You Can Use Most Computers Either with or without a Password - Which is Best for You?
This is a review of a topic that comes up for every Windows user at some point - whether or not to use a password when you start up your computer, and whether to use a Local Account or a Microsoft Account.
When you start up your Windows computer, it either opens up Windows automatically or otherwise takes you to a sign-in screen. If you have a password for your computer, that's where you type it in. If you don't have a password, you just click "Sign In".
If you're using Windows 10 with a password, your account either identifies you by name (Local Account) or otherwise identifies you by your Microsoft ID (Microsoft Account, which uses an email or phone number to identify you).
If you want to start using a password to secure your computer, or if you want to eliminate the need for a password, you can make either change using the "User Accounts" area of "Settings" or "Control Panel".
These changes are not overly complicated, but I get calls for help to make these changes because users don't want to take a chance on making a mistake that might lock them out.
Basically you can specify your password preference as well as the type of account you want (Local or Microsoft) either during initial setup of Windows or subsequently by editing your User Accounts preferences.
Local Account
Most long-time Windows users are most accustomed to using a "Local Account", which uses a variation of your name (or a term like User, Owner, Admin or the like) as your Windows User ID.
Users using local accounts have the ability to use a password to get into Windows on computer start-up, or to forego password security and kick right into Windows automatically on computer startup.
Whether or not you choose to use a password depends a lot on whether you handle financial accounts or payments online, and whether you have had your computer browser "remember" your passwords.
Microsoft Account
Beginning with its rollout of Windows 10, Microsoft has used a variety of set-up steps to "require" new computer owners to set up a "Microsoft Account" for signing into Windows.
A Microsoft Account is identified not by name but rather by either email address or phone number. This gives Microsoft a unique contact identifier to associate with the license number of the Windows copy installed on the computer.
When you set up a Microsoft Account, the password you choose generally will apply to accessing any Microsoft software or services that you subscribe to as well as accessing your computer.
There are numerous benefits of using a Microsoft Account if you are using multiple computing devices (computers, tablets, smart phones), and especially if you are using other Microsoft software (Office including Word, Outlook, Skype for example - and if you already have an email address with Live.Com, Hotmail.Com or Outlook.Com (all three are Microsoft-owned). For convenience you can set up a PIN also to access your computer (the PIN does not serve to access MS software or services though; those use your MS password but not your PIN).
Microsoft Accounts are great for using MS software and services seamlessly. However, having a Microsoft account can create unnecessary complications for computer users with simpler needs. These include inexplicable errors associated with the account, and frequent confusion over passwords and other security steps.
Choosing a Local Account during Setup
When you set up a new Windows 10 computer, the steps that Microsoft presents will deliberately lead you toward setting up a Microsoft account. Currently the only way to avoid this requirement is to postpone setting up your internet connection until after you finish the rest of the setup and get into Windows. This is simple to do - simply refrain from plugging in your ethernet cable, and when prompted to set up WiFi click the Skip option.
Switching from a Microsoft Account to a Local Account After Setup
If you're using an email-based or phone number-based Microsoft Account and a password or PIN to access Windows, can you get rid of all that and switch to a simple Local User Account? Yes, you can. Go into Control Panel then User Accounts, and from there you can click to edit your User Account.
Basically there are two types of changes to make - one is to switch to a Local Account, and the other is to reset or eliminate use of a password or PIN.
Steps for doing are subject to change, as Windows updates often change the sequences and screen designs for settings. Removing a password can be as simple as leaving the Password and Hint boxes blank, but the screens for doing this may not give clear guidance to the average user on what to do.
Can I Still Use My Microsoft Apps with a Local Account?
Yes - If you're using Microsoft software like Office (Word, etc.), Outlook, OneDrive or Skype, you can log in to use these, and generally you can stay logged into your apps indefinitely.
Those of you with a technical bent can find recent coverage of this topic at one of my favorite websites, "How to Geek" - See the following two articles:
https://www.howtogeek.com/442609/confirmed-windows-10-setup-now-prevents-local-account-creation/
https://www.howtogeek.com/442792/how-to-create-a-local-account-while-setting-up-windows-10/
Typically the time required to change from a Microsoft Account to a Local Account or vice versa (or to change password preferences) is not very lengthy.
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