Windows 10: Removing a Microsoft Account from Windows 10

I will be answering my own question and am hopeful it helps others.


BACKGROUND:

While setting up a new PC with Windows 10 Enterprise, I created a local account and did not add a Microsoft Account. I then installed Office 2019 Professional Plus, which is a perpetual, non-office 365, version of Microsoft Office via Office Deployment Tool. All of this in hopes of finding the most secure way to use Microsoft OS and Office WITHOUT exposing the system to privacy challenges that Office 365 and any connected Microsoft account will pose. However, there were issues with activating the Microsoft Office software. A ticket has been opened. In desperation of trying to get the software activated, I signed into the Office apps, and only Office, with my email address that owns the Volume Licenses. This apparently created a fully connected account in the OS.


FOUND A PROPOSED ANSWER:


https://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/forum/windows_10-security/removing-a-microsoft-account-from-a-windows-10/ff7246e8-aedb-4b84-933f-a15448d8748e


THE ANSWER WAS MISSING THIS:

Difference from above is in red.

Go to Start Menu > Settings > Access Work or School > Remove the account there


The earlier proposed answer actually wasn't answering a follow on question of "What if you dont [sic] see a remove button". The answer following that question would not fix my issue, since I already have, and was logged in with, a local account with administrator privileges. I believe the fact that I am on an Enterprise version of Windows may be the reason it does not apply for my issue. The same would likely be true for Edu and Pro versions of Win 10.


NOT RECOMMENDED FOR BEGINNERS:

I also went into regedit and deleted all references to the email address used.


I still cannot activate the Volume Licensed Office and the attempts to have a privacy centric Windows 10 experience is still a rather difficult adventure that is still in progress.

:)

 

Remove account


I suggest you backup your personalized files first before removing the account.
To delete an account, follow these steps:

1. Press WIN + X keys and click Command Prompt (Admin) from the menu.
2. Type the following command and press Enter. Replace test with the name of your sister's account. Code:
   
   Code:

   net user test /del

 

Windows 10 Tweaks

As you may already know, Windows 10 (as well as Windows 8) allow you to log in with a valid Microsoft account, instead of creating a local account that only works on your machine. However, you may prefer to keep a local account for privacy reasons. If you do, though, some Windows 10 features—like Cortana—may not work. Despite the default behavior, the Windows 10 Store is not one of them. You can still log in to your Microsoft account for just the Store without switching to a full Microsoft account. The process, however, is not terribly obvious. To do so, follow these steps:

• Launch the Store from your Start menu.
• Click the user icon next to the search box.
• Click “Sign-in” from the menu that appears.
• Choose “Microsoft account” and log in like normal.
• When the “Make it yours” box appears do not enter your password. Instead, click “Sign in to just this app instead.”

from Lifehacker

 

Strange Windows 10 User Account issue.

Unfortunately I had done those steps numerous reboots, it just, reappears for no good reason. The base account isn't even a Microsoft account, it's a local account.

I haven't quite tried the built in administrator account on W10, but so far in my experience on my own computer, the built in account seemed to have absolutely no more control than I did on my own.

It's just strange, I go in, it warns me twice about deleting the account, then it's gone. Reboot, and it's back?

EDIT: Just to specify, both command line and Netplwiz both say only HIS account exists on the computer, it doesn't list this rogue account. This is what I meant in my first post about the fact that even Windows doesn't seem to believe it exists, HALF the time. *Frown