Windows 10: Local user files lost after singing in with Microsoft Account in Settings App

I have a windows 10 laptop that I originally set up using just a local account. After using the laptop for a few months, I signed in with my Microsoft account in using the "Sign in with a Microsoft Account instead" link in Settings > Accounts > Your info. After doing, I can no longer find files that were in the Local account. Is there a way to recover them? Why did that happen?

:)

 

Local Acct user and MS account user - sync them or merge them

If the local account is the one where you have most of your personal data, this is how I would do it:

• Sign in to your Microsoft account
  
• Copy all documents, pictures and other personal data from Microsoft account's user folders to corresponding folders in user Public (contents of MS account Documents folder to Public Documents folder and so on)
• Sign out from Microsoft account

Notice that above steps are only required if Microsoft account user folders contain data you want to keep. If its user folders are empty or do not contain anything worth saving, you can skip the above steps. Continue from below.

• Sign in to the local account
  
• Delete the Microsoft account (Option One in this tutorial)
• Switch your local account to a Microsoft account (tutorial)
• Copy the data backed up from old Microsoft account to Public folders to new Microsoft account in corresponding folders

That's it. Using the Public folders as temporary storage you will have none whatsoever file owner / permission issues later on.

 

Issues with the lost files in the account in Windows 10

Hi,

I realize the inconvenience caused to you regarding the lost files in the account. I will certainly assist you.

Please answer the below questions to assist you better.

1. When you say “main one” is it local account or Microsoft account?

2. Did you make any changes in the account settings?

I suggest you to login to the account where the files are missing and then follow the below steps.

• Open the Run by Windows+ R and then Enter.
• Press . ( the full stop button in the keyboard) and then Enter.
• Check whether you could see the user profile files.

Reply us with more information to assist you better.

 

How to Change Microsoft user account to local user account

Hi Pchelpmenow,

At this situation, what I can suggest you is you have to convert the Microsoft user account to local user account.

• 
  Log to the system using her user account.
  
• 
  Go to settings and click on Accounts.
  
• 
  Click on Your email and accounts and click on
  Sign-in with a local account instead.
  
• 
  Enter the password, click on Next
  and follow the onscreen instruction to convert into local account.
  

Hope this helps. Let us know the result for further assistance.

Thank you.