Accounts used by other apps

Sorry if I posted this in the wrong forum.

I must have inadvertedly submitted an email account when I created the user account for my system . Now I have a MSN email address underneath my user account name in Setting . I have only one user account for the system.

I tried to remove this email association to my Windwos 11 user account from Setting -> Accounts -> Email & Accounts -> Accounts used by other apps ,

but there is no "remove" button . I have read that I have to create another local account , set it to Administrator , log into this newly created account , copy all folders within the C:\users\old_user_account to c:\users\new_user_account but that is too messy as some files are locked for some reasons and can't be copied, so basically I have to reinstall all applications and other customizations from scratch for this new user account.

Is there a way to "dis-associate" this email address to my Windows 11 system? I have logged into this MSN email account and removed the device association to my system, but I would like to remove this email account from my system completely. Why is this email account under "Accounts used by other apps" , what other apps ?

Thanks

Whether you intended to or not it sounds like you have set up your account as a Microsoft account rather than as a local account and the MSN account under your username is your MS account login. If that may be so it's easy to convert your account to a local account -

SevenEleven said:

I must have inadvertedly submitted an email account when I created the user account for my system . Now I have a MSN email address underneath my user account name in Setting . I have only one user account for the system.

I tried to remove this email association to my Windwos 11 user account from Setting -> Accounts -> Email & Accounts -> Accounts used by other apps ,

Click to expand...

The default for Windows Installation is to setup as a Microsoft Account. If you are using Pro edition of Windows then this is an option. If you are using Home edition, then there is no Option.

You can undo the Microsoft Account association, and set up a Local Account by following the Tutorial in @fixer 's Post.

SevenEleven said:

I would like to remove this email account from my system completely. Why is this email account under "Accounts used by other apps" , what other apps ?

Click to expand...

Some Apps use your login to automatically sign in to the App quicker. If you want to remove this, then I suggest you try Option 2 or Option 4 from the following Eleven Forum tutorial :

iko22 said:

If you are using Pro edition of Windows then this is an option. If you are using Home edition, then there is no Option.

Click to expand...

For now - come the release of 22H2 Pro will require you to set up with an MS account too, as it has been for Insiders since February's build 22557.

Microsoft said:

Similar to Windows 11 Home edition, Windows 11 Pro edition now requires internet connectivity. If you choose to setup device for personal use, MSA will be required for setup as well. You can expect Microsoft Account to be required in subsequent WIP flights.

Click to expand...

This is only a requirement on first set up after a clean install. An upgrade from an existing install of 10/11 Home or Pro that just has local accounts will keep them, it does not ask you to switch to an MSA. As said above, once set up you are free to switch it to a local account.

iko22 said:

The default for Windows Installation is to setup as a Microsoft Account. If you are using Pro edition of Windows then this is an option. If you are using Home edition, then there is no Option.

You can undo the Microsoft Account association, and set up a Local Account by following the Tutorial in @fixer 's Post.


Some Apps use your login to automatically sign in to the App quicker. If you want to remove this, then I suggest you try Option 2 or Option 4 from the following Eleven Forum tutorial :

Add and Remove Microsoft, Work, or School Accounts used to sign in by other apps in Windows 11

This tutorial will show you how to add and remove accounts used by other apps to sign in with for your account in Windows 11. Windows 11 makes it easy to add the Microsoft accounts or Work or school accounts you use for your apps in one place so you can sign in to your favorite apps easier and...

www.elevenforum.com

Click to expand...

I think when I tried to use Excel 9not part of Office , just the one that comes with Windwos 11 HOME) , the setup required me to use a MSN email to unlock the functions in Excel, that associated my MSN email with the Windows user account . I remember the MSN email wasn't underneath the Windows user name when it was first set up. I can't use option 2 or 4 because I have none of those buttons (stop signing in to all Microsoft apps automatically , no remove button for "Accounts used by other apps"; no disconnect button under Accounts Access work or school, I don't have any account for work /school access. i am reluctant to create another account in place of the current one because I have to reinstall all the applications and re-do all Windows customizations. I am trying to disassociate the email with my system.

You are misunderstanding. You just need to convert your account to a local account, NOT to create a new account. There will be no need for any reinstallations or anything else.

SevenEleven said:

I think when I tried to use Excel not part of Office , just the one that comes with Windows 11 HOME) , the setup required me to use a MSN email to unlock the functions in Excel, that associated my MSN email with the Windows user account .

Click to expand...

Yes, you need to provide an MS account in order to use free Office that comes with Windows. When you did that it asked you if you wanted to 'use this account everywhere on your device'. What this apparently benign question actually means is 'Do you want to switch your account from a local account to a Microsoft account?' Most people just click the big friendly Next button and end up switching to an MS account without realising.

SevenEleven said:

I have none of those buttons (stop signing in to all Microsoft apps automatically , no remove button for "Accounts used by other apps"; no disconnect button under Accounts Access

Click to expand...

No, you won't, not when you've switched your local account to a Microsoft account. What you should have done was click the small print option for 'Microsoft apps only' - then you would have kept your account as a local account, with your MS account listed in 'accounts used by other apps'.

That's what I did, I still have my local account and my MS account is just used by other apps.



The easy way out of your dilemma is to switch your account from an MS account back to a local account, then next time you want to use Excel take the 'Microsoft apps only' option. Use the tutorial @fixer gave you in post #6 to switch back to a local account.

The switching account method does not work for me because I don't have that "sign in with a local account" option under Settings-> Account-> Your info. -> Account Setting. ....but fortunately , I was able to solve this problem by finding all the registry keys with that email in the registry (I haven't used that email for anything else in the system). I backed-up the registry and created a restore point , exported each found key with that email (even though I have a backup for the registry) and delete each key . Restart computer , now I don't have any email associated with the system , it just says Local Account in Settings and I get the button that says "Don't sign in automatically with Microsoft account for all apps" or something like that in Account settings under Your info. I clicked on that button and I get the "Sign-in with a Microsoft account" clickable link instead option next to where it says Local Account ; also Under Settings-> Accounts-> Email & Accounts -> Accounts used by other apps , I get back the "Remove account" button under the Microsoft email account., so basically , back to the way it was before .
I know it is brute force but it worked for me. The only time I want my system to be connected to the internet is via browsers and enter password each time I access anything instead of "sign-in" for all applications. When things get too convenient , it is inconvenient for me.

Just to mention that I actually didn't remove all the keys with that email, I left some that are associated with Office (Excel) and One Drive , etc , that is why that email still appears in Settings-> Accounts-> Email & Accounts -> Accounts used by other apps but now I have an option to remove that email account.

Thanks for all the replies , it has been educational.