Set-up email address persists after creating local account


David243

New member
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12:30 AM
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OS
Window 10
I set up a new Windows 11 laptop a month ago, for a family member. I used my own email address to do so. Then I created a local account and deleted the account which I'd used to set up the laptop. I have also deleted all associated devices while logged into my email account on my own computer.

But on the new laptop when I install new programs and they sometimes ask for name or username, auto-fill shows my email address. Okay, I can delete it and type what I want. But somewhere deep down my email address is stored on the laptop despite me having deleted the user account it's associated with. I find this irritating as well as baffling. Tried all settings - no luck. How can I purge the new laptop of my email address?

Btw, I have never logged into my email account while using the new laptop.

(Also, when I set up the laptop, I used an alias email address. But the laptop basically used my main email address instead of the alias. Before I created the local account, my main email address was shown when logging in. And the autofill now shows that main email address.)
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Window 10
    Computer type
    Laptop
Hello David, and welcome to the forum. :alien:

You can double check Accounts used by other apps on your laptop using the tutorial below to see if your Microsoft account may be listed there to remove.

 

My Computers

System One System Two

  • OS
    Windows 11 Pro for Workstations
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Custom self build
    CPU
    Intel i7-8700K 5 GHz
    Motherboard
    ASUS ROG Maximus XI Formula Z390
    Memory
    64 GB (4x16GB) G.SKILL TridentZ RGB DDR4 3600 MHz (F4-3600C18D-32GTZR)
    Graphics Card(s)
    ASUS ROG-STRIX-GTX1080TI-O11G-GAMING (11GB GDDR5X)
    Sound Card
    Integrated Digital Audio (S/PDIF)
    Monitor(s) Displays
    2 x Samsung Odyssey G75 27"
    Screen Resolution
    2560x1440
    Hard Drives
    1TB Samsung 990 PRO M.2,
    4TB Samsung 990 PRO M.2,
    8TB WD MyCloudEX2Ultra NAS
    PSU
    Seasonic Prime Titanium 850W
    Case
    Thermaltake Core P3 wall mounted
    Cooling
    Corsair Hydro H115i
    Keyboard
    Logitech wireless K800
    Mouse
    Logitech MX Master 3
    Internet Speed
    1 Gbps Download and 35 Mbps Upload
    Browser
    Google Chrome
    Antivirus
    Microsoft Defender and Malwarebytes Premium
    Other Info
    Logitech Z625 speaker system,
    Logitech BRIO 4K Pro webcam,
    HP Color LaserJet Pro MFP M477fdn,
    CyberPower CP1500PFCLCD
    Galaxy S23 Plus phone
  • Operating System
    Windows 11 Pro
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Surface Laptop 7 Copilot+ PC
    CPU
    Snapdragon X Elite (12 core) 3.42 GHz
    Memory
    16 GB LPDDR5x-7467 MHz
    Monitor(s) Displays
    15" HDR
    Screen Resolution
    2496 x 1664
    Hard Drives
    1 TB SSD
    Internet Speed
    Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 5.4
    Browser
    Chrome and Edge
    Antivirus
    Windows Defender
Hello David, and welcome to the forum. :alien:

You can double check Accounts used by other apps on your laptop using the tutorial below to see if your Microsoft account may be listed there to remove.

Thank you, and thanks for the tutorial.

Not sure if I misunderstand the tutorial, or whether I didn't explain the issue clearly, but I don't understand how the tutorial is a solution.

I don't use an email address to log in, only a username and password. That's my preference. It's a local account. After set up, I added the local account and deleted the account I'd used to set up the laptop. That (now deleted) account did have an email address. The problem is that somewhere in the laptop that email address is still known. I'd like delete the email address completely. It shouldn't appear anywhere while logged into the local account, but it does - in auto-fill when beginning to install a program.

Regarding the tutorial, In Settings > Account > Your Info, under Account Settings all it says is 'Local account' and to the right a link 'Sign in with a Microsoft account instead'.

I don't want to sign in with a Microsoft account. I just want to somehow delete the email address stored somewhere on the laptop. I find it quite invasive that it stores the email address, but doesn't say where or how to delete it.

(I don't use OneDrive or any other auto-signing in feature on the laptop.)
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Window 10
    Computer type
    Laptop
Step 3 in option two is only available if you were signed in with a Microsoft account.

The important part is if you have a Microsoft account listed at step 5 in option two. This is what makes it available to sign in with.
 

My Computers

System One System Two

  • OS
    Windows 11 Pro for Workstations
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Custom self build
    CPU
    Intel i7-8700K 5 GHz
    Motherboard
    ASUS ROG Maximus XI Formula Z390
    Memory
    64 GB (4x16GB) G.SKILL TridentZ RGB DDR4 3600 MHz (F4-3600C18D-32GTZR)
    Graphics Card(s)
    ASUS ROG-STRIX-GTX1080TI-O11G-GAMING (11GB GDDR5X)
    Sound Card
    Integrated Digital Audio (S/PDIF)
    Monitor(s) Displays
    2 x Samsung Odyssey G75 27"
    Screen Resolution
    2560x1440
    Hard Drives
    1TB Samsung 990 PRO M.2,
    4TB Samsung 990 PRO M.2,
    8TB WD MyCloudEX2Ultra NAS
    PSU
    Seasonic Prime Titanium 850W
    Case
    Thermaltake Core P3 wall mounted
    Cooling
    Corsair Hydro H115i
    Keyboard
    Logitech wireless K800
    Mouse
    Logitech MX Master 3
    Internet Speed
    1 Gbps Download and 35 Mbps Upload
    Browser
    Google Chrome
    Antivirus
    Microsoft Defender and Malwarebytes Premium
    Other Info
    Logitech Z625 speaker system,
    Logitech BRIO 4K Pro webcam,
    HP Color LaserJet Pro MFP M477fdn,
    CyberPower CP1500PFCLCD
    Galaxy S23 Plus phone
  • Operating System
    Windows 11 Pro
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Surface Laptop 7 Copilot+ PC
    CPU
    Snapdragon X Elite (12 core) 3.42 GHz
    Memory
    16 GB LPDDR5x-7467 MHz
    Monitor(s) Displays
    15" HDR
    Screen Resolution
    2496 x 1664
    Hard Drives
    1 TB SSD
    Internet Speed
    Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 5.4
    Browser
    Chrome and Edge
    Antivirus
    Windows Defender
check Settings > Accounts > Email & Accounts
check Settings > Accounts > Access Work or School

run secpol.msc > Local Policies > Security Options > Accounts: Block Microsoft Accounts
set this to desired


1738684455507.webp
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 11 Pro
Can you go into Regedit and search the Registry for your email address and delete it there?
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Win 7/10/11
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Other Info
    I'm a computer enthusiast so have quite a few systems that I run. More like an advanced hobby.
When I add a Local Account with Admin rights [with slightly different name] while logged in with a Microsoft Account I have to remember to Sign out [right-click of Start] of the Microsoft Account then reboot to get the new choice/s on the log-in screen. Then I log into that new account and in Users/Accounts remove the Microsoft Accounts, otherwise it has tended to remain persistent. And it may be important to remove the files for the deleted account or at least move to the new name.
 

My Computers

System One System Two

  • OS
    Win11 Pro RTM
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Dell Vostro 3400
    CPU
    Intel Core i5 11th Gen. 2.40GHz
    Memory
    12GB
    Hard Drives
    256GB SSD NVMe M.2
  • Operating System
    Windows 11 Pro RTM x64
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Dell Vostro 5890
    CPU
    Intel Core i5 10th Gen. 2.90GHz
    Memory
    16GB
    Graphics card(s)
    Onboard, no VGA, using a DisplayPort-to-VGA adapter
    Monitor(s) Displays
    24" Dell
    Hard Drives
    512GB SSD NVMe, 4TB Seagate HDD
    Browser
    Firefox, Edge
    Antivirus
    Windows Defender/Microsoft Security
Can you go into Regedit and search the Registry for your email address and delete it there?
Good idea. I searched the Registry for a text string of my email address and found a single instance of it. In 'Credential Provider' there's a folder with my email address as its name.

It's in a folder called UserNames. And inside the folder with my email address as its name, there's a folder called 'MicrosoftAccount'.

I assume modifying anything - such as changing D Word value, or changing the name of the folder with my email address as its name - may prevent me being able to log in at all.

Unless anyone knows any better? Can values in this part of the registry be changed safely?

If it's not possible to edit it safely, I'll try what Berton suggests above (creating another local user, etc). But ideally I'd like to avoid that because I'll then have to alter all the privacy settings again for the new user.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Window 10
    Computer type
    Laptop
I would just delete that key and see what happens. What is the full registry string you're seeing?
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Win 7/10/11
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Other Info
    I'm a computer enthusiast so have quite a few systems that I run. More like an advanced hobby.

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