Windows 10: Switch to Local Account in Windows 10

Hello rjd, and welcome to Ten Forums. *Smile

Usually that error means that a "C:\Users\(user-name)" folder or another user for that user name already exists. Usually using a different user name should work. What happened when you entered a different name?

 

Hi Brink,

Thanks for the quick reply (and thanks for the welcome note).

Yes that user name exists. But I simply want to revert using my local account with the same user name, which I have used for many years (on Window 7).

Did not try to use a different user name and I'm afraid if I do I will no longer have access to my files. Do you know what will happen if I use a different user name?

For example, a list of the users on my desktop using the "control userpasswords2" run command showed "John Doe" as the user for the local account (before I logged in to the Microsoft account) and L: JohnDoe@hotmail.com for the Microsoft account. (The current login as L: JohnDoe@hotmail.com now have access to exact the same files as "John Doe" had on the local account.)

So if I pick another (unused) user name for the local account which file will I have access to?

Thanks.

 

If you use a different user name, it'll only create a new "C:\Windows\(user-name)" folder with that name as the account's profile folder. The other folder will still be there for you to open and access.

 

I was "brave" enough to test it. Gave it a different user name and it brought me back to the local account. However both the account name (which appears on the Welcome screen and the Start screen) and the user name were of course changed from the original local account "John Doe" to the new name tested "."

Tests:
1) I changed the new account name "" back to "John Doe" using the "Control Panel\All Control Panel Items\User Accounts\Change Your Name" and logged in to the Microsoft account and back to the local account ("John Doe"). No issues this time.

2) I further changed the the new user name (which was also "") using the "control userpasswords2" using the run command. And then logged out and logged in. (Had issues with the Control Panel and needed to logout and login.) Now the local account login looked the same as before. Did not spend an elaborate amount of time on checking permissions and missed entries in the task scheduler which have been discussed in the link above. However all seemed ok.

3) My final test was to log in to the Microsoft account again. And then go back to the local account. Exactly the same issue again -- could not go back to the local account because "Windows is already using that name. Please enter a different user name."

I believe this is the way it is suppose to work. But it is confusing and it has to do with how account profiles are being used/stored. It would be appreciated if you can elaborate on this and explain how it works. By the way you may have done a typo above "C:\Windows\(user-name)" folder does not exist. You probably meant "C:\Users\(user-name)". However, a new folder for the user name "" was never created. It used the folder for user "John Doe."

I don't intend to use the Microsoft account much. Only reason would be for downloading apps (on occasion) from the Microsoft apps store, which apparently demands a login to such an account.

Final note, since I messed around with the accounts, I did use a system restore to make sure I did not corrupt any files. The system is now back to "normal" as if I never logged in to the Microsoft account.

Thanks for all your help and prompt replies. It's appreciated!

 

rjd,

That's great news. I'm glad to hear you got the account added. *Party

Yeah, that's how it's suppose to work. Any user names that you have ever used for a user profile in Windows will not be allowed to be used whenever creating a new account unless you have deleted all traces of the old account first.

 

Thanks ...

Well I don't understand how the user profiles are setup and I have to say that it's confusing (and misleading) that I cannot go back to the local account selecting the same user name I had before I connected to the Microsoft account.

If I pick a different user name (not previously used) it will be "connected" to the initial user name of the local account. It is of course preferable (in my view) to change the *account name* back to the original one.

Anyone who can explain this behavior in more detail may chip in. Because I'm not the only one who is confused.

 

Yup! I am in the same boat! I have fully documented it and actually pasted the situation with OneNotes screen capture here...but then realized that it might contain sensitive information. What do I do To illustrate the problem??


...reopen the Microsoft incident ticket number?... they are the ones who created/compounded the problem in the first place.

- I couldn't open up from START

1.apps, THUS SETTINGS


2.search


3. Auto-hide Taskbar while set, would not close

bottom line
I.called MS Tech Supp
A.they-took over my machine
2. tested for structure errors
a.found none
b.suggested creating new user "Test" and
1.testing "Test" for desktop function
a.function appeared fine
B. MS Tech moved NOT copied my Chas" user files to "Test"...
1. asked me to test..."Test"...
a.at first blush looked fine
b. BUT I was worried because of the below "Has Requirements that Dictate", the moved NOT copied step was NOT SOP!
1.when I was a TechSupp weenie back in the day because of unknown breakages and data loss...We COPIED then PASTED data, and;
2.ONLY deleted the source data when we were sure we had a good copy.
C. MSTech renamed "Chas" to "Chas.Old" , "Test" to "Chas"
2. Turns out that only PART of the files were "moved" thus giving me user settings problems all over...
C. luckily I ask her to keep the ticket open, because now we had "Two" users
1. both of which had partial profiles…
a.Broken user "Chas" with good and properly referenced AppData;and
b. Fixed Desktop, but broken AppData links, user "Test"

.....I will not continue with the gory details ....suffice it to say



My RIG,See Specs at the bottom, that I use for:

1. Creating/Editing videos and audio

2. Fying my simulator, P3D (Prepar3d v3.1)
A. In The P3D case it Has Requirements that Dictate that I have the following Links visa-vis my %username%....which now points to a different...USER,
B. there are numerous internal references and add-ons for P3D that require R/W access to to directories/folders below.

N.B. - File names are literal and only illustrative of the folder access I need.


M:\Users\%username%\AppData\Roaming\Lockheed Martin\Prepar3D v3\dll.xml

and

M:\ProgramData\Lockheed Martin\Prepar3D v3\dll.xml
(one is a "MASTER", the other from AppData, appends info to make a COMBINED DLL.XML to be read by the App and more than several add-ons)

PLUS, Files like:

M:\Users\%username%\Documents\Prepar3D v3 Files\Comanche Approaching KONT Orbx SCA check flight.fxml


And

Flies like M:\Users\%username%\Documents\Prepar3D v3 Files\extra carns 03 approach.FLT


I founded a recent copy of AppData from a backup, but now I am gun-shy as to where to copy it, and what the effect will be on the existing AppData

********* HERE IS THE CRUX OF THE MATTER ******** The ONE THING that makes using a Microsoft account SUPER attractive, is being able to sync OneNotes documentation across all my devices.


2 PCs -ChasWinLap10 --Microsoft Windows - Clean install ---Version 1511, Build 10566.36 ---originally installed MONTHSafter ChasMain10 below.


-ChasWinMain10 --Microsoft Windows - upgrade from Win7 Pro ---Version Win10.0 Build 10240 ----NO UPDATE to version 1511 as on ChasWinLap10 above. (...Still waiting...not forcing anything...yet)


~~~~~~~~~~~~


2 IOS devices -iPad Air2 --IOS9 -iPhone 5s --IOS9


~~~~~~~~~~~~


1 WinMobile device -Lumia 640XL Windows phone 8.1 update 2


Elsewise, I could've avoided all this headache and stuck with Win7Pro...or created strictly local users on the Windows 10 machines.


********* END OF THE CRUX OF THE MATTER ********


^^^^^ Questions ^^^^^


1.Any ideas about recovering my Old AppData and using it with my new %username%?

2.Is there any way to create a local user that also has a Microsoft account "privileges", but who's settings will NOT be duplicated on my other Windows 10 support machine, ChasWinLap10?

3. I INFER from reading here and elsewhere, that you can have one Microsoft Windows account with several different Local user profiles… Is this true?


completely befuddled,crashing and burning


Thanks in advance for a speedy reply,


Cheers,


Chas


Edited
Tuesday, January 12, 2016 5:28 AM

 

This should only be an issue if the user profile folder ("C:\Users\(user-name)") was ever created as a separate account, and never switched to from a Microsoft account.

You should be able to switch back to the same local account with the same user name that you had switched to a Microsoft account.

Of course, you will not be able to use the same user name of a separate local account when switching to or creating another local account.

 

I can confirm rdj's experience. I updated to Windows 10 from 7 a month ago and kept the original local account. At some point yesterday a popup suggested I create a microsoft account. Without reading all the small print, I created the account. After an issue with my antivirus, I rebooted and was presented with the Microsoft Account login screen - not the local account login. It looks like I agreed by default or lack of attention to link the local account with the Microsoft Account.

I used your tutorial to get near to a return to a local account login but, like rdj, I could not get back to the original account name - already in use.

With the same concerns as rdj about access to the documents held under the original local account name, I was reluctant to create a new local account. Since I had a complete backup of all my files, I decided to take the risk and create a new local account. All was well since I appeared to have full access to all the docuements and other folders and preferences associated with the old local account.

Using the old control panel (had to use search to find the local computer app!) I changed new local account name back to the original local account name. Finally I am back to where I wanted to be when I first updated to WIndows 10.

So, if you have the chance, it might be worth a small update to your tutorial to relay this minor detour to people who could fall into the same trap as rdj and myself.
Cheers
Ian

 

Hello lan, and welcome to Ten Forums.

Note added under step 4 to help. *Smile