Windows 10 Account Creation Survey

jardows

2[H]4U
Joined
Jun 10, 2015
Messages
2,308
Due to the conversation in the news forum, and previous conversations here, I wanted to start some data collection on the Windows 10 Account Creation issue.

Specifically, some people are reporting that while connected via Ethernet when installing Windows 10, the option to create a local account is not made available. Other people claim to always have the option, even when connected by Ethernet.

The purpose of this thread is to collect information to see what is causing the differences. Since this is an information collection thread, please keep discussion to a minimum.

Right now, for purposes of data collection, please only include results for installing 1903 while the system is connected to the Internet via Ethernet.

Please report the following

Installation source: (media creation tool, OEM CD, Recovery, etc.)
Installation type: (Clean install, upgrade, recovery)
Windows Edition: (Home, Pro, Ent., Edu., 32 or 64 bit, etc)
Computer: (OEM model, Motherboard model)
UEFI or Legacy Install
Country, State/Province:
ISP:
Whether or not an option is available for local account creation during the initial install. This would include alternately named options such as "Domain Join"

If you have any additional data that may be relevant, include it. If you have suggestions for additional data to collect, please list, and we can collect that as well.
 
Here is my first result:

Installation Source: Media Creation Tool created as ISO
Installation type: Clean Install
Windows Edition: Home 64 bit, no key for activation
Computer: VMWare Player 15.5 VM
UEFI install
USA, Virginia
ISP: Liberty University

During installation, no option was available to create a local account. The only information about a local account is when clicking on "Learn More"

upload_2019-10-3_9-0-26.png
 
Some additional testing:
With the same installer and Virtual Machine settings:
Windows 10 Home N - offline account option is available
Windows 10 Home Single Language: No offline account option is available
Windows 10 Pro: Set up for Personal Use option - offline account option is available
Windows 10 Pro: Set up for an organization option - Domain join instead option is available
Windows 10 Education: has Domain join option for local account.
 
Three Copies of Windows 10 Pro Installed
Clean Install to SSD
Computers: Desktop PCs, ASUS Hero XI, ASUS Crosshair VIII, Gigabyte ITX
UEFI install
USA, NY
ISP: Cable company
No option was given for a Local Account. I simply use a dummy account set up through Gmail especially for those installs.
 
I got exactly that in the image when was installing without a key.
I reinstalled again entering the Win 7 Pro key on the laptop and it installed Win 10 Pro and gave me the option for a local account.
 
Three Copies of Windows 10 Pro Installed
Clean Install to SSD
Computers: Desktop PCs, ASUS Hero XI, ASUS Crosshair VIII, Gigabyte ITX
UEFI install
USA, NY
ISP: Cable company
No option was given for a Local Account. I simply use a dummy account set up through Gmail especially for those installs.
Which cable company?
 
Installation Source: Media Creation Tool -> USB Flash Drive
Installation type: Clean Install
Windows Edition: Home 64 bit, key preloaded on OEM machine
Computer: Lenovo 90BG003JUS (client-purchased machine)
UEFI install
USA, Washington
ISP: Comcast Business

Same results as jardows above - no option for local user creation with internet connected. When I backed out and disconnected internet, it went immediately to local user creation.
 
Installation Source: Media Creation Tool created as ISO
Installation type: Clean Install
Windows Edition: Pro 64 bit, no key for activation
Computer: Gigabyte Aorus Gaming 7 X399, 1950X Threadripper, 32GB DDR4
UEFI install
USA, Virginia
ISP: Cox

Had the ethernet cable plugged in during the install and had the Local Account option.
 
1903 media creation tool to usb
clean install
edu with our vl key
old ass c2d 4GB DDR2 hp 8550m, old i5 4GB DDR3 hp 5330m? and old i5 8GB DDR3 dell E6440(ot but this one has one of the nicest 1080p screens ive seen in a laptop)
legacy on all
CAN/AB
shaw
my results were posted in other thread, basically online or not I could create a local account.
 
1903 media creation tool
clean install
Windows 10 Home
30+ machines of varying make and model. Some retail OEM machines, some user/store built devices.
UEFI and legacy
Country's not important, I've tried it connected to a VPN, same deal.
Absolutely no option to create a local account

Furthermore, this has been going on for about four months now.
 
1903 media creation tool
clean install
Windows 10 Home
30+ machines of varying make and model. Some retail OEM machines, some user/store built devices.
UEFI and legacy
Country's not important, I've tried it connected to a VPN, same deal.
Absolutely no option to create a local account

Furthermore, this has been going on for about four months now.
This is not helpful. This is a research project to collect specific data, not an attempt to prove a point. If you want to actually contribute, please provide more specific details of the machines, country/region, ISP. If connected to a VPN on a specific install, that is good information as well, though for data purposes, the specific VPN and the region it is connecting to would be important.
 
Installation source: Flash drive created with Media Creation Tool
Installation type: Clean, using diskpart to clear the drive.
Windows Edition: Pro x64
Computer: Various Dell and Microsoft Surface devices, roughly 100 have 1903 installed at this point.
UEFI or Legacy Install: UEFI
Country, State/Province: Philadelphia, PA
ISP: Comcast Business

The option to use a local account is always there. The discussion in the news was whether or not the option would be there in 1909. It has always been available in 1903 and it's part of our install routine checklist that I created and our new helpdesk guy follows.

In fact, I'm not thrilled about having to set a PIN for an online account, so I/we purposely always use a local account. It gets deleted after we rename and enable the Administrator account.
 
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This is not helpful. This is a research project to collect specific data, not an attempt to prove a point. If you want to actually contribute, please provide more specific details of the machines, country/region, ISP. If connected to a VPN on a specific install, that is good information as well, though for data purposes, the specific VPN and the region it is connecting to would be important.

Why is it not helpful? Country is not important, that's helpful.

Did you try installing while connected to a VPN to observe the effect? What would be helpful is:

- Stand alone home usage.
- Corporate based domain usage.
- Bare metal or VM, in my experience I've yet to see the feature when installing a VM.

How the hell am I going to provide specifics on a vast number of machines as a tech that deals with real world Windows users, as opposed to a tightly controlled corporate environment! Stating that the issue affects literally 'everything' is useful information.
 
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Installation source: Newly created USB drive using the Windows 10 Media Creation tool
Installation type: Clean install
Windows Edition: Windows 10 Pro
Computer: Asrock Fatality AB350 mITX mainboard
UEFI Install
Country, State/Province: USA, Buffalo, NY area
ISP: Spectrum Internet
Had the standard install for personal use or company use. I connected to the wireless network, selected personal and selected the offline account in the lower right hand corner.
 
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This is not helpful. This is a research project to collect specific data, not an attempt to prove a point. If you want to actually contribute, please provide more specific details of the machines, country/region, ISP. If connected to a VPN on a specific install, that is good information as well, though for data purposes, the specific VPN and the region it is connecting to would be important.

Yeah, I simply ignore him now, I want answers, he just simply assumes he knows it all, which is of no value to me at all. I am redoing my second computer now and will let you know the information for that one when I am done. Thankfully, I should be able to just copy and paste what I put above, since the only difference between the two installs is the mainboard itself.
 
Installation source: Newly created USB drive using the Windows 10 Media Creation tool
Installation type: Clean install
Windows Edition: Windows 10 Pro
Computer: Asrock Fatality B450 Gaming iTX board.
UEFI Install
Country, State/Province: USA, Buffalo, NY area
ISP: Spectrum Internet
Had the standard install for personal use or company use. I connected to the wireless network, selected personal and selected the offline account in the lower right hand corner.

Yep, so far, I have been unable to reproduce the offline account creation missing issue.
 
Installation Source: Media Creation Tool created as ISO
Installation type: Clean Install
Windows Edition: Pro 64 bit, no key for activation
Computer: Gigabyte Aorus Gaming 7 X399, 1950X Threadripper, 32GB DDR4
UEFI install
USA, Virginia
ISP: Cox

Had the ethernet cable plugged in during the install and had the Local Account option.
Some cable companies use modem without NAT or firewall, installing windows on those with ethernet plugged in will result in getting a worm on first boot lol. Been there, done that.
 
Installation source: Newly created USB drive using the Windows 10 Media Creation tool
Installation type: Clean install
Windows Edition: Windows 10 Pro
Computer: Asrock Taichi X370 ATX mainboard
UEFI Install
Country, State/Province: USA, Buffalo, NY area
ISP: Spectrum Internet
Had the standard install for personal use or company use. I connected to the wireless network, selected personal and selected the offline account in the lower right hand corner.
 
Installation source: Windows 10 ISO that was "burned" into USB with WoeUSB Linux software.

Clean install, removed partition and remade it.

Windows Edition: Home, did not enter a key as it should not be needed anymore on this rig.
Computer: Asus B350 Strix with Ryzen 5 1600
UEFI install
Country: Finland
ISP: Elisa

After initial setup it tried to force me into either logging in or creating a Microsoft account. I do have the account but I do not use it. No option for local account and backpedaling simply takes me back into the same page. Turned off the router, backpedaled and then I could create a local account.
 
Installation source: Previously created USB drive using the Windows 10 Media Creation tool
Installation type: Clean install
Windows Edition: Windows 10 Pro
Computer: MSI AM1 mITX mainboard
UEFI Install
Country, State/Province: USA, Buffalo, NY area
ISP: Spectrum Internet
Had the standard install for personal use or company use. I connected to the wireless network, selected personal and selected the offline account in the lower right hand corner. This time, which is the first time, I did not receive the ability to use the offline account that way but, the domain part worked fine.

Yep, so far, I have been unable to reproduce the offline account creation missing issue except this time on my main computers.
 
A little late...

Installation source: v1909 ISO, installing via Rufus, on a USB. (Boot to Win10 on a USB)
Installation type: Clean Install
Windows Edition: Home
Computer: i6700, Gigabyte mobo
UEFI or Legacy Install: UEFI
Country, State/Province: USA, NC
ISP: Yes
Whether or not an option is available for local account creation during the initial install. This would include alternately named options such as "Domain Join"

There was NO option to have a local account when I first booted to my Win10 install on my USB stick. I -had- to create and send in to MS, account information. There was a note that I could delete that later. (Yeah...right.)

Instead, I stopped the install by hard resetting the machine. I pulled out the ethernet cable while it was trying to boot up. With the second attempt, it tried to convince me that all sort of goodness awaited me if I could only connect to the internet. Instead, I continued the install with no connection. I was then seamlessly brought to the Local Account creation.

After install, I turned off the machine, hooked up internet, and then rebooted.

I consider it insulting that there is no longer an option to create a local account. I do not want cloud computing. I do not want a microsoft account. I do not want my data "following me". I want anything I do to stay on THAT machine.

FWIW.
 
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