Last updated on April 10, 2026

Introduction

The content described below has been verified to work in a Windows 11 Pro environment.
It has not been tested in a Windows 11 Home environment.
BitLocker is a feature primarily available in Windows 11 Pro and higher editions,
and in Windows 11 Home, the BitLocker management screen may not be displayed or may behave differently.

Kyoto University’s Microsoft 365 accounts (faculty and staff with an SPS-ID: @ms.c.kyoto-u.ac.jp, and students and part-time lecturers with an ECS-ID: @st.kyoto-u.ac.jp) are configured not to allow device management, and therefore cannot be registered under “Access work or school” in Windows.

On the other hand, when transferring to Kyoto University from another university, the account from the previous institution may already be registered on the device as an “Access work or school” account.
In such cases, attempting to sign in to Office using a Kyoto University Microsoft 365 account while another institution’s account remains registered under “Access work or school” often results in activation errors.
These errors are frequently resolved by disconnecting the registered account, so please disconnect it if necessary.

Important (Precautions before disconnecting)

If BitLocker is enabled on your device, disconnecting the account may trigger BitLocker.
Once BitLocker is activated, it cannot be unlocked without entering the recovery key.
If the recovery key is unknown, retrieving your data may become difficult, and in some cases the only recovery option is to reset the device.
Therefore, before disconnecting the account, be sure to check whether BitLocker is enabled and, if it is, back up the recovery key.

*How to check
Enter “BitLocker” in the Start menu search box,
and check the configuration status under “Manage BitLocker.”

No support is provided for BitLocker. The Institute for Information Management and Communication assumes no responsibility for any issues arising from BitLocker being triggered when disconnecting the account, including cases where recovery is no longer possible.

When attempting to disconnect an account registered under “Access work or school,” a screen like the one shown below may appear.

Image

If this screen appears, you cannot proceed with the disconnection unless you enter the administrator account credentials.
The steps for creating a local administrator account and completing the disconnection are provided in the PDF below, so please refer to it.