Windows 10 users fume: Microsoft, where's our 'local account' option gone?

From the ZDnet article: "I had a situation last year with my mother-in-law's Win10 laptop. She wanted me to look at a problem she was having, but when I started up the unit at my house, I could not log in with her MS account because the laptop could not connect to the Internet as it had never been connected to my WiFi."

Another reason an MS account is bad. Although this marks an interesting reversion, because even a domain account will let you log in with stored credentials if it can't contact the domain controller.
 
Now that I'm thinking about it, it's not a big deal. I actually don't think I have ever used a local account on my main PCs.

The one time I did was with this cheapo laptop I got from Hong Kong. The thing came with Win 10 (local account, no password, possibly bootleg) and I didn't want to take any chances so I didn't sign in with my real account.

That said, I disagree with people saying "you just have to disconnect the internet". If you pay for a product legitimately, you should not have to pull any illicit tactics just to use it how you like.

Don't like corporate facial recognition? Just wear a ski mask when going to the supermarket (even though you are doing nothing wrong). Problem solved.
 
If your MS email account (easy with webmail and xss) gets compromised, the box and anything linked to the MS account is toast. They will run your box with Azure. Downside for any ms accout outweighs any upside. Stick with a local account. Nowadays, I don't bother touching the Internet without VPN.
 
From the ZDnet article: "I had a situation last year with my mother-in-law's Win10 laptop. She wanted me to look at a problem she was having, but when I started up the unit at my house, I could not log in with her MS account because the laptop could not connect to the Internet as it had never been connected to my WiFi."

Another reason an MS account is bad. Although this marks an interesting reversion, because even a domain account will let you log in with stored credentials if it can't contact the domain controller.

Yet, with my Internet down and my computers using a Microsoft account, I was able to login to my computers without issue. Oh well.........
 
I think Windows caches the credentials. You can definitely login without internet access temporarily (I've done it) but not for the first time.
 
That said, I disagree with people saying "you just have to disconnect the internet". If you pay for a product legitimately, you should not have to pull any illicit tactics just to use it how you like.

Enjoy logging in with your MS account, then. But this "I disagree" business is sort of shifting the discussion. People claimed there was no way to create a local account in Windows. That's just not true. Whether or not you should have to use a workaround is a separate issue from whether or not you even *can* create a local account.
 
Yes, you are 100% correct. The premise of the thread, and reporting on news sites, are incorrect.

So the backlash is based on a false premise (though there is confusion, so maybe there is some variable we are missing).
 
I smell strong MS BS and it stinks.

How is a local account less secure when there is no internet access? That doesn't make sense at all...
 
So, I literally just experienced this issue again. Reloading a consumer-grade Lenovo desktop for a client, I used a USB drive with the latest 1903 installer from the Media Creation Tool. Installed as Windows 10 Home, and during setup I had the machine plugged into Ethernet. There was no option to use a local user. It prompted for my Microsoft account, or I could create one, which led to either an email or a phone number being used. I checked every possible option, there was literally no way to do a local user with this configuration. After I unplugged the Ethernet, backed up and then forward, it let me create a local user.
 
I believe you can choose the domain option and create a local account.
 
I believe you can choose the domain option and create a local account.

Not an option on Windows 10 Home, apparently. I know the option you are referring to, but it's not present here (mainly because it's not possible to domain join a Home machine).
 
Not an option on Windows 10 Home, apparently. I know the option you are referring to, but it's not present here (mainly because it's not possible to domain join a Home machine).
What region are you in? I wonder if that makes any difference. I also wonder if there is something crazy with the Lenovo UEFI or secure boot keys that is giving some difference in the installer. I doubt the second case, but I have a hard time believing that the Microsoft installer just randomly picks whether or not to give the local account option. Every time I have tried it, with both home and Pro, media creation tool installer, when connected by Ethernet, I have had the option.

If someone could figure out why some people, doing essentially the same thing, are getting different results, it would go a long way for the entire tech community at this point.
 
just before I left work I loaded a fresh install of 10 Edu. and when it asked to connect to the internet(wifi) I didn't and the very next screen let me create a local account.
 
This sounds like it would be a GDPR violation, as offline vs online account directly relates to which and how much data is harvested by Microsoft, and how many personal identifiers all harvested data is tagged with. Using Windows 10 with a Microsoft account results in a ton more data being harvested and with the harvested data being tagged with more personal identifiers. To obscure the difference and the option to choose behind trickery and indirect wording is a violation of GDPR, I think.
 
Didn't they just rename it to "domain join" but leave the functionality unchanged?

yes. that is what i got when doing a fresh install of 1903 yesterday. wasnt that hard to figure out; same spot, new wording.

"Domain Join" is the wording I saw when installing Windows 10 LTSC many months ago. That wording might be specific to enterprise / education editions of Windows 10. But I haven't installed any basic versions of Windows 10 since then to verify.
 
Glad to see so many of you mentioned what a big ado about nothing this is. For those of you that don't like Windows, you should be installing Linux or OSX and that is the end of it. Why get so worked up?

I've been using Windows since v3.11. Installed every single new version. Not once did I think to myself that I would be better off with Linux or OSX so I don't. I've tried OS/2, Warp, and some other GUI competitor but never liked it. But I also don't complain everywhere about Linux or OSX every chance I get.

Install Windows, GPU driver, and antivirus. That is the end of the story on the OS part. I got much more interesting stuff to be doing with my PC than ranting ont everything bad about Windows.
 
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"Domain Join" is the wording I saw when installing Windows 10 LTSC many months ago. That wording might be specific to enterprise / education editions of Windows 10. But I haven't installed any basic versions of Windows 10 since then to verify.
that's possible. that was the first time I installed a Edu version from scratch. we usually have system images and I use pro everywhere else.
 
Glad to see many of you realized what a big ado about nothing this is. For those of you that don't like Windows, you should be installing Linux or OSX and that is the end of it. Why get so worked up?

I've been using Windows since v3.11. Installed every single new version. Not once did I think to myself that I would be better off with Linux or OSX so I don't. I've tried OS/2, Warp, and some other GUI competitor but never liked it. But I also don't complain everywhere about Linux or OSX every chance I get.

Install Windows, GPU driver, and antivirus. That is the end of the story on the OS part. I got much more interesting stuff to be doing with my PC than ranting ont everything bad about Windows.

This is actually a big deal, as it means people are forced into giving more of their personal data to Microsoft, which not only is a privacy and potential security concern, but also likely is a violation of the EU's GDPR rules, and also California's upcoming CCPA rules that come into force January 1st 2020.

Nobody should be forced to surrender their privacy and be monitored by a corporation as a condition to use software the person has bought.
 
This is actually a big deal, as it means people are forced into giving more of their personal data to Microsoft, which not only is a privacy and potential security concern, but also likely is a violation of the EU's GDPR rules, and also California's upcoming CCPA rules that come into force January 1st 2020.
Nobody should be forced to surrender their privacy and be monitored by a corporation as a condition to use software the person has bought.
I'm not going to fight it. It's a waste of time. Windows 10 Pro was free for me so I've no ground to stand on to complain. I use a specific email for Windows, Xbox, Gamepass, and Office 365. That is all it does and nothing else. I turn one drive off because I don't need it even though I should take advantage of the 1TB storage. Cloud has many benefits but I just don't have any use for it.

When I install Windows, I use local account. I only sign in whenever it is required afterwards.
 
I actually have tested this a while back, when someone, I do not recall who, tried to claim that the local account option during setup is gone. However, I installed the OS multiple times after this claim and the local account option was there and not at all hidden. Unless this is something different, it is not hidden and not gone, whether your computer is connected to the internet or not.

You know damn well who was one of the first to discover this 'feature', furthermore there were others in the thread that also experienced the 'feature'. As always, you did your upmost to discredit the user in question simply because you couldn't recreate the 'feature', even once it was explained to you in frustrating detail how the Windows 10 OOBE works.

Literally besotted to the point of denial.

Good to see that my very factual claims are still being substantiated while your baseless attacks are not.

For those that don't understand how the Windows 10 installer works, the OOBE section of the installer (so account creation) is cloud based on the fly when installing Windows 10 connected to the internet. It's random, you may get the OOBE allowing for local account creation, then again you may not. I'm finding that under Windows 10 Home especially, more often than not I'm getting the OOBE that in no way allows for local account creation.
 
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So, I literally just experienced this issue again. Reloading a consumer-grade Lenovo desktop for a client, I used a USB drive with the latest 1903 installer from the Media Creation Tool. Installed as Windows 10 Home, and during setup I had the machine plugged into Ethernet. There was no option to use a local user. It prompted for my Microsoft account, or I could create one, which led to either an email or a phone number being used. I checked every possible option, there was literally no way to do a local user with this configuration. After I unplugged the Ethernet, backed up and then forward, it let me create a local user.

Seriously just leave password blank and hit enter
 
You know damn well who was one of the first to discover this 'feature', furthermore there were others in the thread that also experienced the 'feature'. As always, you did your upmost to discredit the user in question simply because you couldn't recreate the 'feature', even once it was explained to you in frustrating detail how the Windows 10 OOBE works.

Literally besotted to the point of denial.

Good to see that my very factual claims are still being substantiated while your baseless attacks are not.

For those that don't understand how the Windows 10 installer works, the OOBE section of the installer (so account creation) is cloud based on the fly when installing Windows 10 connected to the internet. It's random, you may get the OOBE allowing for local account creation, then again you may not. I'm finding that under Windows 10 Home especially, more often than not I'm getting the OOBE that in no way allows for local account creation.

Oh, good, you're here. As everyone said the other time, we all know this, and even you admitted that if you're offline, you can create a local account.
 
Oh, good, you're here. As everyone said the other time, we all know this, and even you admitted that if you're offline, you can create a local account.

Yeah, seriously, who are you talking too? I seriously did not remember and do not want to, although I allowed the post to be viewable, my bad. :( I personally do not care anymore, since I am no longer in the retail IT field.
 
Just as a point of comparison, do recent versions of OSX allow local accounts? Or, is an account tied to an Apple ID required for OSX? (I'm not a Mac guy, so I don't know the answer to that one.)
Apple probably requires it as well.

Apple should not be the standard on any of this though.
Yeah trying using an apple product with out registering it to iCloud or iTunes and see how far that gets you...... F'ing PITA it is unless you are using a good MDM solution.

You can easily run an iPhone or macOS without iCloud. Apple of course suggests you login but can easily be skipped on install or first boot without any nags. iCloud gives a tremendous amount of user benefits but Apple doesn't force anyone to use them.
A lot of anti-Apple bias.
 
just did another install, while on the network, it clearly gives the "domain join" link in the bottom left. right where "offline account" used to be. ill post pics later. oh and blank password worked no prob. dont know what you guys are doin...
 
Oh, good, you're here. As everyone said the other time, we all know this, and even you admitted that if you're offline, you can create a local account.

Nope, there were certain besotted with Windows individuals in that thread that blatantly refused to admit that Microsoft even added the feature to the cloud based OOBE - Flat out refused to listen no matter how much evidence was presented, their only goal was to belittle and attack.

We went over the fact that all you have to do is have an Ethernet cable connected and chances are you will get the OOBE not allowing for creation of a local account with no option for an offline install, the installer will simply go straight into the cloud based OOBE. We also went over the point "how long until this is incorporated in the ISO's offline OOBE forcing you to be online to install Windows?" As it is there's a number of operating systems available now where this is the case, and the excuse "I have no internet" isn't really realistic anymore - Especially in the case of Windows 10 Home.

Admit it, Microsoft own your PC and their decisions as late haven't been very enthusiast friendly. Rather than make up excuses, tell them to piss off.
 
just did another install, while on the network, it clearly gives the "domain join" link in the bottom left. right where "offline account" used to be. ill post pics later. oh and blank password worked no prob. dont know what you guys are doin...

To quote myself:

For those that don't understand how the Windows 10 installer works, the OOBE section of the installer (so account creation) is cloud based on the fly when installing Windows 10 connected to the internet. It's random, you may get the OOBE allowing for local account creation, then again you may not. I'm finding that under Windows 10 Home especially, more often than not I'm getting the OOBE that in no way allows for local account creation.

I find it really surprising people don't know how the Windows 10 installer works.
 
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