Last week I installed Skype Metro version on my Windows 8.1 Dell XPS 12. I was frustrated that it made me use a Microsoft account rather than my Skype userid I've used for years. After doing that, I noticed my Office apps were all logged into Skydrive. I guess this is part of Microsoft's plan to force us into their cloud.
Anyway, without realizing my Win8.1 account was entirely different now, especially the password is now the Microsoft one, I failed the new Windows authentication of Chromes's "show password" feature. I had been using a 4-digit PIN to log in to Win8.1 for months, which didn't change when my account was linked to Microsoft after the Skype install. This is why I hadn't realized what Skype Metro had actually done (changed my entire Windows account, not just made me log in to Skype with it).
After struggling with Chrome's authentication (I was using my old local account's password, not my Microsoft account's password), I deactivated the PIN and rebooted. At that point, I saw my email address in the login screen of windows, and then I realized the computer is using my Microsoft account.
When I did finally log in properly using Microsoft.com password (instead of a PIN), I got stuck at a black screen with a mouse that moves. Ctrl-Alt-Del gets me the menu with lock, switch user, etc. The Task Manager won't start, however.
I can reboot in safe mode using Shift-restart and the troubleshoot advanced options, but my system disk doesn't have 16G free to do the refresh option. I cant free up that much.
Is there an easy way to undo the Microsoft account "become one with the collective" operation and return to my local authentication? I suspect something is broken between the two.
[Edit] I am thinking my account got corrupted because the Microsoft linkage occurred while I was using a PIN option in Windows 8.1. I am unable to unlink the account, in Safe Mode with networking, because no "Disconnect" option is presented in the "Your account settings" window. I'm unable to login to my account normally as it hangs at the black screen as mentioned above.