How to set up an account on a laptop with windows 10 for an organization

Question

My organization has purchased several Dell laptops from Amazon over the last 2 years. I have set these up for new employees, and always selected upon startup the option to set up for an organization as opposed to personal. It's been great. All of our organization pulls over and we have access to OneDrive, just by entering our organization email address that has already been set up through Microsoft.

I had an employee leave and I was trying to transfer over her computer. No one could figure out how to remove one organization account and add another, so I brought it to geek squad to do a full reset of the computer. They said they reinstalled Windows 10 plus "updates".

When trying to log on to the new computer, it no longer gives me the option of choosing between personal and organization, and just asked for a Microsoft account. I cannot use my employees Microsoft account, because her account is set up entirely through our organization and will not register. It says the account doesn't exist, although it does because if I log on to a tab on my computer and open up Microsoft 365 her account and license is active.

I was able to pass Microsoft login by turning off Wi-Fi and going back and just setting up a local account. Then once on I was able to download Microsoft office apps, but the computer itself is not tied into the organization like it had been with the previous user. Geek squad has no idea how to remedy this.

Long story short, I just want to know how to tie a computer into an organization from initial setup.

*** Moved from Windows / Windows 10 / Settings ***

Answer 1

Hello Elizabeth Sanders1,

thank you for posting on the Microsoft Community Forums.

Setting up a computer for an organization typically involves enabling Azure Active Directory (AAD) or Microsoft Entra ID for centralized user management. Here's a step-by-step guide to tie a computer back into your organization during initial setup:

1. Reinstall Windows (if necessary): If you want to start fresh, you can reinstall Windows 10. You can do this by creating a bootable USB drive with the Windows Media Creation Tool from Download Windows 10 (microsoft.com).
2. Boot from the Installation Media: Insert the bootable USB drive into the laptop and restart it. You may need to press a key (like F12 or Esc) during boot to bring up a boot menu and select the USB drive.
3. Install Windows: Follow the prompts to install Windows. When you get to the screen asking for the type of account, select "Set up for an organization."
4. Join Azure AD/Entra ID: During the setup, you should be prompted to enter your work or school email. Enter the employee's organizational email address. This should make the system try to connect to Azure Active Directory.
5. Complete the Setup: Finish the installation by following the remaining prompts and ensuring the computer is online so it can pull the necessary policies and settings from your organization's Azure AD.
6. Post-Setup Configuration: Once the initial setup is done, you can configure additional organizational settings such as installing specific software and ensuring OneDrive and other Microsoft apps are correctly configured.

Troubleshooting Tips:

• Ensure Proper Licensing: Make sure the account you're using to sign in has the necessary licenses and permissions in Azure AD.
• Check Azure AD Settings: Visit your Azure AD or Microsoft 365 admin center to ensure the user accounts and devices policies are correctly configured.
• Network Requirements: Ensure the device has internet access during the setup process so it can reach Azure AD servers.

If the device isn't giving you the option to set it up for an organization, it might be due to a specific edition of Windows being installed. Ensuring you have Windows 10 Pro, Enterprise, Education, or their equivalents in Windows 11 is crucial, as Home editions do not support joining Azure AD.

Manual Join (if skipped during setup):

1. Settings: After initial setup with a local account, go to "Settings > Accounts > Access work or school".
2. Connect: Click "Connect" and follow the prompts to sign in with the organizational email.

By following these steps, you should be able to tie your computer back into your organization and have all the necessary settings and apps configured correctly.

Hope it helps.

Best regards,

Lei

Answer 2

Thank you for your response, this is how I have typically set it up in the past from a new computer. We tried uninstalling and reinstalling Windows 10 twice on this computer and we're never given the option that I've seen every other time with new computers and that you listed in step 3: "When you get to the screen asking for the type of account, select "Set up for an organization.""

That's where my problem was.

After reinstalling window, the computer opened up like it was brand new and asked me to select a country and a keyboard layout, and then it went right to a blue screen prompting a Microsoft login, however, it would not accept the organization login. It gave me no option before that to select organization or personal use like it had in the past.

Once on the " let's add your account" screen, it would not let me bypass or go back. As I said, the only options before this screen were just to select the country and keyboard layout. Same thing has happened both times on installing and reinstalling Windows.

Answer 3

If you are not seeing the option to set up the device for an organization, there are a few approaches you can take to resolve it:

1. Use the Shift+F10 Command Prompt:
   • When you reach the screen that asks you to add your account, press Shift + F10 to open the Command Prompt.
   • In the command prompt, type control.exe and press Enter to open the Classic Control Panel.
   • Navigate to System and Security > System and look for the "Change settings" link under "Computer name, domain, and workgroup settings".
   • Click on it, then go to the "Computer Name" tab.
   • If you see a "Network ID" button here, click it, and then follow the prompts to join a domain or set up the device for an organization.
   • If this works, restart your computer and see if the setup process now allows you to choose "Set up for an organization".
2. Network Connection: Ensure that the computer is connected to the internet via Ethernet or Wi-Fi. Sometimes, the setup options can vary depending on the network connection status.
3. Use a Local Account First:
   • If it’s still not working, try setting up the device with a local account first. When you get to the screen that asks you to log in with a Microsoft account, look for an option that says "Domain join instead", "Offline account", or "I don’t have internet" (the exact wording may vary).
   • Follow the prompts to create a local user account.
   • Once you’re logged into Windows, you can join the device to your organization’s domain or Azure AD by going to Settings > Accounts > Access work or school > Connect.
4. Using Windows Configuration Designer Tool:
   • If all else fails, you might use the Windows Configuration Designer tool to create a provisioning package, which you can use to automate the setup process and ensure it’s configured for an organization from the start.
   • Create a provisioning package following instructions from Install Windows Configuration Designer | Microsoft Learn and apply it during the setup process.