Does your Windows Unlock Screen Password have to be the same as your Microsoft Account Password? If you use a different PW would that be a local account that is not synced to your MS Account, e.g. One Drive, MS Office would require a seperate login?
Yes, you can have different password to unlock the screen or PIN number that is not linked to your Microsoft account. However, I don't know hot to create a local account and then been offline to all other MS services (if I understood well what you would like to do). It should be possible.
If you still want to use the other options (OneDrive, Office 365, or Cortana for that matter) then I would just use a PIN or maybe a fingerprint scanner. If you don't want to use those services a local account will easily take care of that. If I understand correctly though it sounds like you do want to use these. Maybe you don't want to type out the password, or someone else is using the machine? Is so, I'd definitely go with the PIN or fingerprint scanner.
Thanks fax and xxJackxx My problem is that for security reasons I must change my Microsoft Account password ASAP. I do want to use the same PW for the Unlock/Log-In Screen as my Microsoft Account. I was wondering what the effect would be if I changed my Microsoft Account PW first and subsequently a problem developed, like my PC being tripped off by a power surge (a common occurrence where I live) before I changed my Login/Unlock Screen PW to match. I had assumed in the above scenario, that at worst, my old log-in/unlock password would log me in to a "local account" not associated with my Microsoft Account. Only The Paranoid Survive
Once you change your Microsoft account password it is changed. You will use it to log on to ANY device from that point forward. You old password will no longer be valid on any device.