Windows 10: Use Local account with Windows Store

How to: Use Local account with Windows Store

How to Use Store without Switching to Microsoft Account in Windows 10


Information The Microsoft Store app in Windows 10 offers various apps, games, music, movies & TV, and books that users can browse through, purchase, or get for free to download and install for their Microsoft account in Windows 10 PCs and devices.

There are several reasons why users will continue using local accounts in addition to Microsoft accounts. In my case for instance I like to set up Windows 10 PC with a local adminitrator account and add my my Microsoft account as a standard account. Other users might have other reasons to use local accounts.

Whatever reason you have to use a local account, if you want to use apps from Windows Store you will need a Microsoft account. If you don't have one you can create a new Microsoft account.

However, to download and install apps from Windows Store you don't have to switch to a Microsoft account. You can continue using a local account to sign in to Windows, and use the Microsoft account only to sign in to Windows Store to download apps.

This tutorial will show how to continue using Windows with a local account using Microsoft account only to sign in to Windows Store to be able to install apps.

Note The screenshots in this tutorial are made in Build 14342. The process itself is however the same in all Windows 10 versions and builds.

Preparations: Create a Microsoft account if you don't have one
Create new Microsoft account with an outlook.com email address:



Create new Microsoft account using your existing third party email address:






Using Windows Store when signing in to Windows with a local account
1.) To open Windows Store, click / tap its icon in Start:



2.) Search for an app, click / tap the button showing its price ("Free" if the app is free). A Choose an account dialog opens, click / tap Microsoft account:



3.) Enter your Microsoft account credentials, click / tap Sign in:



4.) If prompted for verification, enter the last four digits of your phone number, click / tap Next, enter the code you received and click Next:






5.) Click / tap Sign in to just this app instead:





Warning Do not enter your current Windows password, do not click Next in this dialog! In doing so you will convert your local Windows user account to a Microsoft account.

6.) Store starts now to download and install your chosen app:



7.) You are still using a local account to sign in to Windows. your chosen app has been installed. You can now download additional apps from Store still using a local account in Windows:



That's it!

Kari


Related Tutorials

• How to Sign in to Store with Different Account in Windows 10
• How to Remove Windows 10 Devices from your Store Account

:)

 

Windows 10 Local Account

And we get a tutorial that shows us how to create a dang account instead of how to get our . Like we are stupid! Ugh!

 

Windows 10 Local Account

I am logged into my Microsoft account and I want to log into the current I have used for years. When I followed instructions, it wants me to create a new instead of just adding the current one. How do I add the current one that
has all of my settings already established on my computer?

Thanks.

Staci

 

See this tutorial on our sister site Eight Forums: Windows Store - Sign in with Different Microsoft Account in Windows 8

Step 6 shows how.

 

I'm having an issue with a fresh install of Windows 10 (Pro) Version 1511 (Build 10586.545) using a local account to log in. I am able to open the Windows store app and have tried using the the process described in this thread as well as using the login icon in the app, neither bring up a login screen or wizard to add my Microsoft account to store.

I created a new user on my PC using my Microsoft account and the app store works just fine from there, except I'm unable to see the installed apps logging in as the local user.

I noticed MS if having some issues with the MS store for about a week or so. Has anyone experienced this issue or know how to fix it for a local user? Thanks in advance!