Windows 10 - forced migration to Microsoft account, any way to reverse

So my old computer has been able to get away with not using a Microsoft account to login for at least 5 years, but after a recent Windows Update (Windows 10 22H2), I came back to see that it defaulted to my Microsoft account as a log in. I can still sign into my old local account, but all my settings there are just gone entirely and seem to have been moved over to the new user created for my Microsoft account.

(In C:\Users, I see a folder for my old local account and then another folder for the new account now).

I see that there's an option under "Your Info" in Account Settings to "Sign in with a local account", but if I type in my old local account name it says that it's already taken and won't let me use it. Does that mean I'm stuck now? If I create a brand new local account using the 'sign in with local account option', I assume my settings won't carry over?

Thanks.

Hi there,

Now that I think about it, there may have been a prompt that I clicked through because I've done it so many times that I've never had to worry about it - it's that "Setting up Windows" screen that occasionally appears after major updates that asks if you want to send data to Microsoft and all that. Maybe they snuck in account migration there and I didn't notice.

Yeah, I do know about the local account option linked in the tutorial there. It won't let me use the old local account name anymore, because it says it already exists. My question if I use that option to create a brand new local account, will my settings carry over?

That is, if I create a new local user, will the new local user use my existing C:\User folder and keep my settings?

I tried signing onto my old local account, which still exists, but all my installed apps and program settings are gone. I see two user directories in C:\Users now, one that was presumably created when it migrated to the Microsoft account, but I'm not sure which directory my Microsoft account login is using now, so I'm confused about what will happen.

Ah I didn't think of doing that, thanks. I'm experiencing some weird behaviour because one of my apps is using the new user's appdata folder for its settings for some reason.

I guess I can be fine for the most part if I keep things the way they are just to avoid any further problems, but I just wanted to confirm what happens if I did go ahead with creating a local account - does it migrate the User directory to this new account?

Maybe it's time to create a backup anyway, but any info would be appreciated. Thanks. :)

Ah yes, maybe I'm not describing it correctly.

I tried clicking on the option to migrate to local account, and then enter the name of my old local account username - let's just say it's "firehawk" for example.

When I type "firehawk" as my desired username, it says the account already exists (I assume because it's the name of my old local account) and I need to use a different name. If I use a different account name - say "firehawk-new", it will still migrate as expected and carry over all settings to this different account name and move everything from C:\Users\firehawk to C:\Users\firehawk-new?

dalchina said:

I don't know why you want to keep trying to migrate from one account to another.

I don't think that is what the OP is trying to do - I read it that they would like to convert the MS account to a local one, but want use the name 'Firehawk' - but they are blocked from that because there is an existing 'Firehawk' account. The solution is either to firste delete the existing (and useless) Firehawk account, or convert the MS account to use a different name. Using a new name should not upset the carry-over of account settings.

To the OP: I don't think, based on what you have written, that the acct settings you want to retain are contained in the old 'firehawk' folder, but will be in the new folder that got created when the switch to MS account occurred. Be aware that if you manage to convert the MS acct to a local one, the name of the folder under users will not, based on my experience, change from whatever it is right now.

PS I may have got it all wrong, in which case I apologise to Dalchina and the OP.