Windows 10 Home apparently forces Microsoft account sign in during setup, unless disconnected from Internet

Part of the setup process of Windows 10 usually involves creating, signing in with a Microsoft Account (MSA,) or signing in with an Offline Account locally without an MSA if you prefer not to use one. Well, according to new reporting from HowtoGeek, the latest version of Windows 10 Home with the May 2019 Update now steps back from that.

Though we haven’t confirmed it ourselves, it is being claimed that the latest stable versions of the May 2019 Update no longer automatically provides an alternate option for local sign-in during the first time set up process. Apparently, the option to create an Offline Account has disappeared entirely from the setup.

Clicking “Next” or “Create account,” during Account set up will automatically prompt for an MSA or Skype name. As HowtoGeek points out, clicking “Learn More” on the following set up pages will instead come up with the following disclaimer, telling users to create an MSA anyway, and then remove it in settings.

“If you’d prefer not to have a Microsoft account associated with your device, you can remove it. Finish going through Windows setup, then select the Start button and go to Settings > Accounts > Your info and select Sign in with a local account instead.”

We’ve reached out and asked Microsoft for a comment on this issue. However, for now, it would appear that the only way to bring back the classic option to use an Offline Account (and not use an MSA) would be to disconnect a PC from the internet during set up.

That can either be done by disabling WiFi or unplugging the Ethernet cable. This will force the setup into an error code, and you can then “Skip” the process of creating an MSA, and see the old Offline Account option.