What types of accounts are ideal for a simple installation?


  1. Posts : 184
    Windows 11 Pro
       #1

    What types of accounts are ideal for a simple installation?


    I'm planning to reinstall Windows and all my other programs on my PC. I did this last year too, but I had some problem determining what type of accounts to set up.

    Currently I have on my PC an Administrator Account which is a Local Account and a Standard User Account which is a Microsoft Account. Would this be recommended for the future assuming that I shall be running Windows on two devices (1 PC and 1 tablet) as a sole user?

    I wonder if the Administrator Account (not the built-in one) should better be a Microsoft Account and the Standard User Account be a Local Account.
      My Computer


  2. Posts : 56,806
    Multi-boot Windows 10/11 - RTM, RP, Beta, and Insider
       #2

    Fortitude said:
    I'm planning to reinstall Windows and all my other programs on my PC. I did this last year too, but I had some problem determining what type of accounts to set up.

    Currently I have on my PC an Administrator Account which is a Local Account and a Standard User Account which is a Microsoft Account. Would this be recommended for the future assuming that I shall be running Windows on two devices (1 PC and 1 tablet) as a sole user?

    I wonder if the Administrator Account (not the built-in one) should better be a Microsoft Account and the Standard User Account be a Local Account.
    I would opt for the second choice.... Admin as MS account, and Standard as local.
      My Computers


  3. Posts : 184
    Windows 11 Pro
    Thread Starter
       #3

    Intuitively I would say it's more meaningful this way. I'll try to do it and hopefully I'll get it right at installation time.
      My Computer


  4. Posts : 16,782
    Windows 10 Home x64 Version 22H2 Build 19045.4170
       #4

    If you retain the Admin account as a local account you will avoid serious problems if MSAccounts ever get messed up. There have been reports of people having occasional login problems on their computers with MSAccounts.

    If you perceive some advantage in having your normal Admin account as an MSAccount then you could create an additional password-protected local Admin account on each computer so you have a fallback.

    Denis
      My Computer


  5. Posts : 184
    Windows 11 Pro
    Thread Starter
       #5

    Thanks for the information. There's no harm in creating an additional account as you suggest. Better be safe than sorry.
      My Computer


  6. Posts : 31,459
    10 Home x64 (22H2) (10 Pro on 2nd pc)
       #6

    Fortitude said:
    Thanks for the information. There's no harm in creating an additional account as you suggest. Better be safe than sorry.
    Whichever way round you want to do it, I would advise creating all the accounts as local accounts in the first place and switching the one you want to an MS account after you have created it.

    The reason is that if you create an account initially as an MS account you have no control over the name Windows will give the User folder. It will always be created using the first five characters of the email address. It's near-impossible to rename this folder after the event.

    If you want your User folder to have a meaningful name of your choosing, then create a local account. The User folder will have the same name as the account. It's easy to switch a local account to an MS account after you have created it.

    Switch to Microsoft Account in Windows 10
      My Computers


  7. Posts : 184
    Windows 11 Pro
    Thread Starter
       #7

    Bree said:
    Whichever way round you want to do it, I would advise creating all the accounts as local accounts in the first place and switching the one you want to an MS account after you have created it.
    I wish that i read your posting a few hours ago. I have the problem that you describe. I found a way to rename the user folders, but I get an error on startup about c:\users\[username]\OneDrive\Desktop being unavailable. I could not see my folders after that and I had to restore Windows to correct this.

    I suppose I'll have to enquire about it in another section of the Forums.
      My Computer


  8. Posts : 31,459
    10 Home x64 (22H2) (10 Pro on 2nd pc)
       #8

    Fortitude said:
    I wish that i read your posting a few hours ago. I have the problem that you describe...
    Even if you manage to rename your user folder, there will be a lot of references to the old folder name in the registry. It's near impossible to find and change them all. It's simpler, quicker and a lot less work to create yourself a new local account (remember to make it an administrator) then move all your documents, pictures, etc. across to the new user folder.

    After that if your original account was an MS account, switch it to a local account, then switch your new account to an MS account.

    Switch to Local Account in Windows 10 | Windows 10 Tutorials

    Switch to Microsoft Account in Windows 10 | Windows 10 Tutorials
      My Computers


  9. Posts : 184
    Windows 11 Pro
    Thread Starter
       #9

    Thank you for the assistance. I spent a couple of very tiring days trying to sort things out and I don't have the strength to try anything else out! However, I'll make a note of this information for the future.
      My Computer


 

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