Signed out of Education profile now I can't get back in

Hello Philippa Webley-Evans,

Welcome to Microsoft Q&A forum.

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Sorry I'm not quite understand the situation yet. Do you mean that you are having 2 different user's profiles on your computer but now you cannot access 1 of them when you signed out? Or are you having 2 profiles on your Microsoft Edge and you can log back in again when you sign out of 1? Anyway, a photo of the error will help me a lot in finding this out. Please remember to remove all personal information before posting.

Additionally, may I know your Windows version and edition? You can do so by typing "Winver" in the search bar and press Enter.

I'm waiting for your reply.

On Windows 11, the personal Microsoft account and the university (work or school) account are separate account types and cannot be merged, but they can be used side by side. The goal is to:

• Keep a personal Windows user profile signed in with the personal Microsoft account
• Use the university account only where needed (for mail, Teams, Edge profile, etc.)

Because the password for the university account is not being accepted, that account itself must be recovered or reset through the university/IT department. Windows cannot bypass that.

To separate usage and avoid “all on one user account,” use these approaches:

1. Use a local or personal Microsoft account for the Windows sign‑in
   If the current Windows user is tied to the wrong Microsoft account and the goal is to stop using that account for Windows sign‑in:
   • Open Settings → Accounts → Your info.
   • If available, select Sign in with a local account instead and follow the prompts to create a local account for that profile.
   • After that, the personal Microsoft account can be used only inside apps (Outlook, Edge, Store) instead of as the Windows sign‑in.
2. Keep accounts side by side instead of merged
   Microsoft personal and work/school accounts cannot be merged or synchronized, but they can be used together:
   • Outlook: Add both the personal and university mailboxes as separate accounts in Outlook so each mailbox stays distinct.
   • OneDrive: Use separate OneDrive for personal and OneDrive for work or school; storage and folders remain separate.
   • Windows PC accounts: Create separate Windows users if desired (one signed in with the personal Microsoft account, another joined to the university account) so each has its own files and settings.
   • Edge profiles: Create separate Edge profiles and sign each profile into the appropriate account so sync, favorites, and history stay separate.
3. If there are two accounts with the same email address
   If a “Which account do you want to use?” prompt appears (Personal vs Work or school) when signing in, it means there are two different accounts using the same email address. To reduce confusion:
   • Rename the personal Microsoft account by adding a new alias and making it the primary alias in the Manage how you sign in section of the Microsoft account. This keeps the work/school identity distinct.
4. If the university account itself is locked or the password fails
   Since the university account is managed by the institution, only the university’s IT can reset or unlock it. Contact the university IT/helpdesk to:
   • Reset the password or unlock the account.
   • Confirm whether the account is still active.

Once the university account is working again, sign it in only where needed (Outlook, Teams, Edge profile, “Access work or school” in Settings) and keep the personal account as the main Windows sign‑in or local account.

References:

• Combining Microsoft accounts
• What's the difference between a Microsoft account and a work or school account?
• Which account do you want to use?
• How to remove Microsoft Sign In - Microsoft Q&A