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You are here Wired and Wi-Fi Networks > Wired Network > Removing Trinity software and settings

Removing Trinity software and settings

The following instructions are for staff and postgraduates who have used a computer connected to the College network (wired network in offices/labs, Staff Wi-Fi, or Staff VPN) and are either leaving College or will no longer connect their device.

If you need further assistance, please contact the IT Service Desk.

College-owned laptops and desktops

If you are leaving College and plan to keep a College-owned computer, you must first get approval from your Head of Area. They will need to email the IT Service Desk to confirm the arrangement and arrange for the device to be fully wiped.

Before this happens, make sure you back up any important personal or work data to online storage or an external drive. If instead you need to dispose of a College-owned computer, you should follow the guidance provided on the Secure Data Disposal page to ensure it is handled safely and correctly.

Checklist

Staff may take home older College-owned computers for personal use only where:

  • Approval is provided in writing by the Head of Area
  • The hard drive has been fully wiped
  • All software licensing requirements have been addressed

When reusing a device:

  • Ensure all parties are aware of the Procurement Policy requirements
  • Take appropriate care in the reuse of College assets
  • Retain all associated records for at least 4 years

For any queries related to this policy, contact: procurement@tcd.ie.

Personally-owned laptops and desktops

If your personal device has been connected to the College network (wired, Staff Wi-Fi, or VPN), follow the steps below to remove it from College systems and retain access to your data.

Note: Some steps apply only to Windows, while others apply to both Windows and macOS.

1. Copy data from your College profile (Windows only)

If you logged into your Windows device using your College account, your files may be stored in a local ‘profile’ folder. Here’s what to do:

  • Log in using your College account
  • Open File Explorer and go to: C:\Users\username
  • Locate folders such as:
    • Desktop
    • Documents
    • Downloads
  • Copy any files you want to keep:
    • To another user account on the device
    • To personal cloud storage
    • To an external drive

2. Ensure you can log in with another account (Windows only)

Before removing College access:

  • Make sure you can log in with:
    • A personal Microsoft account, or
    • A local Administrator account
  • If needed:
    • Go to Settings → Accounts → Other users → Add account

    When contacting IT (next step), ask them to confirm your account has Administrator access

    3. Unenrol from Microsoft Intune / Defender / Encryption (Windows and macOS)

    Contact the IT Service Desk to:

    • Remove your device from Microsoft Intune and Microsoft Defender
    • Remove College management of device encryption

    After this:

    • You will be prompted to turn off BitLocker (Windows) or FileVault (macOS)
    • You can then re-enable encryption yourself if desired

    4. Uninstall Trinity-licensed software (Windows and macOS)

    Some software installed while using College systems is licensed for Trinity use only.

    You should uninstall applications such as:

    • Microsoft 365 (Word, Excel, Outlook, etc.)
    • Adobe applications (e.g. Photoshop, Dreamweaver)
    • SPSS
    • ArcGIS
    • Matlab
    • Mathematica
    • EndNote

    5. Remove Trinity Wi-Fi settings (Windows and macOS)

    If you will no longer connect to the College network:

    Windows

    • Click the Wi-Fi icon in the taskbar
    • Open Wi-Fi settings / manage networks
    • Find TCDwifi
    • Right-click and select Forget

    macOS

    • Click the Wi-Fi icon
    • Open Network Settings
    • Select Wi-Fi → Advanced
    • Find TCDwifi in Preferred Networks
    • Click – (minus) to remove it