Are email addresses mandatory for Windows 8 login names?

Question

I've got a computer running Windows 8 and in the user accounts I can see four accounts (they're in french, here's a rough translation):

1. [e-mail] / administrator
2. Veronique YYY / [e-mail]
3. ASP.NET Machine Account / local account
4. guest account / the guest account is desactivated

I've got several questions but they're all related to email addresses and login names / accounts.

Are email addresses mandatory for Windows 8 login names?

Can you mix live and non-live user accounts on a Windows 8 system?

Is it possible to have a live Windows 8 user account which is not using a @live.xx email address?

Is it possible to have a non-live Windows 8 user account which is using a @live.xx email address?

If the gmail.com email address of the admin is not a live Windows 8 account, does this mean I can create a "fake" email and use that as the email of a new Windows 8 account?

Basically I don't understand very well why there are email addresses displayed on the login screen and why there are both @live.xx and @gmail.com email addresses on the same system and answer to the questions I asked above may help me understand a bit better what is going on (I'm coming from a Linux / OS X background. I literally haven't used Windows in more than a decade).

Answer 1

The answer to your questions are quite easy.

Anyone can create a Microsoft account, using any email address they please. Go to the Microsoft site to check this.

You can create "local" accounts to your computer also. These do not require "Live" accounts.

Answer 2

There is a way to use local user accounts. On Windows 8 it is in the control panel accessible by searching for it, or running the command 'control' without the quotes. It should be pretty self-explanatory from there onwards. Let me know if you need help.

Answer 3

When you first install windows 8 it will ask you to create a live account. You have the option there to not do so and create a local account instead.

During your windows 8 sessions, you can, at any time, convert to and from a windows live account.

So you can change your local account to a windows live account, and back without losing any settings.

When using a windows live account, it will be linked to an email address.

Sign in to Windows 8, and then navigate to PC Settings. You can do so via the Settings pane (WINKEY + I, Change PC Settings) or via the Charms bar (WINKEY + C, Settings, Change PC Settings).

Then, navigate to Users. As you can see, there’s a handy button named Switch to a Microsoft Account.

It is at this very same spot where you can switch it back to a local account.

Answer 4

Are email addresses mandatory for Windows 8 login names?

No. You can create a local user on your machine. When adding a new user, make sure that you select Sign in without a Microsoft account

Then, your users can have 'normal' names, without emails

Can you mix live and non-live user accounts on a Windows 8 system?

Yes