Use a local account in Windows 11

 

1. Open the Windows 11 settings app
2. Select Accounts, by clicking your profile picture
3. Select Your Info
4. Select "Sign in with a local account instead" (under Account Settings)
5. Windows 11 will then guide you through the process of switching to a local account on your PC

Notes from my changeover to Lenovo with Windows 11

Miscellaneous Stuff I Did

1. Note: at the earliest point you can, detach and uninstall OneDrive. Do this before you put any files on your new computer!
2. To see my NAS devices, the easiest way was to get a new copy from the web of the Buffalo Nas Navigator Utility which was here: https://www.buffalotech.com/support/downloads/linkstation-pro
3. Once I installed that, I could use it to instantly see the two devices and to map them from the utility. It still defaulted to L and then M.
4. Next I was able to copy the entire Windows software folder from one of the NAS devices down to my hard drive
5. From there I was able to install apps I still want such as the address book and Paint Shop pro.
6. I quickly realized I need to uninstall OneDrive. It's an installed app. I had to go through several machinations to completely get rid of it, including a registry edit. OneDrive should have been first in my list. Below are the instructions from Gemini, but I also did other stuff.
7. The file explorer menu put some important function into "more options" which was annoying. So I did a regedit according to these instructions: https://www.pcgamer.com/windows-11-context-menu-fix-right-click/.
8. I wanted to see this new Lenovo from my old Dell. Here's the credentials format. See Lastpass-->my microsoft account to get the exact credentials:
1. \\computername\sharedfolder
2. my current microsoft password
9. I found a possible reason why I can see obi-wan on the network but not Chidi. I thought it might be because obi-wan setting said don't use DHCP. But Chidi setting said do use DHCP. So I changed Chidi to not use DHCP, but after rebooting, I still can only see Obi-wan on the network. I do see another possible cause, which is that Chidi's workgroup is called workgroup, while Obi-wan's workgroup is called homenet. 

OneDrive Instructions from Gemini

Uninstalling OneDrive and deleting the folder are good first steps, but Windows 11 might still try to access OneDrive if registry entries or settings haven't been cleared. Here's how to make Windows 11 forget OneDrive completely:

1. Unlink OneDrive (if you haven't already):

• Right-click the OneDrive cloud icon in the notification area (usually near the clock).

• Select "OneDrive Help and Settings" icon, then "Settings".

• Go to the "Account" tab.

• Click "Unlink this PC".

2. Clean Up Registry (This step requires caution, back up your registry before proceeding):

• Open the Start menu and search for "regedit".

• Important: Be careful when editing the registry, mistakes can cause system instability. It's recommended to create a backup of your registry before proceeding (https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/topic/how-to-back-up-and-restore-the-registry-in-windows-855140ad-e318-2a13-2829-d428a2ab0692).

• Navigate to: HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\User Shell Folders

• Look for entries named "Personal" and "My Pictures" (might have OneDrive path).

• Right-click each entry and select "Modify".

• In the "Value data" field, enter the default location for these folders (e.g., C:\Users\%USERNAME%\Documents for Personal).

• Click "OK" and repeat for other OneDrive related entries you find (if any).

3. Group Policy Editor (For Windows 11 Pro or Enterprise):

• Search for "gpedit.msc" in the Start menu and open it.

• Navigate to: Computer Configuration > Administrative Templates > Windows Components > OneDrive

• You can disable OneDrive policies here (e.g., "Prevent the use of OneDrive for file storage").

After following these steps, restart your computer for changes to take effect. OneDrive should no longer be referenced by Windows 11.

Note: If you're unsure about any registry edits, it's best to seek help from a technician or skip this step.