How to fix 'Another user on this device uses this Microsoft Account' in Windows 11

[BMcQ]

There is no sign of another user who could be using this account in Settings>Accounts or Control Panel>User Accounts.

All the solutions to this problem that I've found so far seem to make use of the Local Security Policy, which is not on WIndows 11 Home any more. Could anyone advise where I might be able to look for user information, presumably retained in error?

 

[Trouble]

This sounds like one of those issues where, you need to be absolutely sure of what you are doing before proceeding...

All the solutions to this problem that I've found so far seem to make use of the Local Security Policy, which is not on WIndows 11 Home

There is a solution here, which involves the Windows Registry Editor.
HKEY_USERS\.DEFAULT\Software\Microsoft\IdentityCRL\StoredIdentities

Give it a read and see if you think it might be helpful in resolving your particular issue.

Another user on this device uses this Microsoft account, so you can't add it here

Fix Microsoft account is already here, Another user on this device uses this Microsoft account, so you can't add it here error on Windows PC or Xbox.

www.thewindowsclub.com

Using the Windows Registry Editor can cause serious, system-wide problems that may require you to re-install Windows to correct them. It cannot be guaranteed that any problems resulting from the use of the Windows Registry Editor can be solved. If you choose to edit the Windows Registry please understand that you do so at your own risk so unless you feel fairly comfortable and confident you should probably not use the Editor. Changes made to the Windows Registry can take effect immediately and those that do not will take effect following the next reboot of your computer, and a current backup is not automatically made for you....So manually create a system restore point, backup the registry and export the key you are editing for safe keeping before doing so.

 

[BMcQ]

Many thanks for this, but I had seen it and found secpol.msc didn't work in Windows 11. Is there an alternative to this?

 

[Trouble]

Many thanks for this, but I had seen it and found secpol.msc didn't work in Windows 11. Is there an alternative to this?

Yes...
In the article that I linked above, just below the information regarding the Security Policy Console is described a method to make the same changes using the registry editor.
AGAIN... observe backup policies regarding the editing of the Windows Registry.

 

[BMcQ]

Yes...
In the article that I linked above, just below the information regarding the Security Policy Console is described a method to make the same changes using the registry editor.
AGAIN... observe backup policies regarding the editing of the Windows Registry.

Oh I'm sorry. I was thinking this was a 2-step fix, not alternatives.
I did actually try the regedit anyway and found an entry for the problem account which I deleted. Having restarted the issue was still there so I restored the registry backup (though that entry has not reappeared).
Is there any way to find the user/s connected to an email perhaps? And would I get this message if the user existed an a different PC?
Sorry - really struggling with MS Accounts.

 

[BMcQ]

I looked for help to change from a local account to Microsoft when logging into Windows 11 a couple of years ago. I did get some replies which I tried but no result, then nothing. I'd hoped after this time things may have sorted themselves out so tried again, but I still encounter the same problem.

When I try to change the login on my PC to a Microsoft Account, I get: "Another user on this device uses this Microsoft account, so you can't add it here."

There are no other users! Certainly none I can find and I've looked everywhere Google can suggest.

StoredIdentities in the Registry just shows (Default) REG_SZ after my previous attempt to fix.

I'm now starting to wonder about Credentials but only because CredManLog in the Registry shows my two email addresses each containing a folder named S-1-5-21-... with IsMissingCred and REG_DWORD.

Can anyone help? ?

 

[RogerOver]

Hi,

I don't know whether I can help you. But your question made me stumble about something.

I had never heard about this "CredManLog" entry in the registry. So I searched for it and found two entries in my registry. The first one is the main entry, the second one is a (the sole) sub-entry (see screenshots, please have a special look at the red encercled number in one of them, which ends by a "1")

I say this, because I very recently (2 days ago) did a clean install of Windows 11 (with the latest MCT). I didn't manage to create a local account directly (despite all the known workarounds), so I accepted to create a Microsoft account first, but then immediately created another account with the command line tool: https://operating-systems.wonderhow...ser-account-using-cmd-prompt-windows-0125689/ copied everything in the user folder over from the first created account and then deleted this first (Microsoft) account.

Then I run "Reg Cool" (there are other softwares to do that) to search for any entry left in the Registry with the old username and deleted them. No problem so far !

But now it comes:

I also followed this thread: https://www.elevenforum.com/t/change-name-of-user-profile-folder-in-windows-11.2133/ to delete the links to the old account in "Computer\HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\ProfileList\"

My new (local) account had - based on the username in the profile list - the final number "-1005"; ... so I deleted the profile with the end number "-1001".

But as (following your question), I now looked - by pure curiosity - for the "CredManLog"-entry in my registry, I found that there is still the number "-1001" !

---

So I do not know whether I should now change my "-1005" to "-1001" (in the "Profile List") or "-1001" to "-1005" (in "CredManLog"), or simply do nothing, because: "if it aint broke, don't fix it".

Didn't dare to try it !

Good look !


Edit 1: I just run the search in the registry again for the "-1001" number. It found 424 entries ! ... OMG !
So "je donne ma langue aux chats" !
Sorry !

Edit 2: I now also run the search in the registry for the number "-1005". It found also 424 entries ! So may be you can completely remove one account. But I don't do it now (perhaps one day) ! I just did a clean install !

 

[BMcQ]

Many thanks for the reply. You've now drawn my attention to that reference number in the Registry (seems to be called the SID).

I have 2 set of main and (sole) sub-entries, one with each of my Microsoft accounts (personal & business) on the main line. What I've now noticed, prompted by you to inspect the SID more closely, is that they're both identical.

Whilst I am able to switch from a Local Account to the business Microsoft account, an attempt to change to the personal one brings up this "Another user on this device uses this Microsoft account, so you can't add it here" message.

I'm thinking you may well know more about this SID and whether this duplication may be causing the error. It appears they're not meant to be duplicated...
Thanks again

 

[RogerOver]

I'm thinking you may well know more about this SID and whether this duplication may be causing the error.

Frankly speaking, no. I am always proceding by trial and error. And I think I have learned a lot, thanks to you !

My personal conclusion from this discussion [this has nothing to do with your situation, which is completely different; ... I am just wondering whether Microsoft wants (or wanted in the past) to link business to individuals] is that removing the (user) name from the registry is not sufficient. There is always a number associated with the name.
... Like in George Orwell's "1984" ! ... And that is all I can say, there is absolutely no "behind thinking".