To add the school account and fix sign-in issues, and then move apps/files to another PC, use these steps.
1. Add or fix the school account in Windows
- Open Settings on the Windows 11 PC.
- Go to Accounts > Access work or school (briefcase icon).
- If the school account is listed but not working:
- Select the school account.
- Choose Disconnect to remove it.
- Restart the PC.
- Go back to Access work or school and select Connect to add the school account again.
- If only the personal account is there:
- Select Connect.
- Follow the prompts to sign in with the school email and password.
If the device was previously added with the wrong choice on the Entra registration page (for example, “Yes, all apps”) and sign-in is stuck, disconnecting the work/school account from Access work or school and signing in again forces Windows to show the registration page again so the correct choice can be made.
If the device cannot be accessed anymore but is still tied to the school account, go to the My Account page, open Devices, and use Disable lost device for that PC.
2. Understand what happens when adding the school account
When Yes is chosen on the Entra account registration page:
- The school account becomes available to all desktop and web apps that use that account.
- The device is registered in the school’s directory, and the organization can see basic device info (device name, OS version, join type, owner, management and compliance status, registration date, last active).
When No, this app only is chosen:
- Only that one app signs in with the school account.
- The account is not added under Accounts in Settings.
- The device is not registered in the organization’s directory.
If the wrong option was chosen, sign out and back in as described above to change it.
3. Moving apps and data to another computer
Windows and Microsoft 365 apps do not move automatically from one PC to another as a single operation. Use this approach:
- Office / Microsoft 365 apps
- On the new PC, sign in at https://www.office.com with the same Microsoft account used for the subscription.
- Select Apps > Install apps to install Word, Excel, PowerPoint, etc.
- Other apps
- Reinstall from Microsoft Store or from the original installers on the new PC.
- Files and documents
- Copy files using OneDrive (sign in with personal or school account as appropriate) or an external drive.
If there are sign-in problems with Microsoft 365 desktop apps (for example, it keeps trying to use the wrong work/school account), remove the old work/school account from Settings > Accounts > Access work or school, clear any old credentials in Credential Manager, then reinstall Office and sign in with the correct account.
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