Windows 10: I know this has been asked but nothing is helping. Local or MS Account?

I have the lastest Win 11 update on a PC. I just did a Reset this PC and I cannot find anywhere, no where anyone suggests, to see if I can find if it restored me to a MS Account or Local. I originally wanted Local Account as it was before the Reset. I believe it's Reset me with a MS Account and most folks know MS is making darned hard to find out how to switch. I've been everywhere sites have suggested. [Change to Local Account] no longer shows under Manage or anywhere I've found yet. It used to just say Local Account under my photo, but that's gone I guess to make it harder to find out. How,

:)

 

Local account installation question

I'm fairly certain that Skip this step was available in 10.0.130 - the workaround in Step 20 (back button) is no longer required.

The currently known, as of 10.0.130, ways to create a Local account sign-in are

• Skip this step at the MS account creation phase
• No Internet connection during the install
• static IP (post# 2 by Fragment) - New (to me anyway)

 

MS Acct vs Local acct

But, when used as a login to Windows on a computer (which is all a local account can do) neither can a Microsoft Account!

With the exception that the very first time you login you need to provide a 2-step code, but the problem is it never seems to ask again for a 2-step code.

In the scenario that an attacker has access to my laptop and knows my password, then assuming I've logged in once, the 2-step verification provides no more security, except that the attacker might have access to more things with a Microsoft Account, such as easy access to email.

Sadly the 2-step verification doesn't seem to protect in this scenario.

You'll note who asked the first question on that tutorial. *Wink

Here's the thing - I'm actually quite a fan of 2-step verification, and if it asked me for a 2-step password when I logged into Windows (at least sometimes, or gave me a checkbox to not remember the device) then there would be an advantage over a local account. Hence my question on that tutorial. But as it is, 2-step verification is a bit pointless as far as logging into a computer is concerned, because it remembers the device, seemingly for ever, and an old-fashioned 1-step password is all you need to login.

Incidentally this page says:

... but I just tried logging back in to the test account I set up in Feb 2014 in Windows 8 when I was working through that tutorial. I haven't logged into that account on that computer for ages (certainly more than 2 months) but it still didn't ask me for an authenticator code.

Fair point - you can see who's logged in - although it's unhelpful that the MS Account suggests you logged into Internet Explorer when all you've done is log into a PC - that log could be clearer.

In general, my suspicion is that MS accounts have more ways to go wrong than a local one. I'm still not convinced that I should change my policy of keeping an admin-level local account on each device for maintenance and recovery purposes.

 

Creating a MS account without losing Local account

Go to https://account.microsoft.com, click Create account and fill the form:





With a Microsoft account you can then use OneDrive and Office Online apps for free. You can also use built-in native Windows apps which require a Microsoft account like Mail, Skype Preview, People, Calendar and download apps from Windows Store.

See steps 3 to 5 in this tutorial to continue using local account as Windows sign-in account even when / if you download apps from store and / or use Windows apps requiring a Microsoft account, to avoid Windows user account converting to Microsoft account: Store - Use when Signing in to Windows 10 with Local Account - Windows 10 Forums

Other tutorials you might be interested in when you have created a Microsoft account:

• Microsoft Account Two-step Verification - Turn On or Off - Windows 10 Forums
• Microsoft Account - Link to Digital License on Windows 10 PC - Windows 10 Forums