Local Account with Internet?

lettersquash · May 21, 2022

Hi, I just bought a Lenovo IdeaPad Flex 5 from a shop (Cex) with Windows 11 pre-installed, and I'd like to set up a new account. I'd like to avoid the Microsoft Account option, and the alternative seems to be a local account, from my researches so far, but I want to have internet access and I keep seeing "local" and "offline" used as if they're synonymous. Also there's mention of only being able to set up a local account if you haven't got internet switched on (or even that loophole being closed now?)...all suggesting that what I want might not be possible. Is it? I just want to be able to connect to the internet without a MS account and all the stuff that goes with that. It would seem mad not to be able to, but as I say, the "local/offline" business is making me wonder.

Also, can there be two Administrator accounts? There is the shop's account on there, which is local and administrator, and without a password. Activation state says "Windows is activated with a digital licence". I assume I can add my own Admin account and then delete theirs without issue? I sent them a support message about it, but it might be some time before I get a reply and I'd like to get on. I realise I could just try setting one up from the Cex account and see what happens - but I just like to know what I'm doing before I start doing stuff! If it's not possible I'll just have to go ahead and use my MS account (which I've got, but didn't really use from my old machine, Win7).

Windows 11 Home
Version 21H2
OS build 22000.556

Sir_George · May 21, 2022

lettersquash said:
Hi, I just bought a Lenovo IdeaPad Flex 5 from a shop (Cex) with Windows 11 pre-installed, and I'd like to set up a new account. I'd like to avoid the Microsoft Account option, and the alternative seems to be a local account, from my researches so far, but I want to have internet access and I keep seeing "local" and "offline" used as if they're synonymous. Also there's mention of only being able to set up a local account if you haven't got internet switched on (or even that loophole being closed now?)...all suggesting that what I want might not be possible. Is it? I just want to be able to connect to the internet without a MS account and all the stuff that goes with that. It would seem mad not to be able to, but as I say, the "local/offline" business is making me wonder.

Also, can there be two Administrator accounts? There is the shop's account on there, which is local and administrator, and without a password. Activation state says "Windows is activated with a digital licence". I assume I can add my own Admin account and then delete theirs without issue? I sent them a support message about it, but it might be some time before I get a reply and I'd like to get on. I realise I could just try setting one up from the Cex account and see what happens - but I just like to know what I'm doing before I start doing stuff! If it's not possible I'll just have to go ahead and use my MS account (which I've got, but didn't really use from my old machine, Win7).

Windows 11 Home
Version 21H2
OS build 22000.556

Clean Install Windows 11

This tutorial will show you step by step on how to clean install Windows 11 at boot on your PC with or without an Internet connection and setup with a local account or Microsoft account. Windows 11 has all the power and security of Windows 10 with a redesigned and refreshed look. It also comes...

www.elevenforum.com

The video link below should provide a solution;

lettersquash · May 21, 2022

Thanks, Sir George. I think I've realised the cause of my confusion. I've been reading about the need for a MS account and internet connection TO INSTALL WINDOWS 11! That's why a local account kept being called an "offline" account, it's just offline to install it as local. I thought a local account was always offline, like you had to log in to your Windows account just to use the thing. I gather it's not quite that draconian.

The shop already installed the OS, and new user accounts aren't new installs. So I'm good to go - I can create another account as local and admin (maybe I'll keep the cex one as a backup admin account too in case I get locked out on my own). And that local account can use the internet...not much point in a PC without it really. Confirmation I've finally got that straight would be appreciated.

Bree · May 21, 2022

lettersquash said:
Hi, I just bought a Lenovo IdeaPad Flex 5 from a shop (Cex) with Windows 11 pre-installed, and I'd like to set up a new account. I'd like to avoid the Microsoft Account option, and the alternative seems to be a local account, from my researches so far, but I want to have internet access and I keep seeing "local" and "offline" used as if they're synonymous.

Yes, a local (offline) account can still have internet access. All my PCs use local accounts.

Windows 11 Home when first set up after a clean install insists that the first account you create is a Microsoft account (though there are workarounds to avoid that).

Once set up, you can create as many new accounts as you need, and there is no restriction - they can all be local accounts.

lettersquash said:
Also, can there be two Administrator accounts? There is the shop's account on there, which is local and administrator, and without a password. Activation state says "Windows is activated with a digital licence". I assume I can add my own Admin account and then delete theirs without issue?

Yes, there are no restriction here either. You can have as many administrator accounts as you want. In fact, I always recommend that you should have at leat two local administrator accounts - just in case your main account gets corrupted, or you are locked out.

Bree · May 21, 2022

lettersquash said:
So I'm good to go - I can create another account as local and admin (maybe I'll keep the cex one as a backup admin account too in case I get locked out on my own). And that local account can use the internet...not much point in a PC without it really. Confirmation I've finally got that straight would be appreciated.

Yes, you have got that straight. Always remember to create your new administrator account first, before deleting any existing administrator accounts. It's very difficult to recover from a situation where you have no administrator accounts

lettersquash · May 21, 2022

Bree said:
Yes, you have got that straight. Always remember to create your new administrator account first, before deleting any existing administrator accounts. It's very difficult to recover from a situation where you have no administrator accounts

Excellent - thanks for clarifying. Heck, surely the system wouldn't let you delete the only Admin account? Anyway, I'll make sure I don't. :)

Bree · May 21, 2022

lettersquash said:
Heck, surely the system wouldn't let you delete the only Admin account?

Unfortunately it does, and it also allows you to demote your only admin account to a standard user. That last one is such a common mistake (less 'IT-savy' users think that it would be safer to use a standard account) that there's a whole tutorial over on Ten Forums about how to get an adminstrator account back again.

Bree · May 21, 2022

lettersquash said:
Windows 11 Home

You will want to turn off 'Offer suggestions on how I can set up my device', else you'll get nagged to switch to a Microsoft account. It's hidden away right at the bottom of System > Notifications. That's what I have done for all my W11 Home machines.

lettersquash · May 21, 2022

Sheesh. It's amazing how much expertise goes into making GUIs worse. I set up my new account and managed to avoid joining the Borg, although I did click on a link that started Edge (note to self: ignore all help links), with another set of screens to get through before I could even close the app again - I'll use Firefox.

Settings - hmm, what a good idea it would be to show them in a concise tree, like Windows had in about 1995. So you could see the full structure and navigate it easily. Not now. They've got style gurus now. You've got big panels for each item with wasted space and a sub-heading trying not to explain what the cryptic heading means (Enjoy giving us your data!), and the back arrow might take you somewhere you were before, maybe not. I'd stick with an older version, but I'm developing an app and need to keep up with the times and test it on various Windows versions.

They provide all the things you don't need and leave out things you obviously do. After I used the cex account to create mine, I thought next I'll log out and log in to "me". No sign of a button for that. No menu item for it. There's Power > Restart (but no "switch account" or "log off" - clearly some bright spark decided those were useless features a complete idiot put in Windows 98 or whenever). I searched for both of those terms, and there isn't a match! Closing and opening the machine gave me the two account options.

OK, thanks for getting me started. I'm sure I'll have a gazillion questions before long.

Bree · May 21, 2022

lettersquash said:
After I used the cex account to create mine, I thought next I'll log out and log in to "me". No sign of a button for that. No menu item for it. There's Power > Restart (but no "switch account" or "log off"

You click on Start, then on your user icon to get those options.

Sign out and you'll see all your accounts at the lower left of the sign in screen. Click on one and sign in.

Sign out of Windows 11

This tutorial will show you different ways to sign out of your account or other users in Windows 11. When you sign out of Windows, all your open windows and apps are closed, but the computer is not turned off. Another user can sign in without needing to restart the computer. References...

www.elevenforum.com

Sign in to Windows 11

This tutorial will show you how to sign in to Windows 11 with your account. Having different accounts on a shared PC lets multiple people use the same device, all while giving everyone their own sign-in info, plus access to their own files, browser favorites, and desktop settings. You can add...

www.elevenforum.com

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