Why is the University controlling my PC?

When you sign into a Microsoft application with your University account, a dialog box pops up asking if you want Windows to remember your account so you do not have to sign in as often. There is an option in this dialog box, which if left in it's default enabled state, will apply device management policies to your device. These are Microsoft default settings. The Security and Endpoint Management teams are in the process of updating and maintaining these settings. You can find more information on the device registration process in this KB article.

How to Un-Enroll

If Windows is using a personal Microsoft account to log in:

If you sign in to Windows with a personal Microsoft account, but have connected your University account into it afterwards for Office licensing, it is often possible to disconnect the two by following these steps.

Please note that Windows may have retrieved and applied device management policies or registry changes that are not undone by these steps. If you are still unable to change some settings, such as PIN complexity, you may need to follow the other sections of this page.

1. Remove University account from Windows

Go to the Accounts page in Windows Settings (Start menu - gear icon - Accounts).

1. Click on Access work or school.
2. Click on your University account, then click on Disconnect.
3. A dialog box will pop up, asking for confirmation to continue. Click on Yes to proceed.
4. Your PC begins the unenrollment process. Please make sure your connection to the internet is stable during this, as it is a "best-effort" process with no built-in retry. You should see a message saying that your account has been successfully removed.

2. Restart computer to apply the changes.

3. Sign in again.

After removing your account and restarting your computer, open a Microsoft 365 (Office suite) application. You should be prompted to sign in again. You should use your University account here. After you sign in, you will see a screen asking if you want to stay signed in to all your apps.

Important: If you do not want University policies applied to your device, make sure to un-check the "Allow my organization to manage my device" box.

After you un-check the box, you can choose to sign into this app only, or click OK to add your account to Windows. Adding the account to Windows gives you the benefit of single sign-on (SSO) to University resources, so you do not have to log in as often.

If Windows is using a University of Illinois account to log in:

Illinois accounts are only intended to be used to sign in to the operating system on University-issued computers.

If the Windows operating system on your personal computer or the main user profile you use on it was set up with your @illinois.edu email address, we recommend the following.

This is also our recommendation in the event that the above instructions do not fully remove University group policies or registry modifications.

1. Set up a new user in Windows, either using a personal (non-University) Microsoft account or locally following Microsoft's instructions here.
2. Grant that new non-University user administrator permissions.
3. Move any important files and configurations into the new user profile.
4. Remove the user profile associated with your University account following Microsoft's instructions here, understanding that anything not moved somewhere else will be lost.

Please note that solving operating system problems, such as the management of user profiles, is considered outside the scope of the Technology Services Help Desk. We will not be able to assist with the above steps.

If you're still having trouble:

Uninstall then Reinstall Microsoft 365 (the Office suite).

1. Uninstall Microsoft 365 (the Office suite), as well as OneDrive and Skype For Business if they remain after removing Microsoft 365. These applications' licensing is usually what keeps the security policies in place.
2. Follow the steps above to remove your University account from your computer.
3. Reinstall from the Office portal (https://portal.office.com). If you have a license that allows for installation of desktop apps, you will see an Install button in the top right.

If the above processes do not solve issues with Windows, you may have success with more drastic options.

Using the "Reset this PC" feature, as mentioned in our article Personal Devices, Operating System Re-Image/Reinstallation, will completely replace most or all Windows configuration on the computer.