Why doesn't Microsoft want people to create local accounts?

It's not easy to miss. Just don't be connected to a network when you first install it and you're fine. That's it. Yes the option isn't there when connected to the internet. So don't connect to the internet. Is it annoying? Yes. Is it beyond the scope and abilities of [H] members? No.

I do agree that trying to force online crap on consumers is annoying, but until they actually make it impossible to make an offline account, it's literally a two second fix.
I just did reinstall a couple days ago and forgot to unplug but the option was there to make a offline account. I use the MS media creation tool for the iso. Installed windows 10 64bit pro. It was pretty visible to me also.

:Shrugs:
 
One other thing, is I know the folks posting on [H] are, well, technically savvy. Definitely savvy enough to know that MS has offered ways to tweak the installation media for years. I trust that anyone in this thread has the technical knowledge required to create a text file that bypasses this screen and goes straight to the offline account setup page. At work I did this what.. nine years ago?
 
I've experienced both using the same install media (20H2) on two separate computers.

A Dell laptop previously used with an activated Windows 10 Pro offered the offline account options seen by SuperSubZero.

A desktops I recently put together did not have that option on the same screen. To bypass it, I just typed a random account and a random password. I was then offered the option to make an offline account. I typed random characters out of annoyance to discover this.
On the laptops, did you get presented with a screen to join a wireless network? Obviously if the installer doesn't have a driver for the device there will be no way to connect to a network so the box will appear. The laptop I reinstalled on is older so there is a driver included and the Wi-Fi window popped up. I just had to reinstall and choose not to connect to get offline setup.
 
On the laptops, did you get presented with a screen to join a wireless network? Obviously if the installer doesn't have a driver for the device there will be no way to connect to a network so the box will appear. The laptop I reinstalled on is older so there is a driver included and the Wi-Fi window popped up. I just had to reinstall and choose not to connect to get offline setup.
On both the laptop and desktop (Gigabyte x570 Aorus Pro WiFi), I connected to my wireless network. Didn't use a wired connection for either.

Seeing the option to use an offline account on laptops after several installations in the past, only to be "welcomed" to only use an online account with my first desktop in years, was rather aggravating.
 
I just did reinstall a couple days ago and forgot to unplug but the option was there to make a offline account. I use the MS media creation tool for the iso. Installed windows 10 64bit pro. It was pretty visible to me also.

:Shrugs:

Pro has the option, Home doesn't and needs to be installed while disconnected from the internet.
 
Having built around 20 machines overt the past few months with the latest Windows 10 installer, the Offline account option has been there every time. Has not been an issue for me.
 
Helped do a W10 setup recently (I have avoided that cancer on my own rig), it was damn near impossible to find the offline option, it is not on the front page like the screenshot earlier on all installs.
 
You can create a Local Account on Windows 10 Home by opening Settings -> Accounts -> "Sign in with a local account instead" -> Next and then follow the screens.
 
Look, Microsoft O365/M365 are 365, up all the time. As a user of 365, I can assure they have never been down or unavailable or cost us thousands of dollars in lost revenue because we could not get to them, receive messages, work in Teams or interact with our Azure (I only mention those things, because, of course, they never let us down, don't you know?). Microsoft of course can't promise access if you ISP is having trouble, so make sure your business has the minimum of 3 backbone providers as well.

What could go wrong?
Honestly, I hate all this cloud shit, and I would love to dump Microsoft as a company and windows as an OS, but office 365 is the first iteration of office that I have felt has actually been an improvement. I can still use the office products offline if the internet goes out, but now I can switch computers easily which is way more useful than I thought it would be. I can also use stuff in-browser if necessary. For the rest of their stuff like Teams, Azure, etc. having teams run on an open standard like email and not being dependent on microsoft servers would be nice, but every alternative I can think of (slack, discord, etc.) has the same weakness, except maybe if you setup an internal jabber server or something? (I haven't used that in a long time, not sure how competitive it is).

Microsoft is a shitty company and they keep screwing up stuff in Windows in their quest to ad-ify and monetize users but they've been doing some things right.
 
Having built around 20 machines overt the past few months with the latest Windows 10 installer, the Offline account option has been there every time. Has not been an issue for me.

Well either you haven't installed Windows 10 Home or you're installing Windows when you're not connected to the internet. Either that or you're lucky and the portion of the Windows 10 installer that's downloaded during the actual installation process is based around an older version in your locale - Which I doubt.
 
Last edited:
You can create a Local Account on Windows 10 Home by opening Settings -> Accounts -> "Sign in with a local account instead" -> Next and then follow the screens.
Just bear in mind that you cannot revert an existing account back to a local account once it's become a Microsoft account under the latest version of Windows 10 Home. Which is a real problem as recently there was a problem with Windows 10 saving email password credentials and password credentials under certain browsers, oddly enough the only way to rectify the issue was to switch to a Microsoft account. The problem was: If the user was already using a Microsoft account you couldn't revert to a local account and back to a Microsoft account again.

Furthermore, creating another local account and transferring all user files over didn't rectify the issue.

Microsoft are pushing really hard to force everyone onto a MS account. They're being quite underhanded about it.
 
Microsoft are pushing really hard to force everyone onto a MS account. They're being quite underhanded about it.
Or, as an officially recognized monopoly (USA anyway), they're acting "true to form"? If the "norm" is always "underhanded", should it be called "underhanded"?
 
Just bear in mind that you cannot revert an existing account back to a local account once it's become a Microsoft account under the latest version of Windows 10 Home. Which is a real problem as recently there was a problem with Windows 10 saving email password credentials and password credentials under certain browsers, oddly enough the only way to rectify the issue was to switch to a Microsoft account. The problem was: If the user was already using a Microsoft account you couldn't revert to a local account and back to a Microsoft account again.

Furthermore, creating another local account and transferring all user files over didn't rectify the issue.

Microsoft are pushing really hard to force everyone onto a MS account. They're being quite underhanded about it.
You are creating a new User so when one logs in you should get a login screen that should allow you to select either the Microsoft User or the Local User. As for the problem you claim existed with the Windows 10 and email password credentials I've never experienced and if it isn't a problem created by the 3rd party email clients (I use Thunderbird) then I expect Microsoft will find the problem and correct it.
 
Well either you haven't installed Windows 10 Home or you're installing Windows when you're not connected to the internet. Either that or you're lucky and the portion of the Windows 10 installer that's downloaded during the actual installation process is based around an older version in your locale - Which I doubt.

Did a Home instal of 20H... yesterday. Offline/Local option was present bottom left of the Account creation screen. I don't hook any machine up to the internet till I get to the desktop. Always done it that way.
 
Just being frank, but is that really true? I think not. I'm pretty sure I can prove this to be so.
I mean, yes? I have linux mint installed on multiple computers, I've played around with the various BSDs, and I've tried using other operating systems full time but in the end always ran into issues. A mac would probably work fine, but then I'd be in the same boat as if I were using Windows so it's not really any better IMO.
 
I mean, yes? I have linux mint installed on multiple computers, I've played around with the various BSDs, and I've tried using other operating systems full time but in the end always ran into issues. A mac would probably work fine, but then I'd be in the same boat as if I were using Windows so it's not really any better IMO.
But, at the end of the day, the only OS you'd keep is Microsoft. You could escape, if you really wanted to.
 
But, at the end of the day, the only OS you'd keep is Microsoft. You could escape, if you really wanted to.

Not me, I have fully switched to Ubunti 20.04.1 on all 3 computers. Since I am a Windows IT expert, I figured it was time to change at home, plus what is occurring the last few weeks being a great motivator as well.

Edit: I have been using Linux since 1996, starting with Slackware but, I never really bothered switching for long. Now I have and also, I have ditched Mozilla as well, I cannot trust them.
 
Last edited:
Not me, I have fully switched to Ubunti 20.04.1 on all 3 computers. Since I am a Windows IT expert, I figured it was time to change at home, plus what is occurring the last few weeks being a great motivator as well.
I agree. My wife and I have been fulltime Linux at home since the 90's (many computers and laptops through the years). A whole lot less stress. Windows takes the back seat and thus can be on a throwaway or VM, but rarely used.
 
Honestly, I hate all this cloud shit, and I would love to dump Microsoft as a company and windows as an OS, but office 365 is the first iteration of office that I have felt has actually been an improvement. I can still use the office products offline if the internet goes out, but now I can switch computers easily which is way more useful than I thought it would be. I can also use stuff in-browser if necessary. For the rest of their stuff like Teams, Azure, etc. having teams run on an open standard like email and not being dependent on microsoft servers would be nice, but every alternative I can think of (slack, discord, etc.) has the same weakness, except maybe if you setup an internal jabber server or something? (I haven't used that in a long time, not sure how competitive it is).

Microsoft is a shitty company and they keep screwing up stuff in Windows in their quest to ad-ify and monetize users but they've been doing some things right.

I would not dump them, I still use the XBox ecosystem, which is quite good. Also, if I have a game I really, really want to play and I cannot get it to work in Ubuntu, I will just install a stripped version of Windows 10, bare metal, play the game and when I am done, remove it. I like Windows 10 and it usually just works but, with everything going on in the last few weeks, I had to focus more on my own personal privacy and security, and I do not mean just Windows or Microsoft.
 
Just did a fresh install and the local account option was not there. I bit the bullet and logged in with my online account since MSFS2020 is associated with my account.
 
But, at the end of the day, the only OS you'd keep is Microsoft. You could escape, if you really wanted to.
I would never want to use a Microsoft OS. Haven't done so for 10 years now with the exception of a couple gaming boxes.
 
Did a Home instal of 20H... yesterday. Offline/Local option was present bottom left of the Account creation screen. I don't hook any machine up to the internet till I get to the desktop. Always done it that way.
If you're not connected to the internet you can create a local account by stating 'I don't have internet'. The whole situation is very underhanded and manipulative.
 
If you're not connected to the internet you can create a local account by stating 'I don't have internet'. The whole situation is very underhanded and manipulative.
Seems pretty clear and straightforward to me. But I'm not always looking for conspiracy theories. They are bad for your health. ;)
 
Seems pretty clear and straightforward to me. But I'm not always looking for conspiracy theories. They are bad for your health. ;)

If it was clear and straightforward there would be an outright option to create an offline account without the need to click 'I dont have internet' > 'create limited account'. The fact it's called a 'limited account' is underhanded and manipulative.
 
Seems pretty clear and straightforward to me. But I'm not always looking for conspiracy theories. They are bad for your health. ;)

Yep, they want home users to use a Microsoft account. ;) I like Windows and have a MS Account but, I am more privacy and security focused than before, at home, with everything going on here in the USA. I have stopped using Mozilla stuff, deleted that Mozilla account, do not use Chrome, removed all my files from cloud storage, have not used Social Media in a long while and other stuff, as well.

I will just stick with Ubuntu 20.04.1, just because.
 
Yep, they want home users to use a Microsoft account. ;) I like Windows and have a MS Account but, I am more privacy and security focused than before, at home, with everything going on here in the USA. I have stopped using Mozilla stuff, deleted that Mozilla account, do not use Chrome, removed all my files from cloud storage, have not used Social Media in a long while and other stuff, as well.

I will just stick with Ubuntu 20.04.1, just because.
In terms of privacy, Mozilla is actually pretty good as far as browsers go. You can run everything in it's own personal container, with Facebook limited to the most secure container of all. It even prevents browser 'fingerprinters'.
 
In terms of privacy, Mozilla is actually pretty good as far as browsers go. You can run everything in it's own personal container, with Facebook limited to the most secure container of all. It even prevents browser 'fingerprinters'.

After what the CEO of Mozilla announced and other such stuff from them, I would not trust their garbage as far as I could throw them.
 
After what the CEO of Mozilla announced and other such stuff from them, I would not trust their garbage as far as I could throw them.
Yep, they're hot garbage now. Done with them.



That's not even remotely the same as encouraging de-platforming those that disagree with you.


This is what I'd recommend: https://dissenter.com/download
 
But, at the end of the day, the only OS you'd keep is Microsoft. You could escape, if you really wanted to.
Yes, because despite its glaring flaws, it's still better than a Linux community that refuses to improve, and it's basically a wash with Apple or other walled gardens.
 
What did he announce?
She. As if social media didn't play a roll before the election, or in any other situation since it's inception.
Winifred Mitchell Baker, the executive chairwoman and CEO of Mozilla, says that deplatforming President Donald Trump “isn’t enough” and has made suggestions for social media and other platforms to crack down on the entire conservative movement.

“There is no question that social media played a role in the siege and take-over of the US Capitol on January 6,”.....
https://pjmedia.com/news-and-politi...tforming-president-trump-isnt-enough-n1327875

So now they are the purveyors of truth. 1984 anyone?
 
Refuses to improve? Interesting opinion.
I'll clarify. It improves in the same way that a hobbyist creation improves. For the people working on it, I'm sure it has grown leaps and bounds towards what they specifically want. As a user that wants to get work done, it hasn't really improved at all despite loads of new features. The focus isn't on user experience, it's on the power user experience. This is a succinct summary of the problem: https://xkcd.com/619/

If you combined the focus on ease of use and user experience that Apple has together with the commitment to FOSS that would probably be ideal. Anyway, this is derailing the thread so I'll stop.
 
That's not even remotely the same as encouraging de-platforming those that disagree with you.

What?! This makes no sense.

She. As if social media didn't play a roll before the election, or in any other situation since it's inception.

Wouldn't that be more of a gullibility issue as opposed to a browser choice? Rupert Murdoch is every bit as bad, if not worse. I'm not at all interested in discussing politics of all things, but the fact is: In terms of privacy, Firefox is one of the best browsers out there.

But, if others want to use something else, don't let me stop you as I really don't care.
 
Back
Top