Windows 10: Switch to Microsoft Account in Windows 10

In that case you might consider doing a repair install without losing anything.

Repair Install Windows 10 with an In-place Upgrade

 

Hi Shawn

No - in settings, my account shows account name, Local account, Switch to Microsoft account instead. As I described earlier clicking on "Switch to Microsoft account instead" brings up a Microsoft Account log-in screen. If I enter the account details and click log-in, the log-in window disappears and I am back in the original situation.
Keith

 

You do have an Outlook.com Email Right? Not trying to be a SA.

 

Hi Gary.
If the question is for me - then no. I have a Hotmail address and use Livemail 2012.
Keith

 

I think you have to have either a Hotmail.com or Outlook.com email address to use a MSA

 

Hi boys & girls *Smile
I'm totally new here but i'm a "old" member on "Seven Forum" (i thinks it's same or very similar) and i need some info about Local Account and Microsoft Account.

I try to explain the situation:
I'm buyed a newest Destkop PC whit Windows 10..... on first boot i have set some preferences on user and similar and i have created a "Local Account" and momentally and i have skypped the procedure for create a newest Microsoft Account.

Now i have regged a "Microsoft Account" but i thinks if i add this now on Windows Account i thinks i "lost" my actual preferences and all other modification i have make on windows................ my actual Local Account it's called "Dj Diabolik" and on Microsoft Account i have need to put a totally different name......... how i can do to maintain the actual modification and apply this created account to ma windows ?

 

Hello DJ, and welcome to Ten Forums. *Smile

If you wanted to switch your local account to a Microsoft account (MSA), then you could perform the steps in the tutorial on the first page here. When finished, your account will show the name of your MSA on the sign-in screen. You won't lose anything from the local account since it has only been converted to a MSA.

 

I have follow the video......... i have put my email and my password but after that i can be appear the info i have put on microsoft account and not the info of previous "Local Account".
It's little different because on video it's be appears the "Switch" button.... on my no button switch it's appears.......

*EDIT*
Apparently on C:\User the previous folder "Dj Diabolik" it's remain and i thinks the procedure it's be applied successfully....... now i try to change the display name and try to come back to appear ny nickname here because now my real name and surname appears on login screen and it's not PRO *Smile

 

Use the updated steps in the tutorial instead of the video. *Smile

 

Oh apparently all it's working....... i need only to logout and login again to my account whit newest password setted on microsoft account and all apparently working whitout any problems.

If i found some issue i back to ask... thanks for any info for now.

 

When I set up a new PC, I deliberately set it up to log in with a local account. When I later created a Microsoft account, Windows switched the login to use the Microsoft account without asking me. I couldn't even switch back because the Microsoft account password was a strong, 20-character password stored in my password manager that I couldn't get to without being able to log in. Moral: NEVER create a Microsoft account, or, if you do, create a trivial password for it and NEVER use it for anything important.

 

There are tens, if not hundreds of millions of people, including myself, who use a Microsoft Account login almost exclusively on their computers with no problems at all. I create a local account first for the sole purpose of getting the folder name that I want under \Users and then immediately switch it to Microsoft Account login and never go back to the local account login. A large percentage of those people using Microsoft Account login probably never create a local account first.

 

Have read Brink's great tutorial re switching from an MS account to a local account...but I have a question about what might go wrong.

Quick background: A friend of mine on the other coast is a novice user whose PC starts via an MS user account—that is the only user account defined. I help this gent remotely, so when Win10 is running on his PC, I can see what he sees, use the mouse and keyboard, etc. Obviously, though, until Win10 is up, I am "digitally blind."

My friend would prefer to have a local account, among other reasons so he can have auto log-on to Win10. I could guide him most of the way (remotely) in setting up a local user account...but in case that action is unsuccessful, I need to know how Win10 will react. That is, if setting up the local account goes south, will the MS account still be in place and selectable as the log-on account? If that would not be the case, then I'd need to guide my friend through a recovery where only he could see the screen and would have to describe it well enough that I'd get an accurate mental picture. This would not be good.

Making the MS user account in-op and then the local account not work to log on would be a disaster. Any comments and/or advice so we can be confident that a disaster wouldn't happen during a switch to local account—that the way to log on to Win10 that he has now would still be available—will be much appreciated.

Murph

 

Hello Murph, *Smile

If you're friend likes, he can have Windows automatically sign in to his Microsoft account (MSA) at startup.

*Arrow Sign in User Account Automatically at Windows 10 Startup Windows 10 User Accounts Tutorials

Usually, switching to a local account has no issues unless you don't know the MSA credentials.

 

Thx for the quick reply, Brink...but I've already tried the methods you describe in the linked tutorial. The "reactions" seem normal, but on restart, the MS account password is still demanded. ::shrug::

Just to be sure that I'm not heading toward quicksand: The MS account credentials would be the actual (e-mail) name used, the informal name, and the password, yes? Anything else?

Murph