Forced Microsoft Account

You're not forced, but you do have to look harder to find the settings for a local account. In Setup they're at the bottom of a window (so you have to scroll to find them) and in small print and in confusing language.

In addition, as you use a Windows 10 PC you'll often come across places where Microsoft tries to trick you into converting your local account to a Microsoft account.

It's a childish game but not one that Microsoft invented. This kind of thing is all over the technology industry, which is basically run by immature schoolboys and greedy investors.

Get your revenge by learning how to spot the tricks and defeat them.

Hello TheRealValce,

When you get to step 22 in the tutorial below while setting up Windows 10 for the first time, you should have an option like in the step to select "Offline account" to create a local account instead of a Microsoft account.

https://www.tenforums.com/tutorials/1950-clean-install-windows-10-a.html#step22

IF you're NOT already connected to a network you can setup Windows 10 on a new machine without setting up a Microsoft account.

IToday, having set up dozens of Windows 10 computers (using an offline or local account) before, I'm setting up a Brand New Windows 10 computer that doesn't give me the option down in the lower left since I'd already connected an ethernet connection.  Removed the cable and then skipped connecting to a network and it only gave me the offline or local account setup.

I had to find my Microsoft account just to reply, so hopefully this helps. I initially couldn't find the offline account setting, but clicked on phone number, typed in my phone number and then on the password screen there was an offline account option. So best guess is to screw around for a minute and see if you can make it pop up again. Frustrating when you're setting up computers for other people and don't have their login info.

Just disconnect from the internet and it will not force you to create a Microsoft Account. It will automatically create an offline account.

thanks for this post, i had to help a co-worker through video chat set up a laptop and we dont want to use an online account and it wouldn't let him get past the window unless he made an online account. but like you said, disconnect from the internet and hit the back button and boom. he now has the option to make an offline account and keep it moving.

I have also run into this annoyance and had to work around it.  I recently came across an article that shed some light on it.  Microsoft introduced this problem in the Windows installer (which Microsoft calls the Out-of-the-Box Experience (OOBE)) in the  October 2018 Update (version 1809), with a typical lack of any information about the change.  This has been changed again (i.e. fixed) in the installer in the May 2019 Update (Version 1903) release.

Details here -

How Microsoft made it harder to create Windows 10 local accounts

https://www.pcworld.com/article/3409788/how-microsoft-made-it-harder-to-create-windows-10-local-accounts.html

With version 1903, **** it! You have to log in with a Microsoft account at the installation now; no way around. Once installed, then you can create a local account, IF you manage to go throughout the confusing account settings shenanigans . I never thought i would say that but now there is one os that i hate more than Android now. If Microsoft would make Windows 10 a little less like the north Korea, i might consider considering installing Windows 10.

Hello Luke, 

You can still setup Windows 10 with a local account by entering a bogus phone number like at step 24 in the tutorial below to then see the "Offline account" link.

https://www.tenforums.com/tutorials/1950-clean-install-windows-10-a.html#step24

Hey, thanks, as a tech, i have to install Win10 on many system and i don't have all my customers credential and don't fell asking for them anyway either for obvious reasons. Seriously, they never thought that some tech might want to chain-install that **** on many customers pc? I will try this work around for sure; unless they patch it again to make our work harder and our lives less private.

That's too bad though, aside all this **** about telemetry and that autocratic attitude, Windows 10 is a solid OS now. I bet there is a large group of Windows 7 users that would switch gladly if Microsoft would smarten up. Well, capitalism is a greedy **** nowadays.