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I have previously asked how I can install, or upgrade to, Windows 8.1, without using a Microsoft account, because "I like to keep things separate, and just logon with a tradional local account. Any apps that require me to sign-in with my Live account, will have to prompt me to sign-in".
Until now, I never got around to connect my Windows 8.1 PCs to my OneDrive (formerly known as SkyDrive), which is now baked in to Windows 8.1. Unfortunately, it's apparently no longer possible to use OneDrive, when signing on to PC with a local account:
I can only download the application for Windows Vista, 7 or 8. Attempting to run the installed on Windows 8.1 just displays a windows with the text "Preparing OneDrive for first use" for a while, then exits without allowing me to sign-in.
Just to clarify: I'm of course aware that I would need to sign-in to OneDrive with my Microsoft account, I just much prefer signing in to the application, instead of my PC.
Considering how Microsoft went out of their way, to make it almost impossible to install Windows 8.1 without a Microsoft account, is there some (covoluted) way to make OneDrive sync, without forcing me to sign in with a bloody Microsoft account? How?
I hear your cries! I just started using Windows 8.1 Update 1 on a lab computer to learn the system. I had previously only used Windows 8.x on a laptop at work for a few months and with a local account. OneDrive has no official win32 program. I learn now that there used to be one for the old Windows 8.0 when it was called SkyDrive. But that program is also probably removed from the Microsoft website, and with nowhere to download it, it is effectively forcing Windows 8.0 users to upgrade "freely" to 8.1 and Update 1, and start using "OneDrive" which is now integrated. – Samir – 2014-09-13T12:18:00.157
1When you say you are ok about signing into OneDrive, do you mean some way other than opening a browser and navigating to onedrive.com (and then signing in on the top right)? I can log in that way to other microsoft accounts other than my PC account that way. File access thru the browser still allows upload/download. – jdh – 2014-03-22T14:31:28.940
Clarified question. I'm talking about sync'ing, not just accessing (which could be through a browser) – abstrask – 2014-03-22T15:08:33.317