Day 2 - Users and licenses

Learning goals

By the end of Day 2, you should be able to:

• locate a user account in Microsoft 365 and Entra
• explain the difference between a user object, a mailbox, and a license assignment
• describe where user creation and license assignment happen
• inspect a user and prepare a clean note for escalation when changes are needed

Why this matters

A huge percentage of routine Microsoft 365 work starts with users and licenses. Before anyone troubleshoots Teams, email, or SharePoint, they usually need to know:

• does the user exist?
• does the user have the right license?
• do the right apps and services appear assigned?

Start with the user record

In the Microsoft 365 admin center, the most common user path is:

• Users > Active users

In Entra, the most common user path is:

• Entra ID > Users > All users

What to look for on a user

When reviewing a user, capture these basics:

• display name
• user principal name
• whether the account is a member or guest
• licenses present or missing
• groups that look relevant
• any obvious workload clues, such as mailbox or authentication-related information

User investigation mindset

When someone says, “This user can’t do X,” do not jump straight to the app.

Instead, start with this sequence:

1. confirm the user object exists
2. confirm the user is the correct person and correct account
3. confirm license presence
4. confirm whether the problem belongs to identity, email, Teams, or SharePoint

User details view

This screen is useful because it reminds you that a user is not just a name. The user object connects to:

• groups
• licenses
• authentication methods
• devices
• applications
• role assignments

Routine changes you should understand conceptually

Even though you are not performing them with Global Reader, you should know where routine user changes happen.

Add a user

Microsoft documents adding a user from:

• Microsoft 365 admin center > Users > Active users > Add a user

Assign or unassign a license

Microsoft documents license work from either:

• Billing > Licenses
• or Users > Active users > select user > Licenses and Apps

Change apps and services inside a license

This is also handled in the license-management flow. A user may have a product assigned, but a specific service inside the product may be disabled.

Common beginner mistakes

Mistake 1: assuming “has Microsoft 365” means “has every app”

A license bundle can include multiple services, and some services can be toggled off.

Mistake 2: assuming every user should look the same

Different departments or roles may have different license plans and different group memberships.

Mistake 3: assuming the user object alone proves the service should work

A user can exist but still have a licensing issue.

Practical workflow: user can’t access Teams

Your read-only workflow should be:

1. find the user
2. review the assigned licenses
3. note whether the license likely includes Teams
4. note whether the issue probably belongs in Teams admin center next
5. escalate if a change is needed

Practical workflow: new employee needs access

With Global Reader, you cannot complete the new-hire setup, but you can still prepare a useful pre-check:

• verify whether the account already exists
• verify whether a license is already assigned
• verify whether expected groups exist
• tell the write-capable admin exactly what appears missing

Daily assignment

Choose two real or test users and create a short comparison note:

• user display name
• user principal name
• member or guest
• license status as visible to you
• which workload they appear ready to use
• what you would verify next if the user reported a problem

Quiz

1. What is the most common page in the Microsoft 365 admin center for reviewing users?
2. What is the most common page in Entra for reviewing users?
3. Name two places from which Microsoft documents license assignment work.
4. Can a user have a product assigned but still have a specific service inside that product turned off?
5. If a new user needs to be created and you only have Global Reader, what should your role be in the process?

End-of-day reflection prompt

Write one paragraph explaining the difference between:

• a user object
• a license assignment
• a workload-specific issue

Source notes

• Add users in Microsoft 365: https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoft-365/admin/add-users/add-users?view=o365-worldwide
• Assign or unassign licenses in Microsoft 365 admin center: https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoft-365/admin/manage/assign-licenses-to-users?view=o365-worldwide
• Manage user profile information in Entra: https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/entra/fundamentals/how-to-manage-user-profile-info