 2 is equipped to send access codes via SMS to the device of your choice)?
Only their hairdresser knows.
In the meantime, it has been (and remains) exceptionally frustrating. Still hassling with 2x accounts, inaccessible due to defective ZOS authentication/recovery mechanisms, and no-one is responding to my tickets. Getting ready to start the 3rd round of tickets on these two remaining accounts, on Monday, April 3 2023.
Just tried logging in... prompted for an access code, no access code email sent. Backed out, tried to log in again, and did not need an access code.
This is one of the symptoms of the earlier psychosis I encountered... the first problem I began observing, which then slowly/systematically escalated to complete dysfunction (resulting in my inability to log into the game, elderscrollsonline.com, or both... requiring multiple tickets, serially ignored, to resolve).
I think a reasonable person could conclude that there are fundamental problems with the ESO 2-factor authentication and account recovery systems. I think a reasonable person could conclude that ZOS has no interest in addressing these problems.
Would a reasonable person persist in playing the game, paying ESO subscription dues, buying expansions/crowns/etc, in the face of this manifest disregard?
UPDATE: Here we go again... with yet more accounts (which I was able to access just a few days ago).
Sequence of events:
Tried to log into the game, using current password. Prompted for an access code. DID NOT receive an access code email. Reproduced repeatedly.
Tried to log into elderscrollsonline.com, using current password. Prompted for an access code. DID receive an access code email. Logged in. Changed my password. Received a password change confirmation email. Logged back into elderscrollsonline.com, using new password. Gained access successfully (no access code prompt).
Tried to log into the game, using new password. Prompted for an access code. DID NOT receive an access code email. Reproduced repeatedly.
Tried to log into elderscrollsonline.com, using new password. Gained access successfully (no access code prompt).
Tried to log into the game, using new password. Prompted for an access code. DID NOT receive an access code email. Reproduced repeatedly.
Note, this was with each of several accounts, and with each account the same email address throughout. You can't vacuously blame this on my email service provider.
The most reasonable conclusion? ZOS 2-FACTOR AUTHENTICATION IS BROKEN. Maybe random/intermittent, from account to account, but BROKEN. I could spend weeks trying to get a response to a new sequence of tickets, on these several accounts that are malfunctioning at the moment, but the problem would just recur in a week or two... then again, and again, and again. And in any event, I am out of new email service providers for ZOS to blame their dysfunction on.
I think it is time for ZOS to actually FIX THESE PROBLEMS, or at least to understand definitively what is causing them (so that if they are, however improbably, due to some cause at the customer end, the customer can deal with them coherently). But I have no confidence ZOS is the least bit interested.
At this point, I have reluctantly concluded that ZOS is simply not going to permit me to continue playing ESO. Time for a hiatus. Maybe I will return. Maybe I will patronize their competition exclusively, for the rest of my natural life.
I was able to log into the relevant accounts (access code emails received), and have successfully cancelled my ESO+ subscriptions. I am going to contact my credit card company to dispute the relevant charges and force a refund on the Necrom expansions that I recently purchased (on the grounds that ZOS is incapable of delivering the product I purchased in good faith... if ZOS has a problem with this, they can attempt to rationalize their nonsense to American Express). I will also instruct my credit card company to cease honoring charges from ESO, ZOS, or any associated merchant.
ZOS can continue ignoring my tickets (2 accounts were still broken, and now have been joined by 4 more), I won't need their "assistance".
Unfortunate it has come to this, but at this point, the aggregate total amount of time I have been forced to waste on this senseless @!^%*# is really unbelievable... with no end in sight. The whole experience has been MONUMENTALLY FRUSTRATING!!!
As this discussion is over a year old, we have decided to close the discussion. If you still need assistance with an access code issue, please go ahead and start a new thread in the PC Support forum. Linked below is a help article with troubleshooting you can try as well.