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8 comments on “What Does Signing in to My Microsoft Account Really Mean in Windows?”

  1. What if you don’t want a Microsoft account at all? Is it possible to set up a Windows 11 machine using only a local account…?

    Reply
    • Yes. I’ll see about doing an article/video on it, but basically when it asks for your Microsoft account email, enter something bogus, with a bogus password. When that fails, there’ll be an additional option that begins the path to a local account.

      Reply
  2. One thing I hoped you would address is rather OBSCURE!

    1. You have a LOCAL account – however you got it.
    2. You THEN go ahead and log that account into a Microsoft ID, which it pressures you to do.
    3. Can you then GO BACK to that ORIGINAL local account?

    In other words, I know you can change a local account into one that logs into a Microsoft Account.
    Can you change back?
    As far as I know you cannot.

    Reply
    • There’s a workaround. Create a new local user account with administrator priviledges using the method Leo recommended in his ahswer to the Grand Rascal. Restart Windows and log into the new account. Remove the original account.

      Reply
  3. A clarification, RE: Microsoft Account & Local account. I plan to set up both, as you recommended.
    Since your email address is “universal”; I assume BOTH accounts will, can, use my Email address as the a account identifier. CORRECT?

    Also, unique, strong PASSWORDS are recommended. Out of curiosity, would identical passwords confuse either account– maybe indicating Microsoft is watching, monitoring your local account?

    Thanks for an informative article
    .

    Reply
    • You can se tup a local account in Windows by susconnecting from the Internet when you set it up.
      Since the email address is the account identifier, they would be looked as as the same account. I’m not sure bur I believe Windows wont let you use the same email for 2 accounts-
      Using the same password for both accounts shouldn’t be a problem as indows login allow the PIN to include letters and punctuation.

      Reply

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