# WTF Micro$hit **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [April 2, 2017, 1:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wtf-micro-hit/783583 "2017-04-02T13:57:52Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![aruvqan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aruvqan/32/2891_2.png) [@aruvqan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aruvqan)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2017, 1:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wtf-micro-hit/783583/1 "2017-04-02T13:57:52Z")
My computer snuck in a freaking update on me, and refused to let me use my COMPUTER password, it wanted a freaking Microshit account password that I probably haven’t used in almost 2 freaking years to let me into my damned computer. WTF … All I am glad of is that I have my gamail addy set up on my freaking phone so I could get the damned reset organized. Now, how do I tweak it so I don’t need a microshit login to access my own damned computer? ---
**Author:** ![smiling\_bandit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e9a140/32.png) [@smiling\_bandit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/smiling_bandit)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2017, 2:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wtf-micro-hit/783583/2 "2017-04-02T14:14:12Z")
Without knowing a few more details I’m not sure if we could help you, but you do not need an online account to log into your own personal computer or laptop. ---
**Author:** ![Telperion](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/telperion/32/509_2.png) [@Telperion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telperion)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2017, 3:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wtf-micro-hit/783583/3 "2017-04-02T15:00:05Z")
Actually you do now, I think it’s connected to the Windows App store or somesuch. The login can be changed to a PIN code however, which seems safer in case the computer gets hacked. ---
**Author:** ![Wolf333](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wolf333/32/3460_2.png) [@Wolf333](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wolf333)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2017, 3:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wtf-micro-hit/783583/4 "2017-04-02T15:03:32Z")
No, you can set up a local user account that does not require a MS password. However, it is possible to convert a local account to a MS account. I gave seen people do that accidently ( they did not read the prompts). ---
**Author:** ![Amateur\_Barbarian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/59ef9b/32.png) [@Amateur\_Barbarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Amateur_Barbarian)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2017, 3:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wtf-micro-hit/783583/5 "2017-04-02T15:20:03Z")
> [@Telperion](#): > > Actually you do now, I think it’s connected to the Windows App store or somesuch. Not sure of the complaint here, since you can’t use Android or any Apple OS/product without tying it to an active online account. Like all of them, it can be minimized and largely ignored if you don’t forget the PW/PIN. ---
**Author:** ![Telperion](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/telperion/32/509_2.png) [@Telperion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telperion)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2017, 3:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wtf-micro-hit/783583/6 "2017-04-02T15:39:59Z")
> [@Amateur\_Barbarian](#): > > Not sure of the complaint here, I don’t even know what complaint you could possibly be reading into that statement, so I’m really not sure either. ---
**Author:** ![aruvqan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aruvqan/32/2891_2.png) [@aruvqan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aruvqan)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2017, 3:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wtf-micro-hit/783583/7 "2017-04-02T15:59:22Z")
> [@Wolf333](#): > > No, you can set up a local user account that does not require a MS password. > > However, it is possible to convert a local account to a MS account. I gave seen people do that accidently ( they did not read the prompts). I didn’t _get_ any prompts, I logged out, shut down and went to bed, the computer did the update shuffle, and when I turned it on and tried entering my user account [not admin] password, it would not log me in, and told me if I had forgotten my password I could go to account.live and do the password change thing … Why in hell it would do this to me [I bought the laptop back in August 2015] right now when I have been turning it on and logging in with my user account for lo these many months is obviously a result of the update that happened last night. So, is there a way to unhook the laptop from the damned requirement to log in with an account I never use? Should I just say screw it and go linux [can I still play LOTRO and EVE Online with a linux box?] _sigh_ ---
**Author:** ![Amateur\_Barbarian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/59ef9b/32.png) [@Amateur\_Barbarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Amateur_Barbarian)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2017, 4:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wtf-micro-hit/783583/8 "2017-04-02T16:04:27Z")
> [@Telperion](#): > > I don’t even know what complaint you could possibly be reading into that statement, so I’m really not sure either. Meant the OP. Yours was a useful point to quote. ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2017, 12:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wtf-micro-hit/783583/9 "2017-04-03T00:08:51Z")
> [@aruvqan](#): > > I didn’t _get_ any prompts, I logged out, shut down and went to bed, the computer did the update shuffle, and when I turned it on and tried entering my user account [not admin] password, it would not log me in, and told me if I had forgotten my password I could go to account.live and do the password change thing … Why in hell it would do this to me [I bought the laptop back in August 2015] right now when I have been turning it on and logging in with my user account for lo these many months is obviously a result of the update that happened last night. > > So, is there a way to unhook the laptop from the damned requirement to log in with an account I never use? Should I just say screw it and go linux [can I still play LOTRO and EVE Online with a linux box?] _sigh_ Possibly stupid questions follow, but IME it’s amazing what annoyed and stressed people will overlook: When you first came back to the computer after the update, did you pay \*close \*attention to the username displayed on the login screen? It may be empty or admin or … instead of whatever you normally use. Another possibility is it may be something as simple as they changed the _default_ login to your Microsoft account and there’s a small button (now irritatingly styled as a hyperlink; thank you Apple) nearby that you can click to switch to local account login mode. At which point you can enter both your local account username and local account password. Take a deep breath and start from the top, not the middle. Examine \*everything \*on screen before jumping to the conclusion you’re fuxxored. ---
**Author:** ![DinoR](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dinor/32/2821_2.png) [@DinoR](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DinoR)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2017, 12:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wtf-micro-hit/783583/10 "2017-04-03T00:33:19Z")
> [@aruvqan](#): > > So, is there a way to unhook the laptop from the damned requirement to log in with an account I never use? [Yes.](http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/delete-microsoft-account-create-local-windows-10-login/) You don’t necessarily need to follow the last step in the article to just have you machine on a strictly local account. It’s pretty easy if you look at it. Caveat I never created/linked a Microsoft account when I upgraded to Win10 so I haven’t removed one. The only issue I’ve run into under a local account was when I looked at using OneNote as a notetaking application. ISTR there being a work around. I found something open source that fit what I wanted without the annoyance. There may be an issue with other applications from the default OS that want to phone home. I don’t use a lot of the pre-installed stuff so YMMV. ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2017, 12:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wtf-micro-hit/783583/11 "2017-04-03T12:57:08Z")
I log into all my MS devices using a local account. And use shared/synced OneNote on all of them linked to the MS cloud via my MS account. This is not some homebrew workaround; it’s a supported-by-design scenario. ---
**Author:** ![gnoitall](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/bb73d2/32.png) [@gnoitall](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gnoitall)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2017, 2:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wtf-micro-hit/783583/12 "2017-04-03T14:12:42Z")
> [@LSLGuy](#): > > I log into all my MS devices using a local account. And use shared/synced OneNote on all of them linked to the MS cloud via my MS account. This is not some homebrew workaround; it’s a supported-by-design scenario. But, to my knowledge, not the default scenario in Windows from 8 onwards. During OS setup, you have to find a small and obscure link to create a local-only account, rather than the large and obvious “create a [Microsoft.com](http://Microsoft.com) account” non-local account thing. I would still be surprised that MS would “accidently” insist on a non-local account after doing OS updates, but I suppose anything is possible. Especially if the update involved non-local services like OneDrive or the App Store. I avoided those at the outset to (cross fingers) avoid this kind of thing. ---
**Author:** ![DrCube](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a3d4f5/32.png) [@DrCube](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrCube)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2017, 3:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wtf-micro-hit/783583/13 "2017-04-03T15:36:34Z")
> [@Amateur\_Barbarian](#): > > Not sure of the complaint here, since you can’t use Android or any Apple OS/product without tying it to an active online account. Like all of them, it can be minimized and largely ignored if you don’t forget the PW/PIN. That’s not true. I use Google services, so install them on my phones and use them with my Google account, but I don’t have to. If I don’t want to use Google services or apps, I don’t need any online account at all to use my phone. For Android at least. You’re probably right about iPhones/Apple. ---
**Author:** ![Amateur\_Barbarian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/59ef9b/32.png) [@Amateur\_Barbarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Amateur_Barbarian)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2017, 4:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wtf-micro-hit/783583/14 "2017-04-03T16:03:26Z")
> [@DrCube](#): > > That’s not true. I use Google services, so install them on my phones and use them with my Google account, but I don’t have to. If I don’t want to use Google services or apps, I don’t need any online account at all to use my phone. For Android at least. You’re probably right about iPhones/Apple. Right, if you don’t want any apps, or use backup, or any of the inherent services of Andrid, you don’t have to have a Google account. ---
**Author:** ![DrCube](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a3d4f5/32.png) [@DrCube](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrCube)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2017, 4:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wtf-micro-hit/783583/15 "2017-04-03T16:14:11Z")
> [@Amateur\_Barbarian](#): > > Right, if you don’t want any apps, or use backup, or any of the inherent services of Andrid, you don’t have to have a Google account. No, you can have all that without a Google account. Just not _Google_ apps or _Google_ services. There are other app makers out there. And a lot of backup services. And none of the _inherent_ services of Android are dependent on a Google account. Maps or Gmail aren’t _inherent_ Android services. You can call people, install apps, transfer files, use bluetooth, WiFi, LTE, email, web, GPS etc. just fine without a Google account. ---
**Author:** ![Amateur\_Barbarian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/59ef9b/32.png) [@Amateur\_Barbarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Amateur_Barbarian)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2017, 5:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wtf-micro-hit/783583/16 "2017-04-03T17:20:29Z")
> [@DrCube](#): > > No, you can have all that without a Google account. Just not _Google_ apps or _Google_ services. There are other app makers out there. And a lot of backup services. And none of the _inherent_ services of Android are dependent on a Google account. Maps or Gmail aren’t _inherent_ Android services. You can call people, install apps, transfer files, use bluetooth, WiFi, LTE, email, web, GPS etc. just fine without a Google account. Okay. Failing to grasp the point of a device that’s just an extension of a universe of services and products and then disconnecting it from that universe, but it’s a free country. (This week.) ---
**Author:** ![Iggins](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Iggins](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Iggins)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2017, 9:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wtf-micro-hit/783583/17 "2017-04-03T21:29:18Z")
> [@gnoitall](#): > > But, to my knowledge, not the default scenario in Windows from 8 onwards. During OS setup, you have to find a small and obscure link to create a local-only account, rather than the large and obvious “create a [Microsoft.com](http://Microsoft.com) account” non-local account thing. > > I would still be surprised that MS would “accidently” insist on a non-local account after doing OS updates, but I suppose anything is possible. Especially if the update involved non-local services like OneDrive or the App Store. I avoided those at the outset to (cross fingers) avoid this kind of thing. The same thing happened on my wife’s laptop - after an update, she was prompted for her Microsoft account login information. There was some gyration needed to get back to logging into the local account. Now, that has not yet happened on my main PC, it’s possible that I was vigilant enough to belay a change to the login protocol before it occurred, but I wasn’t able to figure out if she had done anything differently. ---
**Author:** ![voltaire](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/voltaire/32/313_2.png) [@voltaire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/voltaire)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2017, 9:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wtf-micro-hit/783583/18 "2017-04-03T21:29:45Z")
> [@Amateur\_Barbarian](#): > > Okay. Failing to grasp the point of a device that’s just an extension of a universe of services and products and then disconnecting it from that universe, but it’s a free country. (This week.) With Android, there are other universes… I think is the point. (Think Amazon) You can even plausibly leave one universe and exist in the void without necessarily entering another universe, but there be some pirates out there. ---
**Author:** ![iamthewalrus\_3](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/258eb7/32.png) [@iamthewalrus\_3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iamthewalrus_3)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2017, 9:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wtf-micro-hit/783583/19 "2017-04-03T21:39:34Z")
> [@Amateur\_Barbarian](#): > > Not sure of the complaint here, since you can’t use Android or any Apple OS/product without tying it to an active online account. > [@DrCube](#): > > You’re probably right about iPhones/Apple. You are not. You can use both iPhones and Apple computers without having an online account of any kind. To be fair, the iPhone experience is minimal, since you can only buy software through Apple’s store, and you need an account for that. But you can use all the built-in stuff without it. You can absolutely use Apple computers without having an Apple account. ---
**Author:** ![Amateur\_Barbarian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/59ef9b/32.png) [@Amateur\_Barbarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Amateur_Barbarian)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2017, 9:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wtf-micro-hit/783583/20 "2017-04-03T21:56:29Z")
> [@voltaire](#): > > With Android, there are other universes… I think is the point. (Think Amazon) > [@iamthewalrus\_3](#): > > You are not. You can use both iPhones and Apple computers without having an online account of any kind. To be fair, the iPhone experience is minimal, since you can only buy software through Apple’s store, and you need an account for that. But you can use all the built-in stuff without it. > > You can absolutely use Apple computers without having an Apple account. All just as I suppose you can use a car without every going on a public highway. Fine, it’s incorrect to say these devices cannot be used without an OS-linked account, but it’s for a very small subset of what most of us would consider “use” - including using Android out there in the pirate zones. The “built in” stuff is pretty limited on all platforms. And I question whether I can buy any significant Apple software and install it to full functionality without having to have an Apple account for licensing, validation etc. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wtf-micro-hit/783583.md?page=2)