Windows 10: I set up my son's pc with his account which is a child account managed by family settings....

I need him to be able to install apps via the windows store. They are age appropriate apps, the windows store refuses to install or update apps.

:)

 

Bypass Family Settings by conversion to Local Account

I assumed that you had created a child (family) account, not creating a local normal account then converting it.

In your case I would simply copy his personal stuff to an external backup drive, remove his account and start from scratch. Takes a few minutes but in doing so you get better control.

When you have removed his account, this is Phase 1 in recreating a controlled child account to him: Child Account - Add or Remove from Your Family in Windows 10 - Windows 10 Forums. When done, restore his personal content to respective folders under his user profile folder.

Doing this he has no way to switch to a local account.

Then, the more you have patience to read, the more practical tips you will get:

• Family Settings - Manage for Child in Windows 10 - Windows 10 Forums
• Family Member - Allow or Block using a PC in Windows 10 - Windows 10 Forums
• Family Child - Manage Screen Time Settings - Windows 10 Forums
• Family Child - Manage Activity Reporting Settings - Windows 10 Forums
• Find Your Child in Microsoft Family on a Map - Windows 10 Forums
• Family Child - Add Money to Account for Windows Store - Windows 10 Forums
• Family Child - Manage Apps, Games Media Settings - Windows 10 Forums
• Family Child - Manage Web Browsing Restriction Settings - Windows 10 Forums

 

Bypass Family Settings by conversion to Local Account


What you describe should be impossible. To test this I just now created a child account on my PC and signing in to it tried to change it to either an admin account or a local account. Could not do that.

The only way your son can change his account to a local account and "remove" it from Family, or create a new account is to have access to an admin account on that same PC (your account), or alternatively access to your admin MS account's Family settings online. For that he needs both your MS account username and password. It means that if you protect your own personal admin account (MS account) with a strong password and especially the Two-Step Verification, he has no way to access that account and he should not be able / is not able to change your Family settings or his account status.

 

Bypass Family Settings by conversion to Local Account


It was faster as I expected, the test confirmed my theory was right. Doing this your kid has absolutely no way to switch to a local account and leave the MS Family:

1.) Start as told earlier, creating the Child account as a Family account
2.) Sign the Child once in to Windows, sign out and back in to your admin account
3.) Press Win + R to open the Run dialog, type netplwiz and hit Enter to launch the advanced user control panel
4.) Select the Child account, click Properties:




5.) Change the Child account's user group from Users to Guests:




6.) Close the Properties, close advanced user control panel

That's it. Users in Guest group cannot open and use the Settings app, therefore they cannot change the account type (switch to a local account).

Pros:

• User cannot change any settings, not even open the Settings app
• User can still download and install desktop software but when doing so, the PC admin credentials will be asked

Cons:

• To change any settings, an admin user must first change the Child's usergroup back to Users, sign in to Child account, change the required setting, sign out from the Child account, and finally set the user back to Guests group
• To download and install anything from the Windows Store, an admin user must first change the Child's usergroup back to Users, sign in to Child account, download and install software from the Windows Store, sign out from the Child account, and finally set the user back to Guests group
• OneDrive Desktop sync does not work on Guest accounts. To download, open or upload files in Onedrive the user must use a browser