Windows 10 Home users take note: when you reinstall your operating system, Microsoft will require you to have a Microsoft account from now on. Otherwise you will no longer be able to install Windows 10.
What exactly is going on? Microsoft has changed the installation procedure of Windows 10 Home in recent weeks. It is no longer possible to set up an offline account on your computer. Instead, you should always have a Microsoft account to (re)install your operating system.
In addition, it was still possible for Windows 10 Home users to create an account without a password, but that is no longer allowed for a few weeks. In addition, in Windows 10 Home, in addition to a Microsoft account, you also have to provide an additional security code, which is separate from the data required for the Microsoft account. That means that you have to perform a lot more actions when you reinstall Windows 10 Home and it is difficult if you want to log in to Windows 10 without a password.
New PC with Windows 10
Even when you buy a new PC or laptop with Windows 10 Home, there is a good chance that you will only be able to configure your computer if you have a Microsoft account. Whether or not you encounter that question during the installation mainly depends on the build version of Windows 10 Home that is installed on the new computer. If there is a version that is a few months old that has not yet been updated by the manufacturer to a newer version, you may be lucky and you can still set up an offline account. When purchasing a new computer, however, you do not have the option to check which version of Windows 10 Home is on your laptop.
If you are unlucky and the computer is equipped with a newer version of Windows 10 Home, you may have to enter your Microsoft account before you can continue with the installation. That Microsoft account (linked to a Hotmail or Outlook.com address) immediately becomes your main account.
If you do not have a Microsoft account and also do not have a Hotmail or Outlook.com e-mail address, then you are obliged to create such an account. You can do this during the installation procedure itself, but you are immediately tied to that account.
This is how you install an offline account
Fortunately, the solution for setting up an offline account is relatively simple. Actually, it's already in the name: offline. During the installation procedure, Microsoft first asks you (if it concerns a WiFi connection) to connect to the network. If you do, then Microsoft will only offer you the option to enter a Microsoft account. However, do you no connect to your Wi-Fi network, then Windows 10 well with the option to create an offline account. This is purely because Windows 10 cannot find an active internet connection at that time.
Are you using a computer with a network cable? Then it is sufficient to simply remove your network cable from the computer before you start installing Windows 10 Home. Please note: do not pull out the network cable during the installation procedure and especially not at the point where you have to enter the Microsoft account: the computer will freeze and you can only restart it with the power button .
What else is new with the installation?
In addition to the troubles with the online account, Microsoft tries to sell you other services of the company during the installation. For example, the Home edition asks by default whether you want to use Office with your current email address (and buy a subscription), whether you want to configure OneDrive right away, and whether you want to save your activity history in your account.
These questions are also separate from the nine other questions that are asked during the installation process, such as whether your advertising ID can be used to display personal ads, send your basic or comprehensive statistics to Microsoft, or whether you want your location information. share with Microsoft, so that your device can be found more easily.
