Windows 10 Install with no sign-in?
Posted by Braidster@reddit | buildapc | View on Reddit | 15 comments
Been building PC's for 25ish years but Windows was never my strong point more of a hardware guy. Regardless I had to do a fresh install in a new system and can't for the life of me get it to where I'm not signing in. For reference I'm coming from a PC I built a year ago which I managed to accomplish this on.
I know I should be installing without internet connected, but not sure if I should fully leave a Microsoft account off. I only have one Admin account as I'm the only person in the household, and have no worries about it being unlocked. When signing in it's attempting to use an account I didn't create (my name) and failing, but when going with my actual admin account it makes me use a pin or other method.
I've used some methods I've found on the net such as using netplwiz, and going through the windows sign-in options to no avail.
Would appreciate if someone can get me on the right track as I'm going to try another fresh install this weekend after I move some parts around.
Emerald_Flame@reddit
This is entirely personal preference.
Do you have a specific reason for not wanting to use a Microsoft account? If so, don't use it.
If you don't have an actual specific reason for avoiding it, I generally recommend just using the Microsoft account. It ensures that your Windows license/registration is saved to your account, allows you to backup basic computer settings, enables some features like clipboard sharing if you want to turn it on, and gives you some free cloud storage space via OneDrive for backing up files and such.
Braidster@reddit (OP)
I'm not completely against per say I would just like to avoid any of the microsoft crap they try to attach with it. I do have Google cloud storage already so that isn't a concern.
The main concern really is the want to boot directly into windows.
Emerald_Flame@reddit
Is there specific "crap" you're trying to avoid? This does get parroted out a lot, but when it comes down to it, it's more or less the things I mentioned above. If you're just going off of what you saw some random person talking about there is a good chance they didn't understand what they were talking about.
I assume by this you mean booting directly to your desktop?
All installs will boot directly to Windows unless you've set up some sort of Dual-Boot config with a second OS.
Braidster@reddit (OP)
Well they don't as I didn't create a dual boot, and am forced to jump through hoops to get into windows.
As I said I've been building PC's since the 90's, and at the time had my mcse, and a+. Not so great with windows anymore. I don't want Edge, One drive, or any of the microsoft telemetry the try to force on you. I want a clean install without a billion processes I don't want or need.
Emerald_Flame@reddit
Once again, do you mean your desktop?
If your computer isn't booting into Windows, what is it booting into? Some sort of recovery environment?
Edge is the included Web Browser for Windows now since Internet Explorer has been belly up for a number of years now. It will always be there whether you login with a Microsoft account or not. That being said, you're still free to install a different web browser and use it as your default if you want. Once again, that doesn't matter if you use a Microsoft account or not.
OneDrive is also installed on all copies of Windows by default. Even if you don't log in with a Microsoft account, it'll still be installed. The difference being if you use a Microsoft account, it'll auto log-in to OneDrive for you. That being said, if you don't want OneDrive, it can be uninstalled once you login, even if you use a Microsoft account.
Telemetry services are enabled and send more or less the same information whether you're using a local account or a Microsoft account. In Windows settings you can limit the amount of telemetry that's sent, but it can't be disabled completely without effectively disconnecting the computer from the internet. This telemetry is honestly pretty basic and more or less amount to things like crash logs, which helps Microsoft make Windows more stable. If they start seeing a bunch of people have a crash related to Driver X, they now that something needs addressed. If you don't even want to send that, you can do some deeper modifications to completely disable it or block that traffic, but they aren't officially supported and frequently end up breaking other core services and features.
Have you considered using Linux at all? It sounds like you may potentially be happier there.
Braidster@reddit (OP)
As I am a gamer no.
And dude I'm not here to argue. You almost sound like a microsoft rep trying to make a commission. You knew exactly what I meant when I said get into windows. I'm working so these replies are just getting throw out on my phone quickly.
I want to boot directly into my desktop which for some reason is not happening when every other install I've done has. That's it and if you can help with that it's appreciated.
I don't have the time to get into the selling points of allowing certain windows features or not. Like I said I'm at work, and actually currently loading a trailer by forklift.
Emerald_Flame@reddit
Gaming, especially since the launch of the Steam Deck has actually gotten quite good on Linux. It's not perfect for all games, but the Proton compatibility layer makes the vast vast majority of games easily playable. The biggest caveat to that right now is some competitive online games with kernel-level anti-cheat. But if that's not a concern for you, it may be worth a look.
Not arguing. But some of the things you said you were concerned with we either just not possible to bypass or misinformation so correcting it when I can.
Ahh yes, the MS rep the recommends looking at Linux, mmhmm
No, I wasn't sure. Saying that your computer won't boot into Windows is very different from saying your user account doesn't automatically login at boot and show your desktop. That's why I asked for clarification.
For that to work you'll need a local account, and it can't have a password on it. A Microsoft account will never auto-login like this as it requires authentication.
With W10, from clean install you can set up a local account by just ensuring you don't have a network connection and it will prompt you to create a local account. It will ask you for a password, and it does make the fields look like they're required, but you can just leave them blank, hit next, and it'll generate the account without a password.
On the very first boot, you might have to select the user at the login screen to get it to load the desktop, but after that it should remember the account that was last logged in, and as long as that account doesn't have a password it'll auto-login at next boot.
If for some reason you can't bypass leave the password fields on the local account blank, you can just type something in temporarily. Log in the first time, then once logged in you can either set the password to blank or remove it. Either achieves the same thing.
You also don't necessarily need a clean install for this. If you have an existing install, all you should need to do is remove the password from the local account. Once again, you might have to select the account on the very first boot after that, but it should auto-login after that.
Braidster@reddit (OP)
Ok first off I'd like to say thank you and I appreciate your time and help. As I'm getting deeper into my 50's I find I've been getting crankier by the day, and my patience levels have dropped drastically. Outside of this small windows problem I'm dealing with bigger conficts with the pc itself so I'm more upset that the little things just won't work out for me. Like I'm being kicked while I'm down. On that note I did think of something not mentioned that might be the root of the problem but I'll get to that in a sec.
So I did create a Local account when installing with a blank password, but I did add my email account later when I was internet connected. That could be where I'm having issues.
The thing I never mentioned and didn't think of until now was the fact I used the Windows Key from the system I just left. Never removed it or anything just turned it off and built the new one.
Not sure what you think about either of those things being the culprit?
Emerald_Flame@reddit
All good man.
Depending on how/where you did that, that could be playing into it. But it'd be hard to saw for sure without know exactly what options you interacted with there.
That shouldn't impact anything. You can only have the license installed to 1 computer at a time, but when you set it up on a new PC, as long as it lets you put the code in and accepts it, you're good to go. Microsoft's servers will automatically drop the old machine from the registration. As long as the old computer doesn't try to check back in with it's registration and make Microsoft thing you have 2 computers with the same license at the same time, you shouldn't have issues. And even in the rare case they do flag for something like this, it won't take the key in to begin with and you just have to call support.
Then on top of that, it just wouldn't impact this behavior at all. The only thing that is actually impacted these days within Windows due to being unregistered is you get a watermark on your screen, and you lose access to some "personalization" options like changing your desktop background, switching to dark mode, etc. There aren't really any functional things that are changed or removed anymore.
Braidster@reddit (OP)
I'm going to be doing a new fresh install this weekend regardless as I'll either be going back to my old mobo, or switching my two m.2's around and putting windows on the larger one. We'll see how it goes and hopefully things will work out as they should.
quiet_pastafarian@reddit
I just did this over the weekend on a laptop with Windows 11 (July 2024):
Here are instructions for Windows 10 (Feb 2024):
I do think that installing with a local account only, instead of using a Microsoft account, is a good idea. Microsoft does way too much tracking, so I don't see any reason to make it easier for them. Nor should you allow them to shove their many Microsoft products down your throat.
evolveandprosper@reddit
There is a simple solution. If you have an MS account then sign in with that. If not, then create a throwaway one and use that. Once Windows is installed, use settings to create a new user and go for the option where you don't have details of the new users's email etc. Set up this account with admin priviliges, then use this new account as your normal Windows login.
IanMo55@reddit
The two option that you mentioned just worked for me on a new W11 install. Started off with a PIN and then a password and I was able to bypass both.
Braidster@reddit (OP)
As it states this is Windows 10. I've tried and tried for hours and could not bypass it. The system I just came from I was able to. Hopefully a reinstall I can get it right
IanMo55@reddit
Did the exact same thing with W10 too.