Set up new laptop without Microsoft Account

carrotmuseum · 26 Jul 2020

I have just purchased a new laptop pre-loaded with Win 10 Home.

Is it possible to set it up without being forced to use a Microsoft Account. I am a single user of the laptop and would prefer to have a local Windows account. It never leaves home so is quite low risk, so I also want to be able to sign in without the need to re-input the password every time I switch on or come back from sleep.

Is this use of a local account recommended and if so how can I do this, and are there any drawbacks/disadvantages. Would this local account be classed as an administrator account?

I intend to do most things on the laptop via Chrome and an existing gmail account plus password.

Win version 1909 build 18363.959

Brink · 26 Jul 2020

Hello,

Correct, you would pick up at step 17 in the tutorial below to set up the new laptop if not already, and do step 24 to set up a local account. It will be an administrator account by default when created during setup.

Clean Install Windows 10

You can then use option 1 in the tutorial below to set up netplwiz to automatically sign in to your account at startup.

Sign in User Account Automatically at Windows 10 Startup

In addition, you may also want to turn off require sign-in on wakeup.

Turn On or Off Require Sign-in on Wakeup in Windows 10

carrotmuseum · 26 Jul 2020

It does not let you get past stage 23, asking for an existing m/s account or create one. I want to skip that and go straight to sign in with local windows account i.e. point 24.

Matthew Wai · 26 Jul 2020

Disconnect your laptop from the Internet before the installation. Then the following should not happen.

carrotmuseum said:

stage 23, asking for an existing m/s account or create one.

When I clean installed Windows 10, Internet connection was not available, and I saw the following:

Set up new laptop without Microsoft Account-10.-click-i-dont-have-internet-.jpg

Brink · 26 Jul 2020

carrotmuseum said:

It does not let you get past stage 23, asking for an existing m/s account or create one. I want to skip that and go straight to sign in with local windows account i.e. point 24.

Are you able to enter the bogus phone number like in step 24 below to then be able to set up a local account?

Clean Install Windows 10

MikeMecanic · 26 Jul 2020

carrotmuseum said:

It does not let you get past stage 23, asking for an existing m/s account or create one. I want to skip that and go straight to sign in with local windows account i.e. point 24.

No Internet during the clean install, delete all partitions, no password, keep it blank.

21-Sign up for personal account, 23-use offline account, skip password, click next (do it after), skip Internet (wifi or ethernet), not now for Cortana, turn off privacy switches, no to activity history, not now to Cortana. Close Edge, taka a tour of System settings, don't be shy at disabling switches.

Create a pin number for machine password.

Jacee · 26 Jul 2020

I have a two step protected account with MS and it's saved me from headaches on both of my computers .... https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/...p-verification. You might want to reconsider your options.

carrotmuseum · 27 Jul 2020

Think I have cracked it. When it asks for a m/s account I switched off wifi this gives a message - “Something went wrong” error message. You can then click “Skip” on that screen - Once you’ve skipped the Microsoft account creation, the old “Who’s going to use this PC?” screen will appear. You can now create an offline account and sign in to Windows 10 without a Microsoft account—the option IS there all along. It's just M/S who try force you to have an account.

Ztruker · 27 Jul 2020

All you have to do is enter the bogus 1234567890 phone number, exactly as Brink's tutorial says in step 24. No messing with internet or anything else. It really is that simple.