Windows tries to direct users to Microsoft services in various places, for example via e-mail on outlook.com or via the store to (purchase) software. In order to be able to use these services, you need a different computer account than the usual one at DESY, namely a Microsoft account.

The DESY-IT environment contains all services required for business work. In this respect, the use of a Microsoft account should not be necessary. We therefore advise against using MS accounts on service devices.

If you are unsure or miss something, please contact the UCO (uco@desy.de).

Edge favorites ("bookmarks") are always stored locally on the hard disk - i.e. they are not backed up. One backup method is to import the favorites to ex- and Internet Explorer (IE). If IE is not operated on a mobile device, the IE favorites are located in the H: drive and are subject to central backup there.

It is recommended that you regularly export the favorites from Edge and back up this file to the H: drive.

Using Windows, it is no longer necessary to install a separate program to generate pdf files. Microsoft now supplies the "printer" "Microsoft Print to PDF" for this purpose. This can be used for generating PDFs as follows:

• Select a document or web page and go to the print menu as usual - or press the keys Ctrl + P.
• Select "Microsoft Print to PDF" as the printer and click on "Print".
• A window opens in which you can specify the storage location.

Note: Before installing software from the Microsoft Store, you should check whether the software is available via DESY's own software distribution (DSM) or otherwise at DESY!


The Microsoft Store offers every user the possibility to install software on the computer. Since the software in the store is checked by Microsoft, software should be installed from the store rather than from other websites - if available in the store, of course.

Windows provides the ability to create multiple desktops to make your work faster and easier. To create a virtual desktop, click the icon on the taskbar with the overlapping rectangles (next to the search) or press the Windows key + tab to get an overview of your open tabs and at the bottom right you can create a new desktop. You can quickly switch between desktops by pressing Win + Ctrl + Left/right arrow keys.

See also: https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/multiple-desktops-in-windows-36f52e38-5b4a-557b-2ff9-e1a60c976434#WindowsVersion=Windows_11

To ensure the security of your Windows PC and the DESY network it is mandatory to regularly install the Microsoft updates. New updates usually arrive once a month and are annouced via email. If you are not sure whether your computer got all the updates, please check this using the desktop shortcut (see fig. below).