Windows 10: How to enable Cortana on a local account?

I've noticed that I need to switch the entire computer to a Microsoft account, just to use Cortana!
Is there a way to use Cortana normally, but while keeping the local account?
On Windows 8, I used to be able to sign in individually for each app, can I do the same thing for Cortana?

:)

 

how to re-enable a local account in Win 10

Hello,

Thank you for posting your query in Microsoft Community.

Regret the inconvenience you have experienced.

I see you telling that you have disabled Local account. In windows 10, there is no option to disable a local account, instead to remove it permanently. Could you please let me know how you managed to do this.

Also I appreciate if you could send the screenshot of the screen where you're facing the issue, which helps us to analyze the problem and guide you accordingly.
Refer How to include a screenshot in your post

Keep us posted if you require further assistance.

 

how to re-enable a local account in Win 10

I had created a local account for my kid, then disabled it for various reasons. Now I have created a Microsoft email account for him. In Family settings I can now see the pending account with the note "once X has signed in to Win 10 etc it'll show up here".


Below this I can see the old disabled account with a note "this device has been upgraded to Win 10 and settings for this account have been turned off; select this child to turn the settings on again". If I select the child, I am told "get your child to
sign in and change their settings"

My problem is how do I get the child to sign in? Neither account shows up at login, and the old local user management tool appears not to be available in Win 10.

any help gratefully received!

 

I sign in with a local account. Cortana appears to work, though as I won't share my contacts with MS I don't get very far.

 

I'd really like to know how you managed to get Cortana working on a local account!
Thanks a lot!

 

I did do quite a bit of messing about checking the language etc making sure it was supposed to work, particularly on my desktop computer. The laptop worked more easily. Unfortunately I can not provide a concise answer as to what was the magical step. The only thing I would say is that both computers do have MS accounts which I never use to sign on. I created these accounts my adding local accounts and then converting them to MS accounts to get the last two Insider build updates to install.

 

So you mean like you have two accounts, and whenever you wanna use Cortana, you switch to the MS one?

 

No, I never sign on with the MS accounts. I just said that I have the a/cs for the reason I mentioned.

 

Hi all

I have the same issue, can't connect to Cortana on a local account however I made sure that several things are setup properly:

Region: United Kingdom
Language English (United Kingdom)
Time settings: +0 hrs London time
Location: Turned on
mic: working with skype/recorder and positive feedback test.

what else should we look for?

Thanks

 

Hi There,
I am trying to set up Windows 10 Cortana. 1. You sign in to your Microsoft account, 2. Then, it asks you to enter your "Old Password" one last time. I have tried for hours, putting in every old password i ever used for my Microsoft account. I get "Red lettering" (which if I see one more time?) saying wrong password. Would someone please explain to me step by step how the heck I use Windows 10 Highly advertised "Cortan". Thank you for anyone's help in this matter. Thank You,

 

Kevin, it turns out that the "old password" refers to your Windows user password, not a Microsoft account password. In an effort to get people to create/use Microsoft accounts, Microsoft wants you to abandon logging into Windows with your Windows username and password, and instead use your Microsoft account username and password. Thus, if you're still using your Windows username and password to log into Windows, you'll have to enter this as the "old password" when enabling Cortana. The reason they call it the "old password" (while not telling you which password!) is that in addition to enabling Cortana, it will secretly in the background change your Windows logon to require your Microsoft account info instead of your "old" logon info.

Once I got through this, Cortana worked. I tried it out for a couple of hours, found it worthless, and completely removed it from my system (which is also not straightforward; there's another thread devoted to that).

 

Wait.. you guys mean to say one cannot even use Cortanna without being signed into a Microsoft account? I didn't know that and nothing I've read from Microsoft says that either. - and some settings are linked into Bing.com too .. you have to be logged into a Bing account to turn off some data Cortana sends to Microsoft. I wondered how this bing account is even around because no one says you have to have one for Cortana. I assume they mean for you to already be signed into to Bing via your Microsoft account.

Looks like to experience Cortanna I need to set up a dual boot with another copy of Windows 8 Core to use for my daily OS and have a copy of Windows 10 activated on another partition so I can use my MS account for Cortanna - then Only Ever use Win 10/ Cortana with false and fake information and keep that OS from doing anything else. forever empty.

MICROSOFT YOU SUCK!

 

Seems that way. I guess since Cortana is meant to be cross-platform, it has to store all your information (schedule, browsing habits, etc.) in "the cloud" (and by "the cloud" I mean the servers of Microsoft's marketing department). That way if you set an alarm while at work, it will be on your home computer later.

My experience with Cortana is that for most of what I asked it would just open a browser window to the Bing entry on the topic. Which is why I deleted it.

 

Cortana will share your contacts with Microsoft !

I for one would NOT be grateful if one of the people I work with would make my details public.
I thinks we all have a responsibility to avoid sharing too much information with multi nationals

Cortana is a TOY that is not going to help you much in daily life
Also your co-workers and people living with you, might not appreciate when you are "shouting" commands into your computer.
So unless you are a horder living by yourself without a social life and without contacts.... I can't imagine a good reason to activate Cortana....

 

The "Old Password" is the password to your local account. It is about to change your local account to a Microsoft Account. If you don't mind this, then enter your local account password. If you think this is overly intrusive of Microsoft, don't do it and let Cortana die.