Windows administrators have two options for creating accounts. They can use a local account or a Microsoft account to sign in to the operating system.
The default setting after installation forces the option to create a Microsoft account, but it is also possible (until today) to create a local account.
However, it seems that Microsoft is making it increasingly difficult to create local accounts during the initial setup and is discouraging users from creating local accounts.
A report from Reddit suggests that Microsoft is making it difficult to create local accounts during setup. The user in the post reported that there was no option to create a local user account after first booting up a Windows 10 system.
The user reported that the option to use an offline account was not available on the sign-in screen. An offline account is, of course, a local account that stores the password on the system and not in Microsoft's cloud.
One of the key differences between Microsoft accounts and local accounts is that the former is cloud-based while the latter is unique to the machine it is created on.
A Microsoft Account offers certain benefits such as the ability to use it across multiple systems, access to certain tools and services that require a Microsoft Account, or easier password reset options.
The main advantage of a local account, however, is that it is much more private and cannot be hacked as easily, as local access is required.
An additional advantage is that the user's folder has the name that the user chooses and not just the first five letters of the email address used to create the account at Microsoft.
Microsoft naturally wants to bring as many people as possible into the company's accounts, as the more the better for the company's ecosystem and the personalized data it collects.
What you can do
One of the simplest options is to disconnect from the Internet during setup. Creating a Microsoft account requires an Internet connection, and if Windows 10 detects that you don't have one, it will automatically show you the screen to create a local account.
This way, the system won't download some bloatware like Candy Crush Saga after the first boot.
Another option might be to use a Microsoft Account for the initial setup, but then create a local account for everyday use.
