Removing a Microsoft account

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Is it possible to remove a Microsoft account from a laptop? The laptop was originally set up with a MS account, but had created a local account that was being used primarily.

My father has memory issues and somehow he got the laptop signed in to the MS account and after the laptop was turned off or came out of “sleep”, it was asking for the PIN to login, which he did not remember. Took me a while to get it back to using the local account and not asking for the PIN.

Wondering if I could delete the MS account from the laptop and just use a local account. There is nothing in the account that is needed, the email address is not associated with hotmail or outlook, and there are only some photos and files in OneDrive that are of no interest in saving.

I’d like to remove the MS account and just use a local account to avoid any future problems. Would removing it cause any issues with files/programs installed on the hard drive of the laptop?

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Dean wrote:

Is it possible to remove a Microsoft account from a laptop? The laptop was originally set up with a MS account, but had created a local account that was being used primarily.

My father has memory issues and somehow he got the laptop signed in to the MS account and after the laptop was turned off or came out of “sleep”, it was asking for the PIN to login, which he did not remember. Took me a while to get it back to using the local account and not asking for the PIN.

Wondering if I could delete the MS account from the laptop and just use a local account. There is nothing in the account that is needed, the email address is not associated with hotmail or outlook, and there are only some photos and files in OneDrive that are of no interest in saving.

I’d like to remove the MS account and just use a local account to avoid any future problems. Would removing it cause any issues with files/programs installed on the hard drive of the laptop?

I don’t think you can remove or delete the Microsoft account but I know there’s a way to force local login because the same thing happened to me. When my laptop was new I set it up with a Microsoft account and then later switched to local. Unfortunately, off the top of my head I can’t remember how I did it but what you want to do is switch to local login only instead of with Microsoft. Now I have it set up where it automatically logs me in so I don’t have to do anything but turn it on. Hopefully someone with more expertise will be able to help you more.

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https://www.askwoody.com/forums/topic/change-ms-account-to-local-account/

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Here’s a good step-by-step tutorial w/pictuers.

May the Forces of good computing be with you!

RG

PowerShell & VBA Rule!
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Thanks for the info, but that applies to Windows 11. The laptop has the latest Windows 10 (22H2), so will those two links of instructions be applicable to Windows 10? I don’t want to screw something up unnecessarily. And I do have a local account on there (created long ag0), so can I use that account to remove the MS account or would I need to create another new local account? Microsoft shouldn’t make this so complicated!

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Make sure you log out of the MS account, then login to the local one. Make sure it’s a administrator one (Settings-Accounts-Your information). If so, you can go delete the MS account (Settings-Accounts-Other users). But make sure the local one has administrative rights first !

Each account has it’s own profile so you should not lose anything. Or just leave the MS account, log out from it and never use it (unless you worry your father might click on it on login…).

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Thank you for the help and information. But it seems it is all moot as he fell the other morning and spilled coffee all over the laptop. Thankfully not hurt, he cleaned up the coffee in the floor but didn’t realize any got on the laptop. I cleaned it up best I could and let it dry out. At first the power wouldn’t come on and wouldn’t charge, but after several hours power and charging started working, the keyboard worked and had sound, but the display won’t work. Hoping it will start after another day or two, but doubt it. Looks like repair or replace.

Thanks again, the info will be helpful in the future. Now I have some new questions, but I will post then in a new thread later.

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Dean wrote:

Thank you for the help and information. But it seems it is all moot as he fell the other morning and spilled coffee all over the laptop. Thankfully not hurt, he cleaned up the coffee in the floor but didn’t realize any got on the laptop. I cleaned it up best I could and let it dry out. At first the power wouldn’t come on and wouldn’t charge, but after several hours power and charging started working, the keyboard worked and had sound, but the display won’t work. Hoping it will start after another day or two, but doubt it. Looks like repair or replace.

Thanks again, the info will be helpful in the future. Now I have some new questions, but I will post then in a new thread later.

Glad to hear he wasn’t hurt.

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