Microsoft 365 at the University of Koblenz

The University of Koblenz provides eligible students and staff with a Microsoft 365 account (the former name was Office 365). Depending on the licence assigned, this allows users to access, amongst other things, the Microsoft 365 web applications, Teams, OneDrive, SharePoint, Exchange Online and the Microsoft 365 apps that can be installed locally, in particular Office.

This account is intended solely for your personal use at university. You must not share it with anyone else.

Which account should I use?

For Microsoft 365, please use only the account provided by the university:

Ihre-Unikennung@live.uni-koblenz.de

Microsoft refers to this account type as Business, school or university account. The account is administered by the university in Microsoft Entra ID.

Your official university email address will continue to end with:

@uni-koblenz.de

Please do not confuse your Microsoft 365 account with your official university email address or with a personal Microsoft account. An account created privately with Microsoft cannot be assigned the university’s licences or subject to university administration.

Notes on Adobe Acrobat DC and Express: To log in to Adobe, use your university Microsoft 365 account (Ihre-Unikennung@live.uni-koblenz.de). Staff members can request an Adobe Acrobat Pro licence; Adobe Express is available to staff and students. For information on how to request a licence, please see Adobe licences.

Apply for a Microsoft 365 account

1. Open the https://profile.uni-koblenz.de/.

2. Log in using your university username and password.

3. Apply for a Microsoft 365 account under ‘Master Data’.

4. The request will be processed on a regular basis. You will then receive a message at your official university email address.

5. The message contains your Microsoft 365 username and a temporary password.

Do not apply for the account directly on a Microsoft website. A personal Microsoft account created there will not be licensed by the university.

First registration

1. Open immediately the https://m365.cloud.microsoft/.
2. Log in with your account Ihre-Unikennung@live.uni-koblenz.de and the temporary password.
3. Change the temporary password.
4. Set up at least two of teh security methods provided.

Use a separate password for your Microsoft 365 account. Do not use the same password as for your university login or for other services.

After you log in for the first time, it may take a little while for all licensed services to become available.

Security methods and multi-factor authentication

Set up at least two different security methods approved by the university. These are required for multi-factor authentication and, where applicable, for self-service password reset.

Do you prefer a strong authentication method, for example:

Set up at least two different security methods approved by the university. These are required for multi-factor authentication and, where applicable, for self-service password reset.

Do you prefer a strong authentication method, for example:

• Microsoft Authenticator,
• a passkey,
• a FIDO2 security key,
• Windows Hello for Business, where available.

Microsoft recommends phishing-resistant methods such as passkeys, FIDO2 security keys or Windows Hello for Business.

You can view your registered security methods under Microsoft My Account administrate.

Install Microsoft 365 apps

Windows service devices

Install the Microsoft 365 apps (Office 365) on centrally administered Windows service devices via the OPSI Kiosk. This does not usually require local administrative rights.

Other Windows and Apple devices

1. Please register on https://m365.cloud.microsoft/ to.
2. Open the section Apps.
3. Select Install apps and then Microsoft 365 apps.
4. Download the installation package, Uninstall all previous versions of Office and then run the new installation package.

On smartphones and tablets, you can install the Microsoft apps you want from the relevant app store.

With an appropriate user-based licence, Microsoft 365 apps may be activated on up to five desktop or laptop computers, five tablets and five smartphones.

Any trial versions already installed, or incompatible versions of Office, may interfere with the installation or activation process. If necessary, remove these versions before reinstalling.

Something special at the RDP Farm

If, after signing in to a Microsoft 365 app (e.g. Word), you are asked whether you want to sign in to all apps and websites on the device, select:

No, just this app

Device-wide log-in is not supported on shared systems such as the RDP farm and may cause problems with subsequent log-ins.

Additional services subject to a charge

The University of Koblenz provides you exclusively with the services and functions included within the scope of the licence allocated to you. Depending on your user group, these are Microsoft 365 Education A3 for teaching staff or around Microsoft 365 Education A3 for students as part of the Student Use Benefit. The services and functions included in each case are listed in the Microsoft overview of Microsoft 365 Education listed. Microsoft specifies in particular which services are included in Microsoft 365 Education A3 and in the Microsoft 365 Education A3 Student Use Benefit.

Additional paid services, subscriptions, in-app purchases or usage-based services are not covered by the licence provided, unless the University has expressly authorised their use. If you order, activate or use such chargeable services yourself using your own means of payment, you are personally liable for the resulting costs. The University will only reimburse or cover these costs if the chargeable use has been expressly authorised in advance.

This applies in particular to paid Azure subscriptions and Azure resources. Please note that an Azure spending limit is not available for all subscription types. For subscriptions with pay-as-you-go billing, a spending limit cannot be set. For eligible subscriptions, an existing spending limit can also be removed if a valid payment method is on file.

You should therefore not provide any personal payment details or take out any paid subscriptions in connection with your university Microsoft 365 account, unless this is expressly required and has been authorised in advance.

Use abroad

In principle, Microsoft 365 can also be used whilst abroad. However, depending on the country you are in, the network you are using and the applicable security policies, access may be restricted or may require an additional security check. In such cases, you may need a VPN connection to the University of Koblenz.

If possible, set up your VPN access before you set off on your journey and test the connection. You can find information on how to set it up at the University of Koblenz VPN website.

Data protection and data security

When using Microsoft 365, data is stored and processed within Microsoft’s cloud infrastructure. The services are subject to the data residency and EU data boundary provisions agreed with Microsoft. The specific locations where data is stored and processed may depend on the service in question and the configuration of the Microsoft 365 tenant.

Please observe the University’s data protection and terms of use policies. Do not store or process any confidential data, data requiring special protection or data subject to specific legal protection in Microsoft 365, unless its use has been expressly authorised.

The Centre for Information and Media Technologies does not create any additional, user-specific backups of your content in Microsoft 365. Please back up important files regularly to a university storage service authorised for this purpose.

Only share content in Teams, OneDrive or SharePoint with people who are authorised to access it. Pay particular attention to sharing links and areas that are accessible to the general public.

Reset password

If you have forgotten the password for your Microsoft 365 account, you can reset it via the university’s profile management system:

1. Please log out of all Microsoft applications if possible.
2. Open the https://profile.uni-koblenz.de/.
3. Log in using your university ID.
4. In the line, enter Microsoft 365 account a new password.
5. Once your application has been processed, you will receive a message containing a temporary password at your official university email address.
6. Next, log in to the Microsoft 365 portal immediately and set a new password.

Alternatively, you can use the password reset service provided by Microsoft. To do this, you must have set up the appropriate security measures beforehand.

Email in Microsoft 365

With a Microsoft 365 account, an additional Exchange Online mailbox can be created at the address @live.uni-koblenz.debe linked to. However, your official university email address remains the one provided by the university @uni-koblenz.de.

To access the Microsoft 365 mailbox specifically, we recommend:

• Outlook on the web,
• an up-to-date Outlook,
• or another email client that supports modern authentication using OAuth 2.0.

Exchange Online no longer supports the traditional login method using only a username and password for a number of protocols.

Recommendation: Forward messages from your Microsoft 365 mailbox to your official email address @uni-koblenz.de Continue. This means you only need to check your usual email account and can continue to use your existing email client. To do this, open Outlook in the Outlook web interface Settings > Email > Forwarding and IMAP, enable email forwarding and enter your official university email address.

Important: Emails from the Microsoft 365 mailbox may only be sent to your official internal university email address @uni-koblenz.de be forwarded. According to the University’s guidelines, forwarding to private or other external email addresses is not permitted.

Teams

Please log in to Teams using your account only @live.uni-koblenz.de . On Windows, use the Teams client for work, school or university accounts, or the web version of Teams.

When sending invitations, please ensure that you use your university Microsoft 365 account. A personal Microsoft account or the official email address @uni-koblenz.de can be treated as a guest account by Teams.

Copilot Chat

With a valid Microsoft 365 account activated by the university, Copilot Chat can be used without a separate Microsoft 365 Copilot licence. Copilot Chat offers an AI-powered chat service with security measures for organisational accounts.

Copilot Chat is not included with the paid licence Microsoft 365 Copilot equivalent to. This offers more advanced features, in particular more comprehensive integration with Microsoft 365 apps and shared organisational data.

When using Copilot Chat and other AI services, please follow the instructions and guidelines on the website Artificial Intelligence at the University of Koblenz. Please check AI-generated content carefully and pay particular attention to the university’s guidelines on data protection, copyright, transparency and scientific integrity.

End of studies or employment

Access to your Microsoft 365 account is linked to your affiliation with the University of Koblenz. Upon completion of your studies or termination of your employment, licences may be revoked, functions restricted and the account – including any personal data stored therein – deleted.

You should therefore back up all the data you still need in good time from:

• OneDrive,
• Your Microsoft 365 mailbox,
• personal notebooks,
• Teams and SharePoint, insofar as you are responsible for the data.

Do not use your university Microsoft 365 account as a permanent login account for a personal Windows computer. Once you have left the university, this account will no longer be available for logging in or resetting the device.

Help and Support

If you have any problems with your account request, login, licence or installation, please contact:

support@uni-koblenz.de

Please include your university ID, the operating system you are using, the application affected and the exact wording of any error message. Never send passwords, one-off codes or verification requests to Support.

Usage and storage limits

Certain Microsoft 365 services are subject to technical usage and storage limits. Some of these are set by Microsoft and cannot be changed by the University, or can only be changed to a limited extent.

The Exchange Online mailbox is subject to limits on, amongst other things:

• the size of the mailbox,
• the size of individual file attachments,
• the total size of a message,
• the number of recipients of a message,
• the number of messages sent within a given period.

The limits applicable to your account may depend on your licence, the configuration of your Microsoft 365 tenant and Microsoft’s current guidelines. Microsoft may change these limits. You can find the latest general limits in the Microsoft documentation on Exchange Online. Microsoft expressly points out that the limits applicable to an organisation may vary and that changes may not take effect simultaneously for all tenants.

The following limits currently apply at the University of Koblenz: The mailbox has a maximum capacity of approximately 25 GB. File attachments must not exceed 18 MB; the total size of the message must not exceed 25 MB. A message may be sent to a maximum of 100 recipients. A maximum of 20 messages may be sent per minute.

Currently, each eligible account has access to up to 1,024 GB of OneDrive storage. This figure may be adjusted depending on the total available storage capacity and changes to Microsoft’s guidelines. There is no entitlement to a storage capacity that remains unchanged in the long term.

Please note that you may lose access to OneDrive and the data stored there if your Microsoft 365 account is deactivated or deleted, for example, upon completion of your studies or the end of your employment. You should therefore back up or transfer any data you need in good time. Microsoft 365 is not a substitute for your own data backup.

Expiry and deletion of Microsoft 365 groups

The university can apply an expiry policy to Microsoft 365 groups. This also applies to services based on a Microsoft 365 group, in particular Teams and the associated SharePoint sites.

Microsoft 365 groups can expire after 365 days. Groups that are actively used can be automatically renewed based on certain activities. These include, for example, visiting a Teams channel, using the group mailbox and certain file activities in SharePoint. If a group is automatically renewed, its owners will not usually receive a prompt to renew it manually.

If a group is due to expire and is not automatically renewed, the group owners will receive a notification 30 days, 15 days and one day before it expires. For Teams, a renewal prompt will also appear in the activity feed.

If the group is not renewed either automatically or manually, it will initially be deleted temporarily. During the following 30 days, the group owners or the team with responsibility for the group can restore the group. After that, the group and its associated content may be permanently deleted. This may, in particular, affect the group mailbox, the team, the associated SharePoint site and Planner content.

If you are the owner of a group or a team:

• Check regularly whether the group is still needed,
• Please renew any groups you still need in good time,
• back up or transfer important content,
• Where possible, please appoint at least one other suitable person as the owner,
• Please delete any groups you no longer need yourself.

Notifications will be sent to your Microsoft 365 mailbox at @live.uni-koblenz.de sent. We therefore recommend that you forward messages from this mailbox to your official university email address @uni-koblenz.de to forward.

System requirements and updates

To install and use the locally installed Microsoft 365 apps, your device must meet Microsoft’s current system requirements. The following are currently supported in particular:

• Windows: Windows 11
• macOS: one of the three latest versions of macOS

In addition, Windows requires at least a dual-core processor running at 1.6 GHz, 4 GB of RAM and 4 GB of free disk space. macOS requires at least 4 GB of RAM and 10 GB of free disk space.

The requirements may change, particularly when new versions of the operating system are released or older versions are no longer supported. You can find the latest information in the System requirements for Microsoft 365.

For security and compatibility reasons, please keep both your operating system and the installed Microsoft 365 apps up to date. Where possible, enable automatic updates. Operating system or programme versions that are no longer supported can pose security risks and may result in features being restricted or no longer available.

Common problems with installation and use

Existing versions of Office on Windows

Office versions that are already installed may interfere with the installation or activation of the Microsoft 365 apps. This applies in particular to unsupported combinations of different Office versions or installation technologies, for example Click-and-Go and Windows Installer (MSI).

You should therefore completely uninstall any existing versions of Office that are no longer required or are incompatible before installing the Microsoft 365 apps. In addition to the standard uninstallation process, Microsoft provides a troubleshooter for the complete removal of Microsoft 365 and older versions of Office. Uninstalling the applications will not delete the documents you have created using Office.

If you do not have the necessary administrative rights on a Windows device administered by the university, please contact Support to have the software uninstalled: support@uni-koblenz.de

On centrally administered Windows service devices, use the OPSI Kiosk as the installation method specified by the university.

Problems with registration or activation

If an out-of-date, unsupported or incompatible version of Office is installed, you may be unable to sign in or activate it. This can affect both Windows and Mac devices.

In this case, please check the following:

• whether you are using your university Microsoft 365 account Ihre-Unikennung@live.uni-koblenz.de log in,
• whether the operating system and Microsoft 365 apps are up to date,
• whether another version of Office is already installed or activated,
• whether a private or otherwise allocated Microsoft licence is being used,
• whether the device meets the current system requirements.

If necessary, uninstall any versions of Office you no longer need and then install the version provided via the Microsoft 365 portal or the university’s installation procedure.

Problems with the Teams app

If the locally installed Teams app is not working properly, you can temporarily use the web version of Teams:

Open Microsoft Teams on the web

Teams on the web supports the latest versions of Microsoft Edge, Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox and Apple Safari on desktop computers. Microsoft specifically mentions the three most recent versions of Edge, Chrome and Firefox, as well as the two most recent versions of Safari. Teams on the web, however, is not supported in mobile browsers. On smartphones and tablets, please use the Teams app.

Please note that the web version may lack certain features compared to the locally installed Teams app.

Reset Microsoft Teams or clear the cache

Resetting the Teams app or clearing the Teams cache may help resolve certain issues with the locally installed Teams client. These include, for example, start-up, sign-in or connection issues that occur only in the desktop app.

For the error code 0xCAA82EE2 First, check that you have a working internet connection and that Teams is up to date. Also check whether you Microsoft Teams on the web can use. If the web version is working, the problem may be limited to the locally installed Teams client or its network connection. Microsoft states that 0xCAA82EE2 in particular, examination of internet access and the necessary network connections.

Recommended procedure on Windows

1. Close Microsoft Teams completely. To do this, right-click the Teams icon in the notification area of the taskbar and select Exit.
2. In Windows, open Settings > Apps > Installed apps.
3. Search for Microsoft Teams.
4. Tap the three dots to open the Advanced options.
5. In the section, select Reset the option Reset.
6. Then restart Teams and sign in using your university’s Microsoft 365 account.

Resetting the app will delete the local app data, including your personal settings for the Teams app. Chats, Teams, channels and files stored in Microsoft 365 will not be deleted as a result. The first time you launch the app, it may take longer to start up because Teams needs to recreate the local data.

Manually clear the new team’s cache

If you are unable to reset the device or if this does not resolve the problem:

1. Close Microsoft Teams completely.
2. Press Windows key + R.
3. Enter the following path in the window Run a:
   %userprofile%\appdata\local\Packages\MSTeams_8wekyb3d8bbwe\LocalCache\Microsoft\MSTeams
4. Delete all files and subfolders in this directory.
5. Restart Teams.

The path above applies to the new version of Teams on Windows. The path that was previously commonly used %appdata%\Microsoft\Teams This is part of the classic Teams client and should no longer be used as the standard guide.

Important limitation

Do not clear the Teams cache as a general first step if messages are missing, a chat history has not loaded, Teams or channels are not displaying, or notifications or counter readings are incorrect. Microsoft points out that clearing the cache does not resolve such issues and also removes diagnostic logs that support may need to analyse the cause.

If the problem persists, please use the following as a temporary measure Microsoft Teams on the web and please contact: support@uni-koblenz.de

Please provide the full error code, the operating system used and the version of Teams installed. Only carry out a clean installation on a managed device after consulting support or via the designated software deployment procedure.

Terms of Use

The use of Microsoft 365 is governed by the licence agreement between the University of Koblenz and Microsoft, the applicable Microsoft Product Terms and data protection provisions, and the University’s terms of use, data protection and security regulations.

The University’s Microsoft 365 account is a business, school or university account administered by the University. The University may administer the account and the associated licences, set access permissions, enforce security measures, and restrict or deactivate the account should the right to use it cease. Where permitted by law and where necessary for operational, security, troubleshooting or compliance purposes, appropriately authorised bodies may access account information and stored data. Such access is governed by the applicable legal, contractual and university regulations.

Microsoft also states in the General Service Agreement that work or school accounts may be administered by the owner of the relevant domain, and that separate agreements between Microsoft and the relevant organisation may apply to their use.

You must use the account exclusively for personal purposes and for permitted activities relating to your studies, teaching, research, administration or other work at the university. Do not disclose the account, passwords, verification codes or authentication requests to other people.

When using the services, you must not, in particular:

• do not infringe any statutory provisions or the rights of third parties,
• not to carry out or assist in any unauthorised access to accounts, data, devices or networks,
• do not distribute malware, spam or phishing messages,
• do not circumvent any technical restrictions on use or access,
• do not compromise the availability, security or stability of the services.

These principles are also in line with the Acceptable Use Policy set out in the Microsoft Product Terms. Breaches may result in the restriction or suspension of the relevant online service.

The software and online services provided are licensed and are not transferred or sold. The right to use the software exists only for as long as you are assigned a corresponding licence and are authorised to use the university account. If the right to use the software ends, the software provided must be uninstalled; Microsoft may also deactivate it.

Please refer to the latest versions of the following:

• Microsoft Product Terms for Online Services
• Microsoft Privacy Statement
• Microsoft data protection documents for products and services
• Terms of Use, Privacy Policy and Security Regulations of the University of Koblenz

The terms and conditions are subject to change. The relevant contractual and university regulations in force at any given time shall apply; the summary provided on this information page is not binding.

Useful links

Microsoft 365 and account management

• Open Microsoft 365
  Central sign-in for Microsoft 365. Use your university Microsoft 365 account in the format Ihre-Unikennung@live.uni-koblenz.de.

• Opening and installing Microsoft 365 apps
  Access to the available web applications and, where included in your licence, the option to install the Microsoft 365 apps.

• Administrate your Microsoft 365 account
  Administer your university Microsoft 365 account details, security settings and other settings.

Email, files and collaboration

• Open Outlook on the web
  Access to the Exchange Online mailbox for your Microsoft 365 account.

• Open your personal Microsoft 365 file storage area
  Access to your personal files stored in OneDrive or Microsoft 365. To access this client-specific page, you must log in with your account @live.uni-koblenz.de required.

• Open Microsoft Teams on the web
  Access Teams via a supported web browser. Log in using your university’s Microsoft 365 account. Microsoft specifically states that this is the address to use for logging in via the web.

University profile management

• Open the University of Koblenz’s profile management page
  In Profile Management, you can apply for your Microsoft 365 account and, if necessary, request a new temporary password. Profile Management also provides access to other university account features.

Uninstall Microsoft 365 apps

• Uninstalling Microsoft 365 or Office on Windows
  Official Microsoft guide on how to uninstall the software and how to use the troubleshooter if a standard uninstallation is not completed successfully.

• Uninstalling Microsoft 365 or Office on macOS
  Official Microsoft guide on how to remove the apps and any associated files. Please note that a complete removal may also affect local Outlook data.

Terms of Use and Privacy Policy

• Microsoft Privacy Statement
  Information on what personal data Microsoft processes and for what purposes. The statement also includes details on products provided by organisations such as businesses and universities.

• Microsoft Service Assurance: Data Protection and Data Management
  Information on the handling of customer data in Microsoft’s commercial online services, as well as on Microsoft’s contractual data protection obligations.

In addition, the University of Koblenz’s terms of use, data protection and security regulations apply. In the event of any contradictory or unclear information, please contact the Centre for Information and Media Technologies (ZIMT) or the office with responsibility for data protection.

We hope you enjoy working with Microsoft 365!