Log in to Windows 10 - how to do it without an account!

Many users are negatively surprised when buying a new PC or laptop with the Windows 10 operating system. Obviously, it is not possible to log in and use the operating system without first creating a Microsoft account. There is a relatively simple remedy for this, as you can set up users on your computer under Windows 10 without explicitly creating an account.

In principle, Microsoft's latest generation of its operating system is impressive on many levels. Thanks to numerous articles on Windows 10 on our website, you know for yourself how many advantages the OS has over its predecessors. Nevertheless, there are some features that divide opinion.

Some users are convinced of the convenient and simplified use of Cortana under Windows 10 for voice input. Others, on the other hand, have the impression that Microsoft is just unnecessarily listening in on every word spoken via Cortana. Similarly, the need to create a Microsoft account when setting up an account on a PC or laptop is criticized.

Many services and service providers now rely on an online account and the decentralized storage of user information. This makes sense for applications with large data volumes, which are not fulfilled by the hard disks of mobile users in smartphones and tablets. Particularly with classic PCs or laptops, users often only want to use the computer locally and not establish a constant connection to Microsoft's servers.

Is it possible to register without an online account?

In order to start up your laptop or computer without a Microsoft account, you only need to ensure that you are not connected to the Internet. In the first steps when setting up your new computer, Microsoft checks whether WLAN networks are available. If you decide not to log in here and postpone it until later, the setup will continue in local mode. Here you open a user account that is not connected to the Microsoft servers due to the lack of an Internet connection.

If you want to do this later, for example to make your pictures and other data centrally available at any time, the online link is still possible. To do this, go to the "Accounts" area in the Control Panel and create your Microsoft account later. A link to an existing local account is of course possible.

If you have used the above strategy to create an initial user account without a link to a Microsoft account, adding further accounts is no problem. To do this, go to the system settings of your PC or laptop and open the "Accounts" section. Here you specify that you would like to set up a new, local account.

Microsoft will then warn you that the local account will prevent you from accessing a wide range of online functions in applications such as Outlook or Office365. However, this is exactly what most users who choose this login option will want.

This strategy is also recommended if you have already registered as part of the login process. Just because you have a Microsoft account on your PC does not mean you have to use it as your central account. Instead, go to account management and create a local user. Then use this account to operate your computer locally, while the account with a connection to Microsoft remains unused on your computer.

Even if the use of online functions makes sense and is a relief in various areas of life, users want to make the choice themselves. This applies to an operating system as well as websites with user accounts. For example, so-called casinos without an account offer the opportunity to try out the games. Only when these are enjoyed and there is a desire to play with real money is it necessary to register at the casino with a customer account.

The same applies to online stores and other service providers, whose entire range of products and services can be conveniently viewed without registering. Interested parties only have to enter their user data when a specific action such as a purchase is to be completed. This procedure should actually also be the standard for a globally established operating system such as Microsoft.

For this, it is worth taking a look at the Microsoft Privacy Policy and finding out specifically how user data is handled. As with many other applications, the basic collection of personal data can hardly be avoided these days. However, handling this data conscientiously and continuing to ensure maximum privacy must always be a matter of course.