Microsoft’s official guide to switching from a Microsoft Account to a local account in Windows has been reinstated. Microsoft’s support article entitled Change from a local account to a Microsoft account has always informed Windows 10 and 11 users how to switch to its favored online account sign-in option. However, last month we noticed that it had erased the set of instructions that novice users may have required to reverse this decision.
It is easy to understand why Microsoft wants new Windows users to sign into the OS using an online account. The company gets lots of useful data for monetizing users this way. On the user’s side of the equation it can also be quite convenient, with a Microsoft Account across several devices signing you into popular services like Edge, Office, Outlook, Skype, OneDrive etc – as well as remembering Windows settings and preferences. However, power users resent being forced one way or another.
