Microsoft attempts to steer Windows users away from local accounts

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Alfonso Maruccia

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Facepalm: Like Google, Apple, and other major online providers, Microsoft is willing to play dirty to keep users within its digital ecosystem. The Redmond corporation is now making it difficult for Windows 11 users by removing official instructions on how to convert an online account into a local one.

The Windows ecosystem was traditionally designed to treat users fairly, offering unprecedented openness and software backward compatibility that turned a "simple" OS into a major force in the technology and computing world. However, fairness, compatibility, and openness are now somewhat obsolete concepts, as Big Tech proactively harvest users' data to train AI algorithms, sell advertising, or improve their own products.

Microsoft has long tried to push PC users toward an online-only experience, making local account creation increasingly difficult, starting with the Windows installation process. Recently, the company modified the online guide related to Microsoft and local accounts, which now lacks any official instructions on converting a Microsoft account to a local one.

Thanks to the Internet Archive's Wayback Machine, the previous version of the guide can still be viewed as it was before the change. Microsoft provided detailed instructions on switching from a Microsoft account to a local account, although the company still recommended an online account for "seamless integration of Microsoft services," enhanced security capabilities, device synchronization, and more.

The newly revised guide now only provides instructions on switching from a local account to a Microsoft account, with the local account-focused section completely removed. Microsoft now claims that an online account offers several benefits over a local account, suggesting that users would be better off changing their previously created offline accounts to the "latest and greatest" computing experience provided by a Microsoft account.

A corporate-owned, online-only, cloud-tied account is now the standard requirement imposed by mobile platform owners such as Google (Android) and Apple (iOS), and Microsoft clearly wants to make Windows an exclusively cloud-oriented platform as well.

Even though Microsoft no longer provides official instructions, Windows 11 users can still change their online account to a local one whenever they wish. The "Your Info" page in the Windows Settings app should provide everything needed to make the change, at least until Microsoft decides to remove the feature altogether.

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Microsoft attempts to steer Windows users away from local accounts

 
That fix for using a local account that TechSpot posts didn't work for my Windows 11 Pro. I tried it six months ago. I found a way to make a local account, during the installation process of Windows 11 Pro. I'm never going to use a Microsoft sign in. Microsoft simply cannot be trusted with any personal information. I can hardly believe it's legal for them to snoop on an operating system that I paid for. You would think it would be illegal anyway. Anyway, I gutted Win 11 Pro, from removing Edge (Windows Update won't install Edge either) to OneNote, and Copilot, to just about all the added BS programs Windows is using on Win 11 that I don't need. Windows 11 Pro (local account) is working just fine on my two-year-old HP. I still have a 14yr old Acer laptop, with Win 7 Pro installed. It's a bit slower than it used to be, but it works just fine.

I'm using Linux Mint too. Pretty soon, that's the only operating system I'll be using, period!
 
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Incidentally, if you're stuck on the idea of being forced into creating or logging in with a Microsoft account when you are setting up Windows, you can bypass that as well. As long as you aren't connected to a network you can press Shift + F10 to open up a command prompt window and type OOBE\BYPASSNRO . The Windows setup will restart and allow you to create a "limited" (lol) local account.

I imagine this is the workaround most are talking about.
 
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yRaz said:
It's easy, switch operating systems.
Click to expand...
No, for majority of people it's not only not easy, but also simply impossible, thanks to the fact we need to use various programs unavailable on Linux for work or what have you. There's also the small factor of gaming involved.

That said, a forced login might be just the last straw and I might really eventually be forced to maintain two machines: one completely isolated and sandboxed Win 11 one just for work & gaming, and other with Linux for my other PC activities. I'm still on Win 10, the telemetry and spying here is cancer but it can actually be controlled when using external firewall such as Simplewall. But what happens now with Win 11 is really too much.
 
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One of the biggest industries in the world today is to build as much of a complete profile on every individual as possible. This is worth huge amounts of money. So don't give it to them unless you're very well paid for your information.
 
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zx8086 said:
No, for majority of people it's not only not easy, but also simply impossible, thanks to the fact we need to use various programs unavailable on Linux for work or what have you. There's also the small factor of gaming involved.

That said, a forced login might be just the last straw and I might really eventually be forced to maintain two machines: one completely isolated and sandboxed Win 11 one just for work & gaming, and other with Linux for my other PC activities. I'm still on Win 10, the telemetry and spying here is cancer but it can actually be controlled when using external firewall such as Simplewall. But what happens now with Win 11 is really too much.
Click to expand...
I was making a joke, but since you're trying to be serious then I will. I did switch operating systems and it really isn't that hard to find alternatives that are just as easy to use but also free.

They're "different" but it doesn't take more than 20 hours of honest work to learn something just as well as another peice of software

I'm tired of hearing this argument because I actually did it. It's not hard, you're just lazy. What's even more ridiculous to me is that people would rather be inconvenienced for decades rather than spend a little time learning an alternative
 
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I mean they are doing really good, they steered me out of Windows all together!
it is a success in my book. The more people will go away from it, the more software will be released on Linux - if someone is still bound to it for some reason.
 
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I always wanted MS to have to strict versions of the main OS. Like a certain version strictly for privacy with all the convenience stuff gone, or a gaming tuned version just called WindowsX, strip out everything unnecessary for gaming.
 
This is a goal that MS is trying for many years now to accomplish.

Their main goal is that your hardware will be just a terminal and all your processes will be running on their servers, so they will have 100% control of your data-transactions.


My Advice.

Don't use Microsoft accounts (Roaming profiles) on your personal computer.

If you're using Windows 11:
Do not use any application from Microsoft Store.
Use only win32/64 applications.
Disable any service that you don't know what it does (for advanced users).
Remove all Appxpackages from your system.
Disable any history option that Win11 applies (for example clipboard).
Switch Calculator, Notepad, Paint and other converted apps to the old win32 classic apps (search internet for details).
Don't use Edge.
Use firewall for blocking all the telemetry sending to MS.

With all of that, and you may block 80% of that data is sending to the black hole.
 
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Microsludge just hasn't figured out that there are more than enough people out here on the internet to show how it's done without ever needing to consult with Microsoft. Soon they will try to eliminate the local account and cause a flood of users to MAC and Linux ....
 
Nearly all SCADA software runs on windows... These SCADA systems make our modern life possible. If we are not dealing with a domain joined clients, we need local accounts. There is no internet access in most of these environments.
 
I always just start with the Microsoft account at installation and then create another local user account with admin privileges. Then I delete the original Microsoft account.
 
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