How to Create a Local Account to Run Windows 8.1?

Have you updated your personal computers and laptops to Windows 8.1? If you have done so, you must be delighted to see that how the upgrade happens smoothly in most part of the installation process. The upgrade is easy and gets done without making you wait for too long. It is highly recommended that those who are using Windows 8 must upgrade to Windows 8.1 for better Windows experience.

However, there is one caveat that you must have experienced upon. While upgrading to Windows 8.1, during the installation process, you will be asked to sign in to a Microsoft Live account. But after creating that Microsoft Live account, there is no way to move past the screen, which means you end up having the Microsoft account only. But if you wish to run your Windows 8.1 through a local account, then on the first go it appears as if this is not possible, at least not apparently possible. 

But there is a trick using which you can easily create a local account apart from the Windows Live account and easily run your Windows 8.1. As directed by the installation wizard, click the “Create New Account” link and then in the new open screen, check for the link at the bottom that lets you cancel the process. Click on that link and thus you can cancel the process.

Now what?

Here, many users feel like getting trapped within the poorly implemented log in process and they end up creating a Microsoft account or even if they already have one. They use that to log in to their new Windows 8.1 operating system (OS). But if you want to log in to your Windows 8.1 OS using your local account, then perform the following steps:

•          Go to the Start Screen
•          Type "users" in the Search and get the search results
•          Click the first item in the search results
•          This will open a screen similar to Figure A given below.

 

Figure A

  

•          Now, click the ‘Add an account’ box
•          This will open the next screen shown in Figure B

Figure B

•  Now, Microsoft wants you to create a new account with them. But if you check towards the bottom, you will see the link, which reads ‘Sign in without a Microsoft account.’ But it is followed with a ‘not recommended’ warning that many users take up very seriously and try to play safe by creating an account with Microsoft. But you can choose to ignore the "not recommended" advice.
•          Click the ‘Sign in without a Microsoft account’ link
•          This will open a new ‘Add a user’ screen shown as shown in Figure C.

 

Figure C

•          Click the “Local account” button.
•          After this, a new screen will open as shown in the Figure D.

Figure D

•          Simply enter your local account credentials
•          Click the ‘Next’ button
•          Next, click the ‘Finish’ button
•          That is it, your local account has got registered with your Windows 8.1 OS.
•          Now you can easily log in using the local account credential rather than that of Microsoft account.

As you have seen, creating a local account to run Windows 8.1 is very simple as Microsoft has itself made provision for it. But it is not recommended by them hence, many users tend to avoid using their local account for installing Windows 8.1. However, there is no as such harm in using your local account. Had it been risky, this feature wouldn’t have been made available. But none the less, it is better if you can use a Microsoft account to log into your Windows 8.1.