Google Credential Provider - default user vs staff, as first to log on.

[TwistedHelixis]

For my testing, I created a generic account called GCPWstaff and used this account to log onto all of my test Windows laptops, before handing these out to some teachers.

 

I know that the first account to logon, becomes the Master settings account.

 

One of the reasons I did it like this was, if one of the teachers ever leaves, they can simple hand over their laptop to the next person, without me needing to remove the teachers Master account first etc.

 

Are their any issues with doing it this way?

 

One thing I have found, in theory a school could buy just 1 endpoint licence for £4 per year and then manage all their school Windows laptops using just this one licence, which is obviously not the way Google intended this licence to be used. I have purchased multiple endpoint licences, but so far only have it applied to my GCPWstaff account, which is now running on 6 test teachers laptops. Is there a limit to the amount of devices I could use my GCPWstaff account on? I guess this would be handy for an IT suite of devices.

 

Would you suggest going forward, I apply the license to all the staff and ask them to log on first, or stick to a single GCPWstaff Master account?

Edited September 12, 2025 by TwistedHelixis

[paulkerton]

Nope. This is the way most do it as far as I'm aware.

Not sure what you're referring to with the Endpoint licenses though?

[TwistedHelixis]

Quote

Nope. This is the way most do it as far as I'm aware.

Not 100% sure which question you are answering, so just to double check... 

Most admins just use a single Master account, as the first account to log onto all GCPW windows device?

 

Quote

Not sure what you're referring to with the Endpoint licenses though?

Google offer 3 ways of licensing GCPW. Standard, Plus or Endpoint. Both Standard and Plus include a load of other Google features on top of also letting you manage Windows devices and you also need to licence all the pupils (soon to be all pupils and all staff), so Standard and Plus workout extremely expensive if you just want to manage a Windows laptop. All of my schools, the pupils use Chromebooks, so they don't need to use a Windows device, so making us pay for all the pupils to use something they will not be using is not great for us.

 

Endpoint license = Just purchase each license seperatly, just for the account that needs to use a Windows device. Each licenses is only £4 per year, so for a school with 10 staff needing to use 10 Windows device, it would cost $40 per year to manage all their GCPW Windows devices.

EDIT - So in theory, I can buy just one Endpoint license, apply that license to the GCPWstaff Master account, then log onto xx amount of windows devices and they are all then managed for just £4.

 

Edited September 12, 2025 by TwistedHelixis

[TwistedHelixis]

Basically, I am worried that even if I have purchased the correct amount of licenses, Google will eventual decide to close this loophole and make each endpoint license only work on 1 device at a time, which would be a big problem if I have used a single Master account to setup all my devices,

[paulkerton]

30 minutes ago, TwistedHelixis said:

Not 100% sure which question you are answering, so just to double check... 

Most admins just use a single Master account, as the first account to log onto all GCPW windows device?

 

Google offer 3 ways of licensing GCPW. Standard, Plus or Endpoint. Both Standard and Plus include a load of other Google features on top of also letting you manage Windows devices and you also need to licence all the pupils (soon to be all pupils and all staff), so Standard and Plus workout extremely expensive if you just want to manage a Windows laptop. All of my schools, the pupils use Chromebooks, so they don't need to use a Windows device, so making us pay for all the pupils to use something they will not be using is not great for us.

 

Endpoint license = Just purchase each license seperatly, just for the account that needs to use a Windows device. Each licenses is only £4 per year, so for a school with 10 staff needing to use 10 Windows device, it would cost $40 per year to manage all their GCPW Windows devices.

EDIT - So in theory, I can buy just one Endpoint license, apply that license to the GCPWstaff Master account, then log onto xx amount of windows devices and they are all then managed for just £4.

 

Yes. We do that. Staff and student "enrollment" accounts we call them (to match the Chromebook language) That way the permissions are set for each student or staff device via configuring OMA-URIs at the OU level.

Ahhh. Well, we are a Google house, so we are Plus licensed. I couldn't tell you what their stance is for Endpoint and licensing.

[TwistedHelixis]

5 minutes ago, paulkerton said:

Yes. We do that. Staff and student "enrollment" accounts we call them (to match the Chromebook language) That way the permissions are set for each student or staff device via configuring OMA-URIs at the OU level.
 

Thanks 🙂

[TwistedHelixis]

BTW, found out you can use a single endpoint license assigned to 1 user, on a maximum of 15 devices. So I think for these, its probably better to just let each teacher log in first and become the Master user, especially at larger schools.

 

Standard and Plus are stating to look more appealing now.

Edited September 15, 2025 by TwistedHelixis

[TwistedHelixis]

So, after lots and lots of testing, it is definitely better to let the staff log on first and let them become the 'Master' user.

 

Main reasons are...

Its much easier to find the users device in the admin GUI.

Its very simple to make another user the 'Master user'

There is a limit on the amount of devices that a single account can manage.

Its how GCPW was designed to be used.