Someone created MS account with unknown password

FrostyWinnipeg · 10 Jun 2022

Someone dropped off PC today on me. Owner let someone use their PC and for some reason they created a Microsoft account for that person with a password. I'm thinking they probably got that annoying create a MS account thing we get once or twice a year and put in the credentials for owner.

Well they don't remember the password. owner has no clue. The email used for the account is an older email so thats useless and the text recovery method is for house phone not a cell phone.

I've backed the drive up using Macrium so I could just wipe it and copy docs/desktop/photos back but is there another way via USB to change it back to local account?

TIA

spunk · 10 Jun 2022

You will need to create a new Microsoft account. Click here to get started.

Bree · 10 Jun 2022

FrostyWinnipeg said:

I've backed the drive up using Macrium so I could just wipe it and copy docs/desktop/photos back but is there another way via USB to change it back to local account?

I know of no way to switch an MS account to a local account without knowing the password for the MS account. I was faced with the same situation when my cousin asked me to reset the MS account on her late husband's PC.

As you have all documents/photos/etc. available in a Macrium backup, I would create a new local account for the user then copy all the documents over to it. That's what I did. If the user wants to have an MS account, then they could switch that new account to an MS account themselves (making very sure they note down the password this time).

FrostyWinnipeg · 02 Mar 2024

Bree said:

I know of no way to switch an MS account to a local account without knowing the password for the MS account. I was faced with the same situation when my cousin asked me to reset the MS account on her late husband's PC.

As you have all documents/photos/etc. available in a Macrium backup, I would create a new local account for the user then copy all the documents over to it. That's what I did. If the user wants to have an MS account, then they could switch that new account to an MS account themselves (making very sure they note down the password this time).

Situation came up again with another PC dropped off and I used a program called PCUnlocker to erase the password which thus switched it to a local account. Unfortunately it looks like it erased the login credentials for the Mail app which is what i really needed access to.

Bree · 02 Mar 2024

FrostyWinnipeg said:

Situation came up again with another PC dropped off and I used a program called PCUnlocker to erase the password which thus switched it to a local account. Unfortunately it looks like it erased the login credentials for the Mail app which is what i really needed access to.

Sorry to hear that, but I can't say it comes as a surprise. It is for this reason that personally I always using a local account on all my machines. I can still get all the benefits of having an MS account though, as described in this tutorial.

In this tutorial, you will see how to keep signing in to Windows with a local account, named as you wish, but then associate / integrate it with a Microsoft account. This method keeps your Windows sign-in account and your MSA totally separated, yet giving you 100% same benefits and features than when signing in with an MSA.

Add Microsoft account to Local account for Hybrid account in Windows 11 Tutorial | Windows 11 Forum