Can I install windows 10 with a local account?

Yes you can since no Microsoft account is required. The option is just not as visible as installing with a ms account.

First click here: Screenshot

Then select the option to log in without a Microsoft account.
(For some reason the log-in is labeled as sign-in.)

Hennes

Posted 2015-04-22T13:20:31.110

Reputation: 60 739

Just curious, are you answering this question from personal experience with this process? It seems like there should be more steps. – Off The Gold – 2015-04-22T16:38:11.933

3@OffTheGold As someone who has (re)installed their Windows 8.1 laptop (which uses the same system as Windows 10) 2 times in the past 6 months, I can state that there is actually a step extra: After the "sign in with Microsoft", there's a window "Create a new microsoft account" and on that, there's a option "sign in using a local account". You create your local account in that window. – Nzall – 2015-04-22T18:28:13.780

3The question assumes that a local account is the solution. I'd actually like to see some official documentation that using a local account will prevent metrics gathering completely in the Win10 Preview. – Karan – 2015-04-22T18:39:19.323

2@Karan Pretty sure it won't. They'll still be collecting data they just won't be able to tie it to your Microsoft Account (which they probably aren't doing anyway, as I doubt anyone at Microsoft has the time to go through millions of users' data to see what they're all typing... although if they are, they're reading this as I'm typing it!) – Matthew Steeples – 2015-04-22T20:25:43.770

Precisely, which means this is an X-Y question as the OP's assumption is incorrect. – Karan – 2015-04-22T20:28:48.573

Don't forget about the NSA backdoor! – Moab – 2015-04-23T09:35:45.277

I've done this too. – Journeyman Geek – 2015-04-24T12:22:52.980

Microsoft doesn't capture your keystrokes - what would be their need to? 2. You should be able to skip the section to create a Microsoft account and create a local account - for exactly the situations where an internet connection is unavailable or not needed.

< – Kinnectus – 2015-04-22T13:23:14.123

The MS capturing all data is probably a remark from windows 10 technical PREVIEW where ms explicitly states that it might collect some data and used rather broad terms. So even if they do not read all your information, you still gave them the rights to do so. Which is probably a legally correct marketing blunder. – Hennes – 2015-04-22T13:28:36.730

True, this is only for the preview version, so I edited the question to reflect that. – Off The Gold – 2015-04-22T13:47:36.017

You do it exactly like how you did it in Windows 8.1. Linking to a Microsoft Account is not required. – Ramhound – 2015-04-22T15:03:21.580

3What makes you think using a local account will stop metrics being gathered? The terms of use for the Preview are quite clear, and if you don't agree you shouldn't be using a (pre-) beta OS. – Karan – 2015-04-22T18:41:20.503

Can I install windows 10 with a local account?

Answers