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I have a Windows 10 laptop that is 4 years old. Yesterday I put a new solid state C: drive in it an re-installed Windows 10. So this is a newer version of Windows 10 than I had originally. (This one is 10.0.17763 Build 17763, AKA RS5 1809.)

A number of things seem to have changed in the setup of Windows. When installing it this time, I think I was forced to enter a "Microsoft Account" email address. I tried to skip this step, but I couldn't find a way to avoid it.

The first 5 letters of my email address are "jeffh". When I put a text file named "find_me.txt" on the desktop, the path to that file is:

C:\Users\jeffh\OneDrive\Desktop\find_me.txt

Previously, that file's path would have been the far more elegant:

C:\Users\me\Desktop\find_me.txt

I am really puzzled and annoyed by that "OneDrive" in the path. I don't want to use OneDrive. The first thing I did when the computer was up-and-running was uninstall OneDrive. But by then my "Desktop" folder would have alrady been in this freaking OneDrive folder.

I am also annoyed by that "jeffh" in the path. I never said I wanted a username of "jeffh". If I had been asked to provide a username, it would have been "me".

Maybe I should just relax in give in to these Microsoft paradigm changes, but I just want my old setup back. Is there any way to avoid this intrusion of "OneDrive", and the required Microsoft email address, in a fresh install of this newer Windows 10?

K7AAY
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Jeff Roe
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2 Answers2

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A change by Microsoft requires you to install Windows while disconnected from the Internet to create a local user (such as me). Happened on Pro 1809. I've done it that way, and it works.

If you don't want to reinstall Windows, you can create a local user as explained in the second link above, make it an Admin, login as that local user, and delete the jeffh user, then move all their files or delete them.

K7AAY
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I was forced to enter "Microsoft Account" email address. I tried to skip this step, but I couldn't find a way to avoid it.

This is only the case on Windows 10 Home version 1903. In order to avoid it the next time, you have to disconnect from the internet, while you are installing Windows. This will cause Windows to be unable make the required checks, and will give you the option, to create a local account instead.

Once you’ve skipped the Microsoft account creation, the old “Who’s going to use this PC?” screen will appear. You can now create an offline account and sign in to Windows 10 without a Microsoft account—the option was there all along.

enter image description here

Source: Windows 10 Setup Now Prevents Local Account Creation

Is there any way to avoid this intrusion of "OneDrive", and the required Microsoft email address, in a fresh install of this newer Windows 10?

Since your account is linked to a Microsoft Account, all you have to do is disconnect the account, and you will be prompted to rename the profile. You will be asked to log out of the profile, when you log back into your local profile which will not be linked toyour Microsoft Account, you will have a new profile user directory.

I am also annoyed by that "jeffh" in the path. I never said I wanted a username of "jeffh". If I had been asked to provide a username, it would have been "me".

This is due to the fact your username is your Microsoft Account, which does contain those characters, but the entire username would be an invalid directory so Windows concatenates the username. You can disconnect your Microsoft Account in order to be prompted to assign a new user profile name, this will create a new user profile directory, and migrate your data.

enter image description here

Sources:

If you want to then connect to your Microsoft Account to your new local profile you can do so, which then assigned the linked profile, to the directory that already exists.

Source:

How do I disassociate Microsoft account credentials from an account in Windows 10?

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Ramhound
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