How to install Windows 10 without a Microsoft account

You now have a new PC or laptop, and Windows asks you to enter your Microsoft account details. There are some powerful reasons to subscribe, equally because it’s free, but if you don’t want, you don’t have to. Here’s how to set up Windows 10 without a Microsoft account.

When you upgrade to Windows 10 for the first time, you should sign in with a Microsoft account. There are several benefits to this as it allows any Windows 10 device you have to sync data and preferences to different Microsoft services like OneDrive and Windows Store. But this sharing feature also means that you surrender quite a lot of personal information to Microsoft, which is not something everyone is comfortable with. Don’t be afraid, though, as the good guys in Redmond created it so you can freely create a local account instead, and setting it up takes just a few minutes. Here’s how to set up Windows 10 without a Microsoft account.

There are several ways to log in with a local account. You can create a separate user, which means you can swap between the two or replace an existing Microsoft user account with a local account. This is not a permanent or destructive path, as you can restore the MS user account by reversing the process, but it should be noted that our test machine encountered a problem after use. This technique may or may not be due to change. So make sure to do a full system backup before you get started.

How to set up Windows 10 without a Microsoft account: Replace your Microsoft account with a local account

First, we will look at account replacement. To do this, you need to ensure that you are logged on as Administrators. If you only have one account on your computer, then that will be one.

Now open the Start Menu and go to Settings> Accounts> Your email and accounts.

You will see current Microsoft account details; below will be two green text lines to read Manage my Microsoft account and Sign in with a local account instead.

Click on the second part to create a new local account user.

The first screen you will encounter will ask you to confirm your current password. When you are done, you will be asked to enter details for the local account you want to create. Complete the different fields and click Next. Now click through the confirmation, and your account will be de-linked from the auto-sync features that your Microsoft account uses. This doesn’t mean OneDrive and Outlook will stop working since the login details are kept for the individual apps that need them, but your system should behave like any account for now. We usually use on Windows 7 Machines.

How to install Windows 10 without a Microsoft account: Create a new user account

Another method of using a local account is to create a local account as an alternative. To do this, open the Start Menu and navigate to Settings> Accounts> Your Account> Family and other users. In the Other Users section, you’ll see an option to Add someone else to this PC.

Click this link, and then when you are prompted to enter an email address, choose I don’t have this person’s credentials, and on the next page, click Add a user without a Microsoft account. Now enter the username and password you want for the account, and it will be generated.

The new account will be a standard user, but if you want to upgrade it to an Administrator when you are in the Family & other users section, click on the account and select Change account type, and choose Administrator.

That’s it; you can now log into your computer without a Microsoft account.