How can I stop the Microsoft account popup from appearing during device startup?

Question

When my computer boots, a white loading screen (as shown in the included screenshot) appears. The popup cannot be closed, and no hotkeys seem to work. While Ctrl+Alt+Delete allows me to open Task Manager, I am unable to use it to close the popup. Rebooting the device does not resolve the issue either.

Answer 1

Hello Siesio,

Welcome to the Microsoft Community.

To stop the Microsoft account popup from appearing during startup, you may need to identify and resolve the underlying cause. The issue could be related to a misconfiguration, a pending action, or a system setting causing the popup to display every time you boot your computer.

Here's how you can attempt to resolve the issue:

1. Check Startup Programs for the Popup

It’s possible that the popup is related to an application that is set to start automatically when your computer boots.

• Open Task Manager: Press Ctrl + Shift + Esc.
• Go to the Startup tab and review the list of programs set to start automatically.
• Look for anything related to Microsoft account or sign-in.
• Right-click on any suspicious programs and select Disable.
• Restart your computer to see if the popup still appears.

2. Sign Out of Microsoft Account for Local Account

If you're being prompted to sign into a Microsoft account, you can switch to a local account, which will stop the prompt from appearing.

Steps to switch to a Local Account:

1. Press Windows + I to open Settings.
2. Go to Accounts > Your info.
3. Under Account settings, click on Sign in with a local account instead.
4. Follow the prompts to create a local account and sign out of the Microsoft account.

This should remove any Microsoft account popups tied to the sign-in process.

3. Disable Microsoft Account Notification at Startup

The popup may be a notification related to syncing your Microsoft account. You can disable these types of notifications.

Steps:

1. Press Windows + I to open Settings.
2. Go to System > Notifications & actions.
3. Scroll down and turn off the notifications related to Account Sync or any option that may be prompting the Microsoft account popup.
4. Disable Microsoft Account Sync

If the issue is related to the sync feature of your Microsoft account, disabling sync might prevent the popup.

Steps to disable Microsoft Account Sync:

1. Open Settings (press Windows + I).
2. Go to Accounts > Sync your settings.
3. Turn off the Sync settings toggle.
4. Check for Pending Microsoft Updates

Sometimes a pending update for your Microsoft account or a system update can cause issues like this. Check for updates that might fix this behavior.

Steps to Check for Updates:

1. Open Settings (press Windows + I).
2. Go to Update & Security > Windows Update.
3. Click Check for updates.
4. Install any available updates, especially those related to Microsoft accounts or system issues.
5. Remove Microsoft Account from Device

If the Microsoft account login prompt continues to appear, you can remove the Microsoft account from the device entirely and sign in with a local account.

Steps to Remove Microsoft Account:

1. Press Windows + I to open Settings.
2. Go to Accounts > Email & accounts.
3. Under Accounts used by other apps, select the Microsoft account and click Remove.
4. Check for Group Policy or Registry Settings

If the popup persists, it might be related to a Group Policy or Registry setting that forces the use of a Microsoft account at startup.

Disabling Microsoft Account at Startup via Group Policy (for Windows Pro versions):

1. Press Windows + R, type gpedit.msc, and press Enter.
2. Navigate to Computer Configuration > Administrative Templates > Windows Components > Cloud Experience.
3. Look for settings like Do not use the Microsoft account and enable it to stop automatic Microsoft account login at startup.

Disabling Microsoft Account via Registry (for Home versions):

1. Press Windows + R, type regedit, and press Enter.
2. Navigate to: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\System
3. Look for a key named EnableFirstLogonAnimation and set its value to 0 (zero) if it exists.
4. Restart your computer.

Disclaimer: Generally, modifying registry subkeys or work group is intended for advanced users, administrators, and IT Professionals. It can help fix some problems, however, serious problems might occur if you modify the registry incorrectly. Therefore, make sure that you follow these steps carefully. For further protection, back up the registry before you modify it. Then, you can restore the registry if a problem occurs. For more information about how to back up and restore the registry, click this following link: How to back up and restore the registry in Windows - Microsoft Support 

8. Perform a System Restore

If the issue is recent and you suspect it may be caused by a system change, performing a System Restore could help.

Steps for System Restore:

1. Type System Restore in the search bar and click Create a restore point.
2. Click on System Restore and follow the prompts to restore your computer to a point before the issue started.
3. Check for Malware

A malicious program could be causing this unexpected behavior. Run a thorough scan to rule out any potential malware.

• Open Task Manager (Ctrl + Shift + Esc) and look for any unfamiliar processes that might be causing the popup.
• Run a full scan with Windows Defender or use a third-party malware scanner like Malwarebytes.

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Summary:

To prevent the Microsoft account popup from appearing at startup, you should:

1. Disable or remove the Microsoft account from your device.
2. Switch to a local account instead of using a Microsoft account.
3. Turn off notifications and sync for the Microsoft account.
4. Check for pending updates or troubleshoot using Group Policy or Registry settings (if applicable).
5. Use System Restore if the issue started after a change or update.

If the issue persists despite these steps, consider performing a clean boot or reinstalling Windows.

Perform a clean boot to see if a background program is causing the issue. This will start Windows with a minimal set of drivers and startup programs. How to perform a clean boot in Windows - Microsoft Support

1. Press Windows + R, type msconfig, and press Enter.
2. Go to the Services tab, check Hide all Microsoft services, and then click Disable all.
3. Go to the Startup tab and click Open Task Manager.
4. Disable all startup items.
5. Restart your computer.
   Disclaimer: A “clean boot” starts Windows with a minimal set of drivers and startup programs. It helps to determine whether a background service is interfering with your game or program and to isolate the cause of a problem.   
   These steps of "clean boot" might look complicated at first glance. However, to avoid any trouble for you, please follow them in order and step-by step so that it will help you get back on track.

Perform an In-place Upgrade: An in-place upgrade is a method of reinstalling Windows. The principle of an in-place upgrade is to upgrade the system from the old version to the latest version while retaining the original system and user data, overwriting only the system files, and restoring the normal use of the system. The detailed steps are as follows.

1. Visit the official Microsoft website, Download Windows 11
2. Use the installation tool to create a USB installation disk or ISO file.
3. Insert the USB installation disk or mount the ISO file, and then run setup.exe.
4. Select the "Upgrade this PC" option and click "Next".
5. Make sure to select the "Keep personal files and apps" option and click "Install".
6. The process may take some time, please wait patiently for it to complete.

Disclaimer: Let's try to perform an in-place upgrade, which will refresh your Windows files and operating system without deleting files or applications. But if there is important data on the computer, we still recommend backing it up in advance.

Best Regards,

William.Y | Microsoft Community Support Specialist