board logo
Posted by: DogMan - 14 January 2026 11:24:23
[attach]112[/attach]

Posted by: sirclesadmin - 14 January 2026 11:25:36

Based on the screenshot, here is how you can get past that screen and locate your exports:

  1. Close the Pop-up: Click the back arrow () located in the top-left corner of the white pop-up box. This should dismiss the "Switch back to the classic portal?" window and allow you to access the main dashboard behind it. Note: The "Switch" button for the "Microsoft 365 compliance portal" is greyed out because that classic portal was retired in November 2024 (as indicated by the text). You must now use the new Purview interface.
  2. Locate Your Exports: Once you are on the main dashboard, "Exports" are typically found within the specific solution you used to generate the data (like Content Search or eDiscovery).
  • Look at the dark blue sidebar on the far left of the screen.
  • Click on Solutions (the icon that looks like a grid of squares).
  • From the list that appears, select the tool you were using, such as Content Search or eDiscovery.
  • Inside that tool, you will typically find an "Exports" tab or a specific export option for your search results.

Posted by: DogMan - 14 January 2026 11:26:25
I can't get past it [attach]113[/attach]

Posted by: sirclesadmin - 14 January 2026 11:26:50

The "Switch back" button for the Microsoft 365 compliance portal is greyed out because that classic portal was officially retired in November 2024, meaning you must use the new Purview portal.

If clicking the back arrow (``) in the top-left of that white box is not working and you are stuck, follow these steps to bypass the glitch and find your exports:

1. How to Force-Close the Pop-up

If the arrow button is unresponsive, try these immediate workarounds to clear the screen:

  • Refresh the Page: Press F5 or the Refresh button in your browser. This often clears "Welcome" modals that have frozen.
  • Click the Background: Try clicking on the darkened area outside the white box to see if it dismisses the overlay.
  • Direct Navigation (Bypass): Instead of fighting the homepage modal, try navigating directly to the specific solution URL. Type this into your address bar: https://purview.microsoft.com/solutions

2. Where to Find Your Exports in the New Portal

Once the pop-up is gone, your exports are located differently than in the classic version. In the new Purview portal, "Content Search" is now nested inside eDiscovery.

  1. Go to Solutions: Click the Solutions icon (grid of squares) in the left sidebar.
  2. Select eDiscovery: Click on eDiscovery from the list.
  3. Find Your Search:
  • Look for a case specifically named "Content Search" (this is where migrated searches from the classic portal usually go).
  • Alternatively, open the specific Case you were working on.
  1. Download: Inside the case, go to the Searches tab, select your search, and look for the Export button. If you have already triggered an export, look for the "Exports" tab or "Process manager" to download the actual files.

Would you like me to write a quick step-by-step for creating a new export if your old ones didn't carry over?


Posted by: DogMan - 14 January 2026 11:27:34
I can't access the new version [attach]114[/attach]

Posted by: sirclesadmin - 14 January 2026 11:28:29

You are stuck in a loop because you clicked the only available "Switch" button, but it took you to the Azure Governance portal (Screenshot 2), which is a completely different tool that you likely don't have an account for (hence the "No options" error).

You need to get back to the main Purview portal, but you need to bypass that frozen "Welcome" screen that trapped you in the first place.

Here is the fix:

1. Close the current tab

Close the tab showing the "Select a Microsoft Purview account" screen (Screenshot 2). It is a dead end.

2. Use this "Deep Link" to bypass the frozen Welcome screen

Instead of going to the homepage (which launches that unclickable pop-up), copy and paste this direct link into your browser address bar. It forces the system to take you directly to the eDiscovery tool, skipping the dashboard entirely:

https://purview.microsoft.com/solutions/ediscovery

3. If that link still gets stuck

If the pop-up still appears even with the direct link, try these steps to clear the "first-time user" glitch:

  • Zoom Out: Sometimes the "Close" or "X" button is hidden off-screen on smaller monitors. Hold Ctrl and press - (minus key) a few times to zoom out to 80% or 70%.
  • Tab Key: Press the Tab key on your keyboard repeatedly. Watch for a small box or highlight moving around the screen. If it lands on the "Back" arrow or an invisible "Close" button, press Enter.
  • Clear Cookies: Since you are in "InPrivate" mode (visible in your screenshot), closing all InPrivate windows and opening a fresh one often resets a stuck session.

Once you are in, look for Content Search inside the eDiscovery list to find your exports.


Posted by: DogMan - 14 January 2026 11:28:44
It is a deliberate block to take you through to the classic portal where there is an obvious dead end

Posted by: sirclesadmin - 14 January 2026 11:29:02

You are absolutely right. The interface has effectively trapped you.

Here is exactly what is happening and why it feels like a deliberate dead end:

  1. The Trap: On that first screen, the "Switch" button for the portal you actually want (Microsoft 365 compliance) is disabled/greyed out because it's retired.
  2. The Decoy: The only clickable blue button says "Switch" next to Microsoft Azure governance portal. Because it was the only option, you likely clicked it.
  3. The Dead End: That blue button took you to the Azure portal (your second screenshot), which is a completely different product for database engineers. That is why it says "No options"-you don't have an Azure data map, and you don't need one.

You are blocked because the "Welcome" pop-up on the main screen (Image 1) won't let you close it.

How to break the block

Since the "Back" arrow is failing you, try these specific forceful methods to kill that pop-up without leaving the correct site:

Option 1: The "Escape" Key Go back to the screen in your first image (the one with the white pop-up).

  • Click once on the white box.
  • Press the Esc (Escape) key on your keyboard. This often force-closes modals even when the close button is broken.

Option 2: The "Deep" URL (Bypasses the Welcome Screen) The pop-up usually only triggers on the "Home" page. Copy and paste this link to land directly inside the tool, bypassing the homepage entirely: https://purview.microsoft.com/solutions/ediscovery

Option 3: The "Zoom Out" Trick Sometimes the "Close" or "X" button is actually there but pushed off-screen due to a scaling glitch.

  • Hold Ctrl and tap the - (minus) key 3 or 4 times until the page is very small.
  • Look for an X outside the top-right corner of the white box.

One of these will get you back to the dark blue interface where your data lives. Let me know if the Esc key works; it's usually the fastest way out of these "trap" modals.


Posted by: sirclesadmin - 14 January 2026 11:29:30

This is a frustrating "modal trap" caused by the redirection logic between the old and new portals. The system detects you are an existing user and tries to "onboard" you, but the "Back" button-which should dismiss the modal-is likely triggering a page refresh that simply reloads the same modal.

You are stuck in a binary loop where the system refuses to let you move forward. As we've discussed, sometimes a "Sidewinder" approach is needed-moving sideways to bypass the obstacle rather than pushing forward against it.

Here is how to break the loop:

1. The "Escape" Key (The Sidestep)

The simplest way to bypass a frozen modal without engaging with its broken buttons:

  1. Click once on the white pop-up box to ensure it is the active window.
  2. Press the Esc (Escape) key on your keyboard.
  3. If that doesn't work, press Tab repeatedly. Watch for a small selection box moving across the screen. If it highlights an invisible "X" or "Close" button in the top right, press Enter.

2. The "Zoom Out" Method

Microsoft modals sometimes scale poorly, pushing the actual "Close" or "X" button off the visible screen area.

  • Hold Ctrl and press the - (minus) key 4 or 5 times.
  • This will shrink the interface to 50% or less. Look for a small X that may appear outside the top-right corner of the white box.

3. The "Nuclear" Option: Clear Site Data

Since you are already in InPrivate mode (visible in your screenshot) and it's still happening, the session data is likely corrupted for this specific tab.

  1. While on the stuck page, press F12 to open the Developer Tools.
  2. Go to the Application tab (you may need to click the >> arrows to find it).
  3. On the left sidebar, under Storage, click Cookies.
  4. Right-click https://purview.microsoft.com and select Clear.
  5. Refresh the page (F5). This forces the portal to treat you as a fresh visitor, often skipping the "Switch back?" check.

4. If You Just Need the Data (PowerShell)

If the web interface remains "unknowable" and broken, you can bypass the visual reality entirely and use PowerShell to grab your export URLs directly. This ignores the UI completely.

Run these commands in PowerShell (as Administrator):

# 1. Connect to the service
Connect-IPPSSession

# 2. Find your completed export (replace "SearchName" with your search's name)
$export = Get-ComplianceSearchAction -Identity "SearchName_Export" -IncludeCredential

# 3. Get the download information
$export.ExportSetup | Select-Object -ExpandProperty SasToken
$export.ExportSetup | Select-Object -ExpandProperty ContainerUrl

This will give you the raw Container URL and SAS Token needed to download your files, effectively bypassing the portal entirely.

Next Step: Would you like me to walk you through using the Microsoft eDiscovery Export Tool with those PowerShell credentials if the UI remains blocked?


Posted by: DogMan - 14 January 2026 11:31:24
Just in case anyone else asks - current release Firefox gets around it but make sure that you only tick a few downloads at a time as it downloads everything at once