How to remove Microsoft Account from the Hidden Administrator

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  1. Posts : 17,661
    Windows 10 Pro
       #21

    jedpaquette said:
    Of course, everything depends on perspective — what you see depends on where you sit. I know the reasons for not using the built-in administrator account to do day-to-day work on a Windows computer. Yet I have done so consistently since XP. So perhaps I am at fault here although I still find it disingenuous that Microsoft would provide no way for Windows users with administrator privileges to escape this blackhole. After all, although I was familiar with all the classic reasons why I should not use the built-in administrator account, I tend to be obsessively careful about my exposure to hacking on any account.
    First, switching built-in admin to Microsoft account is possible only in one scenario: Windows 7 user using built-in admin account as user account upgrades to Windows 10, and in OOBE setup selects to sign in with Microsoft account instead of local account.

    If this user setups Windows 10 with normal user account, not switching the Windows 7 existing built-in admin account to Windows 10 Microsoft account, it's no longer possible to switch built-in admin to Microsoft accounts. The option is simply missing:

    How to remove Microsoft Account from the Hidden Administrator-image.png

    Built-in admin account really should not be used as daily user account. It's simple like that.


    jedpaquette said:
    I would suspect that those unfamiliar with the dangers of using the built-in administrator account...
    It seems that many of those users thinking they know all the risks, "familiar with the dangers", stating they know what they are doing really do not know enough. I cannot see how an issue caused by doing something that Microsoft has warned against for years, using built-in admin as normal user account, can be Microsoft's fault?


    jedpaquette said:
    I remain convinced that the decent thing for Microsoft to do is to provide a way out for those trapped in this situation...
    You only "remain trapped" when and if you have from beginning done against clear instructions. Windows, whatever version is meant to be used and administered with a local admin account, built-in account being enabled and used only on special circumstances.

    Only solution for this issue caused by users themselves is to go back to Windows Seven, create a local admin account, disable built-in admin, sign in to local admin and then upgrade to Windows 10, or alternatively clean install Windows 10.

    For me, this sounds just funny:

    Yes, I know I have done something that a user should never do, I know Microsoft tells it clearly, but I decided I know better and now I have an issue. Microsoft's fault, they should fix it however wrong and against instructions I use Windows!

    Kari
    Last edited by Kari; 14 Dec 2016 at 07:31.
      My Computer


  2. Posts : 6
    Windows 10
       #22

    Kari said:
    ...

    You only "remain trapped" when and if you have from beginning done against clear instructions. Windows, whatever version is meant to be used and administered with a local admin account, built-in account being enabled and used only on special circumstances.

    Only solution for this issue caused by users themselves is to go back to Windows Seven, create a local admin account, disable built-in admin, sign in to local admin and then upgrade to Windows 10, or alternatively clean install Windows 10.

    For me, this sounds just funny:


    Kari
    Alright, that is your perspective — for today at least. I really don't think that your sardonic parody contributes much that is useful to the discussion. The fact is that Microsoft left open the possibility for this substantial inconvenience to occur for users who chose to use the built-in administrator account. As of September 10 of last year, at least, you seemed to view this inadvertent “loophole” on the part of Microsoft as quite a serious problem, so serious in fact, that it merited fixing in the near future.

    The loophole you found is so bad that I am sure that Microsoft will fix this in the near future, making it impossible in any upgrade or install scenario to convert the built-in administrator account to a Microsoft account.
    You really can't have it both ways — either this is a serious loophole that Microsoft ought to remedy, and if so, I would suggest that they should provide a comprehensive remedy that would allow us reprobates who dared to use the built-in administrator account for day-to-day work over a succession of Windows releases including Windows 7 to exit MSA in that profile in Windows 10 in addition to blocking the possibility of this problem occurring again for any persons who might belatedly update from Windows 7 to Windows 10 at this stage, although that seems an increasingly unlikely scenario in any case.
    Last edited by jedpaquette; 14 Dec 2016 at 10:43.
      My Computer


  3. Posts : 17,661
    Windows 10 Pro
       #23

    jedpaquette said:
    Alright, that is your perspective — for today at least. I really don't think that your sardonic parody contributes much that is useful to the discussion.
    There seems to be a wide spread consensus among "I'm Pro, I know what I am doing" pseudo-geeks on this topic here on Ten Forums and other tech sites around the Interwebs: If someone points out that the issue an OP has is totally caused by OP's own wrongdoings, you are not allowed to mention it. If you do, it's like you said "sardonic".

    How else should this matter be talked about? This specific issue for instance, it can only occur when Windows is used in a non-recommend way, if a special user account meant for specific problem solving situations is against all possible warnings, recommendations and against common sense used as a daily user account.

    When I am trying to point this out, it's "sardonic".

    In this case, OP has done wrong and caused the issue by him / herself. As so often when Windows is used in ways it's not intended to be used, clean install is the best solution. What in that is Microsoft's fault?

    Kari
      My Computer


  4. Posts : 6
    Windows 10
       #24

    Kari said:

    In this case, OP has done wrong and caused the issue by him / herself. As so often when Windows is used in ways it's not intended to be used, clean install is the best solution. What in that is Microsoft's fault?

    Kari
    Really,

    I am really not interested in pursuing this exchange of flames any further. It has become quite puerile and is at this point, in my opinion, a waste of time and bandwidth. My only point in engaging in this thread was hope that I might add some emphasis to your original position that "... [this] loophole ... is so bad that I am sure that Microsoft will fix this in the near future" and to encourage Microsoft to provide a comprehensive resolution to this problem if and when it did so. Really, having my operating system logged into my Microsoft Account provides little value added to my day-to-day work in any case so I am simply going to do what I have been doing for some time now which is continue to work happily in a non-built-in administrator account on the machine in question. This problem does not affect my other (laptop) machines in any case. Hopefully Microsoft will provide a graceful exit from this problem. If not, I am certainly not going to waste any more time or angst on it.
      My Computer


  5. Posts : 4,224
    Windows 10
       #25

    Whoa, just when you thought Windows couldn't get an weirder, something like this comes along. My heart goes out to the OP for having to wrap his head around this massive miscegenation. I hope a clean install brings the relief you need, and performance and stability improvements as an added bonus.
    Best wishes,
    --Ed--

    PS to Kari: I'm amazed at how deeply you can see into the mysterious minds of the makers of Windows. Zounds!
      My Computers


  6. Posts : 18,424
    Windows 11 Pro
       #26

    EdTittel said:
    Whoa, just when you thought Windows couldn't get an weirder, something like this comes along.
    Well, Ed think about this....

    There are billions of combinations of different tweaks that users will come up with to do. There are billion of different combinations of hardware. When a specific combination of user tweaks or combination of hardware just doesn't work it's only because it would be impossible for Microsoft to foresee every combinations of actions that a user would do or combination of hardware that a user would put together. So, I think a more accurate phrase might be, "Just when you think a user couldn't do anything weirder...."
      My Computer


  7. Posts : 31,459
    10 Home x64 (22H2) (10 Pro on 2nd pc)
       #27

    NavyLCDR said:
    ...it would be impossible for Microsoft to foresee every combinations of actions that a user would do .... So, I think a more accurate phrase might be, "Just when you think a user couldn't do anything weirder...."
    This is a weird one and I can't really blame Microsoft for not spotting it was possible. I do blame them however for not spotting that users would downgrade their one and only administrator account to a standard user (for 'safety') then wonder why they couldn't manage their PC any more - that one has cropped up on these boards more times than I've had hot lunches.
      My Computers


  8. Posts : 4,224
    Windows 10
       #28

    As usual, NavyLCDR, you hit the nail squarely and decisively on the head. I was thinking something very much like your response to my post while writing what I did. And indeed the permutations and combinations are enormous, which of course increases the odds that something bizarre and unlikely -- like this case -- will show up. As Donald Fagan said in his song The Nightfly "I wait all night for calls like these..."
    Keep up the good work!
    --Ed--
      My Computers


 

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