Windows 10 changed login password by itself while asleep

CODeb · 27 Jan 2017

I have been using the same Windows 10 password to log in upon start and to wake the computer for over a year. Today when I entered that same password to gain access after the computer went to sleep, it no longer worked. I tried every password I could think of, and finally gained access using my Microsoft OneDrive password, which I never use for anything (I don't even use OneDrive).

Looking online it says that the Microsoft password may have been used, but it should have been the one associated with my email address. It wasn't. Also, I did not set a Microsoft password - I was using a Local password only. Now I have no local password in my User Accounts - only the Microsoft password.

Why would Windows change the administrator login password without my doing anything to change it? And what can I do to get it back to the way it was before and make sure this never happens again?

Thanks so much,
Deb

Samuria · 27 Jan 2017

It could be corupt or you could have been hacked?

Bree · 27 Jan 2017

CODeb said:

I was using a Local password only. Now I have no local password in my User Accounts - only the Microsoft password.
Why would Windows change the administrator login password without my doing anything to change it?

Apparently it's easy to accidentally switch yourself from a local account to a Microsoft account without noticing. Signing in to the Store can do it, I understand there is a box you have to tick to say 'no, just use this sign-in for the Store'. If that's what's happened here, it's easy enough to switch back to a local account. These Tutorials should help...
Local Account or Microsoft Account - How to Tell in Windows 10
Local Account - Switch to in Windows 10

CODeb · 28 Jan 2017

Ah, Bree that is exactly what happened. I did sign in to the Microsoft Store to download a recommended app. I didn't see the box for No (and I usually look for those things with an untrusted source especially. Didn't consider that MS would be a problem).

Thanks for the links to show how to switch back to a local account. And thanks to all on this forum for your amazing assistance.

Deb

Kari · 28 Jan 2017

Let's clarify this!

I'll start with this: Windows will never, ever change the password for a user account by itself. Windows will never, ever change the account from local to Microsoft account or vice versa by itself. This is always done by user him / herself.

A question, no answer required or expected:

If a Windows user blindly clicks OK, Next, Accept or similar buttons in prompts show to him / her without reading the text, warnings, information or explanations in these prompts, and then something happens against this user's will, whose fault is it? Microsoft's, or user's own?

I simply cannot understand how Windows could make this more clear for the user! When signing in to Windows with a local account and then using an app that requires a Microsoft account (Windows Store, Mail, People, Solitaire, whatever), this will be shown:

Windows 10 changed login password by itself while asleep-image.png

Notice that this prompt will be shown absolutely every time a local user account user launches an app requiring a Microsoft account first time. No exceptions, users saying they didn't get this prompt are (to put it simple) ~~lying~~ telling something that is not true.

In screenshot I have highlighted the title of the prompt with green. It couldn't be much clearer: Sign in to this device using your Microsoft account?

The yellow highlight shows an explanation for this: If you continue, you will from now on sign in to Windows using your Microsoft account instead of your previous local account.

The blue highlight shows you the alternative, the way to use this app (Store in my example case) without converting your current Windows 10 user account to a Microsoft account. Again very clearly said: Sign in to just this app instead.

Short: If you when the above prompt is shown select to enter your current password and click Next, you have selected completely by yourself to switch your current local user account to a Microsoft account. You did it, no one else to blame.

Kari