Local Account - Switch to in Windows 8

How to Switch from a Microsoft Account to a Local Account in Windows 8 and 8.1​

   Information

If you are using a Microsoft account in Windows 8, Windows RT, Windows 8.1, or Windows RT 8.1, then this will show you how to switch to a local account to sign in with instead. Using a local user account, like how it was in Vista and Windows 7, your settings will not sync between the PCs you use.

You must be signed in as an administrator to be able to do the steps in this tutorial.

   Note

Microsoft account:

• You can use your @outlook.com or any email address and password to sign in to Windows 8.
• When you sign in with a Microsoft account, your PC is connected to the cloud.
• Your friends’ contact info and statuses are automatically up to date from your Hotmail, Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and other accounts.
• You can get to and share your photos, documents, and other files from SkyDrive, Facebook, Flickr, and other accounts without signing in to each one.
• Your personal settings are synced to any PC running Windows 8 that you sign in to, including your themes, language preferences, browser favorites, and apps.
• You can get apps in the Windows Store and use them on any PC running Windows 8 that you sign in to.
• Easily reacquire your Metro style apps on multiple Windows 8 PCs. The app’s settings and last-used state persist across all your Windows 8 PCs.
• You can associate the most commonly used Windows settings to your user account. In this way, the saved settings are available when you sign in to your account on any Windows 8 PC. So your PC will be set up just the way you are used to.
• You can also save time with sign-in credentials, because now the same credentials are available for the different apps and websites you use and you can easily get back into them without having to enter credentials every time.
• You can automatically sign in to apps and services that use Windows Live ID for authentication.

Local account:

• You use a user name (and password if you want one) to sign in to Windows 8.
• A local user account gives you access to only the PC it's on. You will need a separate user account created on each PC you use.
• None of your settings will be synced between the PCs you use, and you won't get the benefits of connecting your PC to the cloud.
• You will not be able to use any modern apps that use a Microsoft service that require you to be signed in to a Microsoft account.

Here's How:

1. If you have not aleady, sign in to your Microsoft account that you want to switch to a local account in Windows 8.

2. Do either step 3, 4, or 5 below for which way you would like to use.

3. Open the Control Panel (icons view), click/tap on the User Accounts icon, click/tap on the Make changes to my account in PC settings link, and go to step 4 or 5 below. (see screenshot below)

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4. If you have Windows 8 or Windows RT, open PC settings, click/tap on Users on the left side, click/tap on Switch to a local account on the right side, and go to step 6 below. (see screenshot below)

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5. If you have Windows 8.1 or Windows RT 8.1, open PC settings, click/tap on Accounts on the left side. (see screenshot below)

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A) Click/tap on Your account on the left side of "Accounts", click/tap on Disconnect under your Microsoft account display name at the top on the right side, and go to step 6 below. (see screenshot below)​

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6. Enter your Microsoft account's password, and click/tap on Next. (see screenshot below)
NOTE: This will be the same password for your email address.

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7. Type in a user name, password, and password hint that you want for your local account, and click/tap on Next. (see screenshot below)

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8. Click/tap on Sign out and finish. (see screenshot below)

   Note

This will sign you out of your Microsoft account, and take you to the lock screen to sign in to your new local account now instead.

If you get the error below after clicking on the Sign out and finish button, then make sure that the Microsoft Account Sign-in Assistant service is enabled and set to be running. Afterwards, try switching your account again.

"We're sorry, but something went wrong. Your Microsoft account wasn't changed to a local account. Code: 0x80004005"

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9. Sign in to your new local user account. (see screenshot below)

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10. You have now switched to a local user account to use to sign in Windows 8 with now.



That's it,
Shawn

Related Tutorials

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• How to Switch from a Local Account to a Microsoft Account in Windows 8 and 8.1
• How to Allow to Block "Microsoft Accounts" in Windows 8 and 8.1
• How to Change a User Account Type in Windows 8 and 8.1
• How to Add a New User Account in Windows 8 and 8.1
• How to Close Your Microsoft Account
• How to Create a Password for a User Account in Windows 8 and 8.1
• How to Change a User Account Name in Windows 8 and 8.1
• How to Change Email Address of Your "Microsoft Account" in Windows 8 and 8.1
• How to Add or Remove Aliases for your Microsoft Account
• Fix Microsoft Account Issues in Windows 8 with "Microsoft Accounts Troubleshooter"

 

[Brink]

I updated from Windows 8 home edition to Windows 8.1 home. By old local account, I am referring to the local account I set up for the original windows 8 setup. When I updated to 8.1, I chose to use a Microsoft account to login. While I recognize the benefit, I don't think it is right for me at this time.

For example, my windows 8 local account user name was "John Doe." When I updated to 8.1, I chose to login as JD@hotmail.com with John Doe as the user name. If I try to disconnect from the MS account, the user name section of the screen in step 7 of your tutorial is automatically populated with "John Doe." When I enter a password and hit enter, it tells me to pick another user name as "John Doe" is already in use.

Maybe I am wrongly assuming the user account listed in explorer is my previous 8.0 user account. In explorer, the expanded file tree shows: Desktop/Homegroup/John Doe; Desktop/John Doe; Desktop/This PC/Windows/Users/John Doe (and Default, Default.migrated, Guest, Public). However, currently I am unable to switch to any other accounts. If I go to Settings/Power, the only options I see is hibernate, shut down, restart.

Maybe I am just having a brain fart. In the tutorial, I see your user account associated with MS is "Shawn Brink." In step 7, you create a new local user account named "Brink." After you disconnect from your MS account and login locally as "Brink," are you then able to switch to "Shawn Brink" as a local account?

Basically when you switch from a Microsoft account to a local account, it basically disconnects (signs out) your Microsoft Account from the PC, then converts your current Microsoft account profile on the PC into a local account instead.

In my example, "Shawn Brink" was only the display name of the Microsoft account. The account name was "Brink", which is the name of the "C:\Users\Brink" folder. I was able to sign in to the now "Brink" local account afterwards.

According to the message you got, it's saying that you already have a "C:\Users\John Doe" folder for another user account on the PC. It appears that you will need to use say "John Doe2" for the name instead.

The "Switch user" option is available on your Start screen "user name" button menu instead now by selecting an available user account to switch to.

(Option 1, 3, & 6)
http://www.eightforums.com/tutorials/2584-lock-log-off-restart-shut-down-switch-user-windows-8-a.html
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If you like, here's a handy "Power" cascading context menu to make using them easier.

http://www.eightforums.com/tutorials/5215-power-add-cascading-desktop-context-menu-windows-8-a.html
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[darnatl]

Thanks, that did the trick. After disconnecting, I was able to rename the new local account. I was hesitant to try that without confirmation because I had previously changed some settings that screwed up the guest account and was lucky I had a valid restore point.

 

[Brink]

Great news.

 

[alecpjd]

First class instructions. Easy to understand & follow,
Thanks

 

[Mr Spock]

Thanks, that did the trick. After disconnecting, I was able to rename the new local account. I was hesitant to try that without confirmation because I had previously changed some settings that screwed up the guest account and was lucky I had a valid restore point.

Hi

Thanks for the great info. I too am trying to restore my previous W8.0 local account name after the W8.1 upgrade, which broke so many things for me. I'm want to confirm what darnatl did here.

He followed your advice, but used a dummy Account Name ("john doe2" in your example) to get past the message about the name already existing. Then after the account conversion process is complete, he was able to rename the local account back to his original name. This then gave him back his original W8.0 local Account Name.

I want to confirm before I pull the trigger and have more unexpected results.

Thanks.

 

[Brink]

Hello Mr Spock, and welcome to Eight Forums.

Yes, that would be confirmed correct. It's basically just playing a shuffle game.

 

[Mr Spock]

Worked like a charm.

With a local account my Remote Desktop is working again.

 

[Brink]

Great news.

You should still be able to RDC with a Microsoft account. You would enter the email address (user name) and password to sign in.

 

[Mr Spock]

Yes I tried that, and every combination of old and new user names. Could not get Remote Desktop to connect to my server no matter what I did. Possible I did something wrong, but all good again with a local account.

Thanks Brink.

 

[dsim]

I have a friend who has been using only a local account for his W8 computer. he does have a Microsoft account but all his work is in the local account, including Outlook 2013 files.
He wants to switch to his Microsoft account, but this has none of his files in it. Is it possible to get access to these by using Share?

Sorry if this is not the appropriate forum.

 

[Brink]

Hello dsim,

He could switch his current Microsoft account to a local account, or delete it.

Afterwards, switch the current local account to a Microsoft account with the same email address.

http://www.eightforums.com/tutorials/4840-microsoft-account-switch-windows-8-a.html
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Hope this helps,
Shawn

 

[dsim]

Thanks Shawn. I have just spoken to my friend and he now has access from his Microsoft account.

 

[Brink]

Great news.

 

[razorloves]

great tut, as usual Brink. Thanks.

I'm encountering an error though. Hope you or someone here can help out.

After i complete step 8 by clicking on the "Sign out and finish" button, i get the following error.
"We're sorry, but something went wrong. Your Microsoft account wasn't changed to a local account. Code: 0x80004005"

I checked the windows event viewer and there are no errors or anything related there, at the time of getting this error.

Any ideas?

Thanks

 

[Brink]

Hello Razorloves, and welcome to Eight Forums.

0x80004005 is usually an access denied type error.

Do you have a 3rd party AV or firewall program installed? If so, then temporarily uninstall or disable it to see if you are able to switch accounts afterwards.

 

[razorloves]

Hello Razorloves, and welcome to Eight Forums.

0x80004005 is usually an access denied type error.

Do you have a 3rd party AV or firewall program installed? If so, then temporarily uninstall or disable it to see if you are able to switch accounts afterwards.

thanks for quick reply.

No third party av or firewall. Just windows defender and windows firewall.

 

[Brink]

Is it an administrator account?

 

[razorloves]

Is it an administrator account?

yes

 

[Brink]

In that case, see if the Microsoft Accounts Troubleshooter may find anything, and able to repair it. Afterwards, try switching the account again.

http://www.eightforums.com/tutorials/20295-microsoft-accounts-troubleshooter-windows-8-a.html

 

[razorloves]

ok ran that. this is result.


then tried to switch to local acct. same error.

rebooted and tried again, same error.

ran the microsoft accounts diagnostic several more times and always get the same result as shown in screenshot above.

thanks very much for help thus far.
anymore ideas?