How to Setup Local Administrator Account in Windows 10?

Windows 10 by default allows you to login with the help of Microsoft account. This is the same account you should be using for different other purposes like checking your email. Let us explain how to setup local account login in Windows 10 so that you can login to your laptop without linking to your Microsoft account.

Press “Windows Key” or click on the start button. Click on the “Settings” from the start menu and then click on the “Accounts” section.

By default you will be on the first tab “Your email and accounts” or else go to the first section. When you are there, click on the link saying, “Sign in with a local account instead”.

You will be prompted to enter your Microsoft account password which is used currently to unlock the laptop. Enter the current password to proceed further.

On next screen, enter the new username, password and password hint for a local admin setup. The password hint will be used to retrieve the password when you have forgotten.

Click “Next” and then finally click on the “Sign out and Finish” button to logout of the laptop.

The login screen will look like below. You should use your new local account password to login to the laptop from now onwards.

The local account password setup will help to boot the laptop comparatively faster than using Microsoft account password. Ensure to create good and complex password that is unique and easier to memorize. When you enter wrong password, Windows will automatically show the password hint you have provided during the setup.

You can use the “Reset password” wizard only if you have the password reset disk created before. Otherwise there is no way to recover the local account password other than resetting your PC.

Change Password for Local Account

You can change the local account password anytime by going to “Start Menu > Settings > Accounts > Sign-in options”. And click on the “Change” button under “Password” section.

You need to enter the current login password for proceeding further. Enter new password and hint to setup a new password for your local account.

Switching Back to Login with Microsoft Account

Once you setup the local account, Windows 10 will forget the previous Microsoft account used on the laptop. In order to setup the login account with your Microsoft account, go to “Start Menu > Settings > Accounts > Your email and accounts” section. Click on the “Sign-in with a Microsoft account instead”.

Provide your Microsoft email and password to setup login. Now you should use your Microsoft account password for unlocking the computer like before.