Convert MS login to local when no link present to convert it

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  1. Posts : 3
    10
       #1

    Convert MS login to local when no link present to convert it


    Good evening, all -

    I am trying to help someone whose employee had set up their work computer with a personal myname@outlook.com account. The employee left under unpleasant circumstances and will in no way provide any assistance. We do not want nor know how to log into her outlook.com account, we just want to convert it to a local account on the computer. I know you're going to say click the "Sign in with a local account instead" link, but there isn't one (screenshot below).

    Any ideas on converting this account to local? This is Windows 10 Pro 10.0.19042.

    Screenshot from the Accounts - Your Info settings page (outlook.com email address purposely omitted):

    Convert MS login to local when no link present to convert it-outlook-account-info.png

    Thanks for any help!
      My Computer


  2. Posts : 31,471
    10 Home x64 (22H2) (10 Pro on 2nd pc)
       #2

    ofTenfrustrated said:
    Good evening, all -

    I am trying to help someone whose employee had set up their work computer with a personal myname@outlook.com account. ... we just want to convert it to a local account on the computer. I know you're going to say click the "Sign in with a local account instead" link, but there isn't one....

    Welcome to Ten Forums

    Let's clear one thing up from the start. What is the local name of this user's account? Open File Explorer, go to C:\Users and identify which folder is their user folder (the one containing their user files). Is it named Administrator?

    Open a command prompt. type net user administrator. Does it say 'Account active Yes'? Type net users. Are there any other user account names besides the built-in accounts: Administrator, DefaultAccount, Guest, RDV GRAPHICS SERVICE, and WDAGUtilityAccount?

    If the only active user account is Administrator, and this has been converted to a Microsoft account then there is no way to undo this. Although it should not be possible to make Administrator an MS account, there are loopholes that can permit this. Once changed it cannot be changed back. I sincerely hope this is not the case here because a clean install is the only option to fix this.

    See this post for more details:

    How to remove Microsoft Account from the Hidden Administrator - post #10

    Let's hope it's not Administrator we are talking about here. If not, then there are a couple of possible simple fixes to try.

    If you are trying to change to a local account from a microsoft account for any reason at all and dont see this option ... "Sign in with a local account instead", you have to go to "Family and other users", get redirected to the website and remove yourself from that family.
    https://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/...f-4c56896c9f09

    Another possibility is that the local account for this MS account is disabled.

    1) Press Windows Key + R, this will open the run dialog box
    2) type lusrmgr.msc, click Ok
    3) On the lusrmgr window, click Users
    4) Check if you can find you local account.
    5) If it's present, right click, select Properties, make sure that there is No check under "account is disabled" checkbox.
    https://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/...b-147c8cc0b2ce

    Lusrmgr is only available in Pro. If this is Home then if necessary you can enable an account using the net user command in a Command Prompt (Admin).

    Some have reported that the option may reappear if you create another new local account.

    That is about the end of the simpler possible causes. If the local account option is still missing it could be down to a corrupt user profile. If so, then it may be easier just to create a new local account, make it an administrator, and move all the user documents, photos, etc. over to the new account's user folder.
      My Computers


  3. Posts : 18,424
    Windows 11 Pro
       #3

    The biggest question I have is why do you want to convert the previous employee's user account from MS account to local? What purpose do you hope is served by that?
      My Computer


  4. Posts : 13,898
    Win10 Version 22H2 Pro and Home, Win11 Pro and Home
       #4

    I've had success when booted into a Microsoft Account in creating a new User with a slightly different name as a Local Account with Administrative rights, rebooting into that new account and deleting the original account.
      My Computers


  5. Posts : 18,424
    Windows 11 Pro
       #5

    Berton said:
    I've had success when booted into a Microsoft Account in creating a new User with a slightly different name as a Local Account with Administrative rights, rebooting into that new account and deleting the original account.
    Why does it have to be a slightly different name? Any administrator account on the computer should be able to delete any other user account.

    Unless, maybe there are extra registry or file permissions that were changed to not give the administrator group access.
      My Computer


  6. Posts : 13,898
    Win10 Version 22H2 Pro and Home, Win11 Pro and Home
       #6

    NavyLCDR said:
    Why does it have to be a slightly different name? Any administrator account on the computer should be able to delete any other user account.
    Really haven't delved into it, just have had success when adding a second user to have it with a different name. I have 2 Users on this machine, one same name as my login here with Microsoft Account and the other User with a shortened version as a Local Account for testing, both with Administrative Rights.
      My Computers


  7. Posts : 3
    10
    Thread Starter
       #7

    Thanks for all replies.

    To clear up some things I did not state earlier, we have the ability to log into this account presently using the PIN the previous employee used. My concern with having it linked to her outlook.com account is security.

    However, what I found when I followed the steps outlined by Bree is that the account IS listed as local in lusrmgr. So now my question is, this still appears to be associated with an outlook.com account in some way. What could or could not that person do in terms of accessing or sabotaging files, etc? Nearly all of my experience with 10 is in a domain environment - we do not use it the way home users would at all and I am unfamiliar with what home users can and can't do by linking a local account to an outlook.com account.

    For the record, even though stated above, this is 10 Pro, not Home.

    I also did go to the Family and other users screen, and received the following:

    Convert MS login to local when no link present to convert it-outlook-account-info-2.png

    Again, I have never used 10 the way a home user would, so I am not sure the significance of this.
      My Computer


  8. Posts : 16,786
    Windows 10 Home x64 Version 22H2 Build 19045.4170
       #8

    ofTenfrustrated said:
    we have the ability to log into this account presently using the PIN the previous employee used. My concern with having it linked to her outlook.com account is security.
    Log into the account, then
    use it to create another user account, a local user account with Admin status and write its password down somewhere secure & un-losable yet accessible
    Add Local Account ... - TenForumsTutorials
    Change Account Type [to Admin] - TenForumsTutorials
    then
    run your normal backup routines so you have a record of what was in the account's user folders, then
    delete the ex-employee's account & all its files
    Delete User Account - TenForumsTutorials

    You'll then have a computer that can sit there waiting for whatever future use you desire.

    All the best,
    Denis
      My Computer


  9. Posts : 3
    10
    Thread Starter
       #9

    Thank you Try3.

    That is obviously an option, but there is a lot of setting up and tweaking that has been done so that things work the way we would like under this account, that is why we would prefer to keep using this account and just disassociate it with the previous user.
      My Computer


  10. Posts : 16,786
    Windows 10 Home x64 Version 22H2 Build 19045.4170
       #10

    I notice that your diagram has an entry for verifying identity that the tutorial's diagram does not have.
    Switch to Local Account - TenForumsTutorials

    Perhaps, but I'm only speculating, that item is suppressing the conversion to local account option?
    If you try to identify [and fail] then perhaps the conversion option will appear.

    If that does not work then I suggest you post in the tutorial thread to ask Brink's advice.

    Best of luck,
    Denis



    Welcome to TenForums.

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      My Computer


 

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