Solved Is delating the OOBE generated Microsoft user account safe?

neldog · Mar 3, 2026

I just found out, that tomorrow, I am setting up a new Dell laptop computer for my very elderly next-door neighbor and his wife, yay! They need help, they don't know the first thing about newer computers and Microsoft Accounts and the OOBE setup. My plan is to go through the OOBE setup, which will add their Microsoft Account, (which I will have already made for them) and let the OOBE set-up create their User (Microsoft) Account.

What I want to do, after the computer has been all set up, is to create a new "local account" for them to use but I, do not, want to keep that Microsoft User Account that was created, if at all possible.

My question is; once I make them a new Local Administer User Account to use, with a simple password for local sign-in, is it safe at that point to delete the Microsoft User Account? Safely, is the key word here, I really don't want to mess up their new computer. If there is any chance that deleting that OOBE generated account "may" cause the slightest issue(s), I don't want to delete it.

I will of course make their new user account an Administer, "hybrid local account", by adding their Microsoft Account to their; Accounts - Your info - Account Settings, just like I have my setup.

Also, their new computer will be Windows 11 Home, with no Group Policy Editor. Does this below really work to add it or is that another road I should avoid?

FOR %F IN ("%SystemRoot%\servicing\Packages\Microsoft-Windows-GroupPolicy-ClientTools-Package~*.mum") DO DISM /Online /NoRestart /Add-Package:"%F"

FOR %F IN ("%SystemRoot%\servicing\Packages\Microsoft-Windows-GroupPolicy-ClientExtensions-Package~*.mum") DO DISM /Online /NoRestart /Add-Package:"%F"

Try3 · Mar 3, 2026

neldog said:
What I want to do, after the computer has been all set up, is to create a new "local account"

Why not just go straight for a local Admin user account during OOBE using the guidance in
Clean Install Windows 11 - ElevenForumTutorials
See the blue-shaded text near the start of the tutorial & the specific paras it refers to.

neldog said:
is it safe

Yes.
But you are going to make system images before & after such a major change anyway?

neldog said:
"hybrid local account"

Why are you going to do this? To what end?

neldog said:
Windows 11 Home, with no Group Policy Editor. Does this below really work to add it

I have never known any hack to add GPE to Home that achieves any more than running GPE as a viewer-only.
Of course, things might have changed since I stopped reading threads on the subject.
In any case, I suggest you add [to your original post] the source of the commands you are asking about so that others might be better placed to comment.

All the best,
Denis

garlin · Mar 3, 2026

neldog said:
Also, their new computer will be Windows 11 Home, with no Group Policy Editor. Does this below really work to add it or is that another road I should avoid?

FOR %F IN ("%SystemRoot%\servicing\Packages\Microsoft-Windows-GroupPolicy-ClientTools-Package~*.mum") DO DISM /Online /NoRestart /Add-Package:"%F"

FOR %F IN ("%SystemRoot%\servicing\Packages\Microsoft-Windows-GroupPolicy-ClientExtensions-Package~*.mum") DO DISM /Online /NoRestart /Add-Package:"%F"

This trick will enable the Group Policy Editor. But unlike what most people believe, it's not always useful.

Some group policies are not enforced on Home edition by design. MS wants to prevent users (or companies) from avoiding the higher cost of a Pro license by switching to Home. There are some policies that will work regardless of edition, but a number of key ones are ignored on Home.

It doesn't hurt to turn on GPE, but don't assume having the Editor means a given policy can function.

neldog · Mar 3, 2026

Try3 said:
Why not just go straight for a local Admin user account during OOBE using the guidance in
Clean Install Windows 11 - ElevenForumTutorials
See the blue-shaded text near the start of the tutorial & the specific paras it refers to.

I read somewhere that steps 15 & 17 no longer work, that Microsoft blocked that now.

I am trying to make this as easy as possible without running into roadblocks.

Try3 said:
Yes.
But you are going to make system images before & after such a major change anyway?

No, I will not be making back-ups for them.

Try3 said:
Why are you going to do this? To what end?

Computer works better when it's when it is logged into Microsoft, I know because I have tried it both ways.

Try3 said:
I have never known any hack to add GPE to Home that achieves any more than running GPE as a viewer-only.
Of course, things might have changed since I stopped reading threads on the subject.
In any case, I suggest you add [to your original post] the source of the commands you are asking about so that others might be better placed to comment.

Thank you, that is what I needed to know.

neldog · Mar 3, 2026

garlin said:
This trick will enable the Group Policy Editor. But unlike what most people believe, it's not always useful.

Some group policies are not enforced on Home edition by design. MS wants to prevent users (or companies) from avoiding the higher cost of a Pro license by switching to Home. There are some policies that will work regardless of edition, but a number of key ones are ignored on Home.

It doesn't hurt to turn on GPE, but don't assume having the Editor means a given policy can function.

Thank you so much - I will scrap that action.

Try3 · Mar 3, 2026

neldog said:
read somewhere that steps 15 & 17 no longer work, that Microsoft blocked that now

Brink would update the tutorial to cope with such a change.
Tutorials are not set in stone, they get updated as Windows changes and as members suggest improvements.

neldog said:
Computer works better

OK, if that's what you want.
I don't use my MSAccount-linked user accounts even though I have set one up on each computer. I just use the local accounts.
I do not understand what your reasons are.
I don't understand in what way you will end up with anything that's better than just leaving the OOBE-generated MSAccount-linked user account in place.

Best of luck,
Denis

neldog · Mar 3, 2026

Try3 said:
Brink would update the tutorial to cope with such a change.
Tutorials are not set in stone, they get updated as Windows changes and as members suggest improvements.

Okay, thanks, fare enough. So, it is the general consensus here, now today, that steps 15 & 17 do still work?

I do know that Brink is very good at keeping all his tutorials up to date. I would like to use that if it for sure, still works with OOBE with new computer setup. Has anyone here done step 15 recently that you know of? I don't doubt you at all... just trying to cross all my "t's" as this is not my machine I just seen somewhere that someone was saying that just got blocked by Microsoft.

I am actually kind of scared doing this and I wouldn't be doing it at all, except I know for sure my neighbor is incapable - I am just trying to do him a favor.

Thank you for helping.

Try3 said:
OK, if that's what you want.
I don't use my MSAccount-linked user accounts even though I have set one up on each computer. I just use the local accounts.
I do not understand what your reasons are.
I don't understand in what way you will end up with anything that's better than just leaving the OOBE-generated MSAccount-linked user account in place.

What I am trying to say is not actually MSAccount-linked user. I am sure I explained it incorrectly. It sounds like what you are using is what I am using on my computer, and this is what I am shooting for with his new computer. I am using a local account but have this below. I don't know what the correct terminology is for this way.

Try3 · Mar 3, 2026

neldog said:
Has anyone here done step 15 recently that you know of?

Post that question in the tutorial thread itself if there isn't already a recent post in the tutorial thread that confirms it for you.

Denis

neldog · Mar 3, 2026

Try3 said:
Post that question in the tutorial thread itself if there isn't already a recent post in the tutorial thread that confirms it for you.

Denis

Good call...

Try3 · Mar 3, 2026

neldog said:
I am sure I explained it incorrectly

What I do not understand is why adding an email address to a local account to make it hybrid is any better than just leaving it as an MSAccount-linked user account.

neldog said:
What I am trying to say is not actually MSAccount-linked user

Yes, it is. By adding the email address to the local user account, you are making it into a hybrid which is in effect a local user account & an MSAccount-linked user account. It's not better than the simple way of running OOBE then leaving things at that.

Denis

Try3 · Mar 3, 2026

neldog said:
It sounds like what you are using is what I am using on my computer, and this is what I am shooting for with his new computer.

No.
I have local user accounts on my computer that I use. Normally just one [with the others as trouble-shoooting tools].
I also have an MSAccount-linked user account on my computer that I hardly ever log in to. Once or twice a year perhaps. It is additional, entirely independent of my local user accounts.

And I do not accept the MS claim in your screenshot that your computer runs better with an MSAccount-linked user account.
It depends.

Denis

neldog · Mar 3, 2026

Zoom-in on that box I have a red box around. In small letters it is saying keeping settings and files automatically synced.

Honestly, I don't know any more than that. But if I take that off, I go straight full-on local account and, on my machine, things change for the worse.

I am nowhere as sharp as you are with all this, lol.

Try3 · Mar 3, 2026

neldog said:
things change for the worse

You stop having settings & files being synced automatically with your other computers, assuming they also use the same MSAccount-linked user account.
You stop being backed up to the cloud automatically.

I 'sync' my computers across my network using batch scripts whilst logged in to my local user accounts.
I cannot include syncing settings between them but I'm not bothered by that. If my settings were sync-able I would have to take steps to ensure that any incorrectly-changed settings did not get synced across to the others anyway.

Denis

neldog · Mar 3, 2026

Try3 said:
You stop having settings & files being synced automatically with your other computers, assuming they also use the same MSAccount-linked user account.

Yeah, that's not good for me. Truley, mostly my OneNote Notebooks and Edge Favorites is all I am really syncing and all that I care about. All my other files are stored locally and I do as you, update them with Network.

Megahertz · Mar 3, 2026

The only things that is different from MS account to local account:
- Microsoft knows who and when the user uses the computer. So it's a tracking thing.
- All your files are on Onedrive, they are uploaded to Microsoft servers (using more resources) and Microsoft can scan them for the security agencies.

I have only local accounts om my computers.
I don't think the computers run better with Microsoft account. I do think that a Microsoft account need to use a lot of the internet so the run slower.

bo elam · Mar 3, 2026

neldog said:
Okay, thanks, fare enough. So, it is the general consensus here, now today, that steps 15 & 17 do still work?

I do know that Brink is very good at keeping all his tutorials up to date. I would like to use that if it for sure, still works with OOBE with new computer setup. Has anyone here done step 15 recently that you know of? I don't doubt you at all... just trying to cross all my "t's" as this is not my machine I just seen somewhere that someone was saying that just got blocked by Microsoft.

I set up my W11 computer with no Microsoft account 6 months ago. I did step 15, using "start ms-cxh:localonly" The first time I clicked Shift + F10, the Command prompt did not open. After clicking a few times, about 5 Command prompts opened. I closed them all except one and typed start ms-cxh:localonly, and boom, the installation skipped everything that had to do with the MS account. The rest was easy. Give it a try. Is worth it. To this day, I have never had to create or use a MS account in W11 or W10, and never used one in any computer.

Bo

neldog · Mar 4, 2026

bo elam said:
I set up my W11 computer with no Microsoft account 6 months ago. I did step 15, using "start ms-cxh:localonly" The first time I clicked Shift + F10, the Command prompt did not open. After clicking a few times, about 5 Command prompts opened. I closed them all except one and typed start ms-cxh:localonly, and boom, the installation skipped everything that had to do with the MS account. The rest was easy. Give it a try. Is worth it. To this day, I have never had to create or use a MS account in W11 or W10, and never used one in any computer.

Bo

Thank you, that helps.

My friend's computer will be delivered today, and I am going to try it. The last thing they need is the Microsoft User Account, I am little worried about even putting a password on it, lol. Just teasing, they will get a password, a really easy one.

Try3 · Mar 4, 2026

neldog said:
they will get a password, a really easy one

You could set a decent one and write it down somewhere safe yet readily-accessible. That's what I do.
You can also use netplwiz so they hardly ever have any need to enter the password.
Enable or Disable Automatically Sign in Account at Startup - ElevenForumTutorials

which might also refer you to Enable or Disable Passwordless Sign-in for Microsoft Accounts - ElevenForumTutorials

and you might also like to set wakeup to avoid passwords:-
Enable or Disable Require Sign-in on Wakeup - ElevenForumTutorials

Denis

neldog · Mar 4, 2026

Try3 said:
You could set a decent one and write it down somewhere safe yet readily-accessible. That's what I do.
You can also use netplwiz so they hardly ever have any need to enter the password.

Denis

Thank you, Denis. It's going to be something easy, like their birth year, like 1907, lol. Just kidding a little, they are elderly though.

What I am worrying about now, because they have ordered WIN 11 Home, is controlling the automatic updates. I have always had Windows Professional, and of course the first thing I do is go into Group Policy Editor and set it so I decide when to download and install any updates. I am a little concerned how that is all going to unfold in the months to follow. I guess it all works out because others live with it being that way, I don't know how though. I can't understand how letting Microsoft update the computer and knowing that is all happing behind my back and without my knowledge is a good thing.

Try3 · Mar 4, 2026

neldog said:
What I am worrying about now, because they have ordered WIN 11 Home, is controlling the automatic updates

I bypassed automatic updates when Windows 10 first started.
Updates were then much more frequent and had no particular schedule.
I don't think I'd bother now because, apart from twice-daily Windows security [Windows Defender] definitions updates, they are all issued on Patch Tuesday.

I set all my internet connections to metered so that automatic updates do not take place. This is a reliable method; it has never failed me.
- I do updates when I feel like it each month or each alternate month.
- I set Task scheduler to run a batch script twice a day to catch WD definition updates.
Turn On or Off Metered Connection for Wi-Fi Network - ElevenForumTutorials
Turn On or Off Metered Connection for Ethernet Network - ElevenForumTutorials
I set all my metered settings ["DefaultMediaCost"] to 2 including the default one.

If you disable automatic updates, you could set up a WD update script as I have and you could phone them once a month to tell them to run Windows updates manually from Settings, Updates.
Or you could bin the whole idea and let them get all their updates normally.

All the best,
Denis

Solved Is delating the OOBE generated Microsoft user account safe?

Well-known member

My Computers

Well-known member

My Computer

Well-known member

My Computer

Well-known member

My Computers

Well-known member

My Computers

Well-known member

My Computer

Well-known member

My Computers

Well-known member

My Computer

Well-known member

My Computers

Well-known member

My Computer

Well-known member

My Computer

Well-known member

My Computers

Well-known member

My Computer

Well-known member

My Computers

Wish to be flying

My Computers

Active member

My Computer

Well-known member

My Computers

Well-known member

My Computer

Well-known member

My Computers

Well-known member

My Computer