Can't log into OneNote and other apps. Problem with accounts?

I have a Microsoft account that works to let me log in to either Microsoft sites or OneNote on my iphone. I am unable to log into OneNote (native app, not OneNote 2016) on my laptop.

Systems/accounts says I have a local account for which I'm an administrator. I don't know what the password is or even if there is one. When I look via the Control Panel under my user account, it says the same thing; the password for my user account works fine to get into Windows. Why is user account info saying this is a local account? Is the user account = local account?

I have two email addresses associated with the local account. One of those is also associated with the Microsoft account (possible conflict?). I get email from one account (internet provider) and not from gmail (the one connected to the Microsoft account). Can't figure why the latter connection doesn't work

The systems/accounts window provides a link to sign in with the Microsoft account. No combination of user id's, emails or passwords will log me in. No explanation about why the microsoft account email and password works at microsoft sites and on iPhone but not here or for apps.

I keep seeing mysterious messages about outlook.com. They seem to suggest I MUST create an outlook.com email address, but there is no explanation. At least one person I know was not able to get into Windows apps until she created an outlook.com account, but I am not willing to do this unless I know WHY?

A week or so ago I found a site in which several people said they'd heard there is a bug connected to login problems which Microsoft has failed to fix. Have no idea whether it is a bug or whether it has just not been clarified/explained properly that an outlook.com account is REQUIRED to get into the apps. If it is true, why?

I've spent hours on line and exchanging emails with Microsoft. All I get are useless links. No answers to my questions.

So.... Are there two or three accounts (local vs Microsoft or user vs local vs Microsoft)? Are we REQUIRED to create an outlook.com account to access windows 10 apps? Is there a bug or just unclear explanations about accounts and login requirements? Is there any way to get an intelligent answer from Microsoft? Probably other questions arise but I'm too tired of all this mess to think clearly at the moment.

Please be patient. I have a lot of computer experience but I'm 70 and frustrated with the impossibility of communicating with a real human in real time at Microsoft "support".

As far as I am aware you can have a local account or a Microsoft account. You can check between these two types as shown in the tutorial below:

https://www.tenforums.com/tutorials/5...dows-10-a.html

The tutorial will answers some of your questions such as whether you need a MS account for apps (yes you do).

A couple of other tutorials:
https://www.tenforums.com/tutorials/5...dows-10-a.html
https://www.tenforums.com/tutorials/5...dows-10-a.html

As I said, I have a Microsoft account - that isn't accepted to get into OneNote although it asks for the Microsoft account info. It works to get into Microsoft sites. I've tried manually copying the password used to access sites into the OneNote email/password prompt page. No Go.

The settings account info says I have a local account. The only password I know for that is my user account password. That isn't accepted by OneNote either.

Thanks for trying.

philc43 said:

As far as I am aware you can have a local account or a Microsoft account. You can check between these two types as shown in the tutorial below:

https://www.tenforums.com/tutorials/5...dows-10-a.html

The tutorial will answers some of your questions such as whether you need a MS account for apps (yes you do).

A couple of other tutorials:
https://www.tenforums.com/tutorials/5...dows-10-a.html
https://www.tenforums.com/tutorials/5...dows-10-a.html

Instead of logging in with your local account log in to Windows using your Microsoft account. You will have to fist log in to the local account and add the Microsoft account in Settings, then Accounts. That should help.

I tried what you suggested.

Went to user account and clicked link to use Microsoft account to log in.

email and password accepted at first. Then there was a reprompt for the password and this time the password was NOT accepted. Perhaps the first entry hadn't really been accepted - maybe that was the reason for the reprompt. No way to tell. The result was the same as trying to get into OneNote.

Wierd. wierd.

Has anyone heard of a bug in the Windows 10 Microsoft account login? I did find references to a bug at other sites but cannot find that site again.

Thanks for trying, MountainDoc.

MountainDoc said:

Instead of logging in with your local account log in to Windows using your Microsoft account. You will have to fist log in to the local account and add the Microsoft account in Settings, then Accounts. That I trshould help.