windows 8.1 - Automatic switch a local account to a Microsoft account or vice versa

When installing Windows 8 you are asked I you want to use a Microsoft Account or a Local Account.

If you want to control the name of your USERPROFILE path you need to create a Local Account with the desired USERNAME and then associate an MS account to it. Answer: How to choose a username when using a Microsoft Account in Windows 8?

Is there ANY difference in functionality (SkyDrive, settings/app sync, etc.) related to creating a Local Account with a desired username first and then associating it with a Microsoft Account later (instead of using ONLY a Microsoft Account without a Local Account)?

I want to control the name of my USERPROFILE path but am not sure if this "Local + Microsoft Account" approach causes any loss in functionality or if it provides a superset of functionality.

Why do I want to control the USERNAME and USERPROFILE path by using a Local Account?

Let's say your username is "bill" and your email address is "[email protected]".

If you choose to use a Local Account, you get a nice "clean" USERPROFILE path of:

• C:\Users\username

  Or in this example, C:\Users\bill

If you choose to use only a Microsoft Account, with the email of "[email protected]", you get a "messy" USERPROFILE path of:

• C:\Users\first_five_chars_of_email+_three_digit_counter

  Or in this example, C:\Users\bgate_000

I do not like the path name to my user files to be in the latter format.

I want a clean USERPROFILE path of "C:\Users\bill" instead of the "C:\Users\bgate_000" but I do not know if anything will be "less seamless" if I use the "Local+Microsoft Account" approach instead of the "Microsoft Account-only" approach.

Yes, it does. It is actually possible to remove the online association from an account that was created as an MS one.