This is a compilation
of urgent and helpful information regarding (your) Microsoft Account based on
questions I am frequently asked.
Q. What is (my) Microsoft
Account? Why do I care?
Microsoft Account is a single sign-on account which connects all your
Microsoft Apps and services. Just like your Google account is a single sign-on
account for Google Drive, Gmail, Google Meet etc., your Microsoft Account is a
single sign-on account for Exchange Online (mail), SharePoint, OneDrive, Microsoft
365 Apps and Teams etc. If you have been using the Office 365 services at IIT
Kanpur since 2019 or later, your email id [username@iitk.ac.in] is (one of)
your Microsoft Account(s). Note that this is your Computer Centre account too.
Your Microsoft account password need not be the same as your CC password. There
are practically no restrictions for your MS Account password – it can be any
combination of letters, numbers and (special) characters, including spaces. So
your password can be a sentence of your choice – easy to remember yet complex
to crack!
You can further strengthen your MS Account security by opting for MFA
(Multi-Factor Authentication). Once you opt for this, you may choose any one or
multiple MFA authentication methods [Authenticator App, Phone(call/text) or
alternate Email]. Recommended option is Authenticator app, and/or Phone. We
recommend installing Authenticator App on your mobile, and whenever you sign in
on a new device, you will have to approve it on Authenticator.
The answer to the
second part of the question will be evident once you read the entire document.
Q. What is a personal
Microsoft Account and a “Work or School” Microsoft Account?
If you ever created Hotmail or outlook.in or live.com email account, it
is your personal Microsoft Account. But this is not all. Anyone can create
his/her personal Microsoft Account, which can be any email address, for
example, your Gmail or Yahoo mail address too.
The url where you can
create a Microsoft Account (personal) is: https://account.microsoft.com/account
“Work or School” Microsoft Account is administered by the institution of
which the user is a member. Hence those who have their account created on the
IITK subscription to Office 365 (details are provided on CC home page under
Information link), have their IITK email address as their “Work or School”
Microsoft Account. If you had already created a Microsoft Account with
your IITK email address earlier than 2019, then that is your personal Microsoft
Account. The same is also your ”School or Work” Microsoft Account. To
distinguish between these two account types and to provide the subscribed
services, the Microsoft service to which you login will prompt you with a
dialog box asking whether you want to login to your personal account or Work or
School Account. You need to choose the Work or School Account if you want to
use the IITK provided office 365 facilities.
Q. What else does my
Microsoft Account provide?
If you purchase a new laptop or PC, you will need to sign in with a
Microsoft Account (it can be personal or “Work or School”). The corresponding
MS account stores some vital information about the computer, including the Bit-locker
key (in case it is a Windows Professional computer) This is very important. If
your Windows crashes or the computer develops any problem, the hard disk will
not be readable on any other computer unless you provide the correct 48-digit numerical
password which would be stored in your Microsoft account (personal or “Work or
School”). Note that if your new computer came with a preinstalled Office
product, the license information would be saved in your MS account you use to
login for the first time.
In case of personal MS account, the bit-locker key is accessible to the
user on the MS account page (https://account.microsoft.com/account) on the devices tab. Similarly, any Office
Product purchased along with your laptop will be visible under “services and
subscriptions” tab.
Q. What are the best practices for Microsoft Account for faculty, staff
and students of IITK?
It is recommended to always have a personal MS account and use this account
as the first MS Account to sign in on a newly purchased computer, so that the
settings specific to your personal computer and office products are always with
you.
In order to use the Microsoft 365 services suite available to all
faculty, students and staff at IIT Kanpur, you can sign-in to the office
products using your “Work or School” Microsoft account.