Microsoft Closer to Removing Local Accounts from Windows 11, Removes Help Page on How to Switch to One

[btarunr]

Microsoft really wants you to use Windows 11 with an online Microsoft Account. This lets the operating system integrate the single login for Microsoft Store, all the apps on it, Office or 365, Teams, OneDrive, Outlook, and more importantly, put a face to your name (making you and your machine identifiable to it). Some users, particularly power-users, tend to avoid this, by preferring local accounts—an account that's authenticated and maintained locally by the machine. Microsoft is viewed as making it increasingly difficult for users to create local accounts, particularly on the client versions of Windows, such as Windows 11 Home and Windows 11 Pro.

The Windows Setup by default flows you into creating a Microsoft Account, or logging in from one. Over the past several versions of Windows, Microsoft has made it harder, if not impossible, to create a local account during Setup. In what could be a step closer by the company to wean the market off local accounts, Microsoft removed the online Help page that guides users on how to switch from a Microsoft Account to a local one, as Tweaktown found out. The publication dug the page out using the Wayback Machine. Will Microsoft completely remove the ability to create local accounts? We don't know. All versions of Windows 11 and Windows 10 sit on the Windows NT architecture, which requires some form of local accounts. The Microsoft Account itself is layered on top of a local account. So, the ability to create a local account shouldn't go away for those who really want one, but it will be close to impossible for the vast majority of users trained by Google and Apple to have online accounts on their phones.



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[Marsil]

Glad I learned Linux a couple of months ago!!

 

[Kohl Baas]

Glad I learned Linux a couple of months ago!!

How's gaming going on that platform? Is it good?

 

[darakian]

How's gaming going on that platform? Is it good?

It's not bad at all. Valve has really put in the work such that basically any linux distro can install steam, turn on proton and go to town. Nvidia drivers are still annoying, but if you've got amd or intel hardware it's mac levels of easy.

 

[Broken Processor]

I wouldn't be surprised if at some point they removed local accounts completely.

 

[Chaitanya]

Screw them, I hope EU takes them at task with this nonsense of forcing MS account on users.

 

[kondamin]

I wouldn't be surprised if at some point they removed local accounts completely.

If they want to keep government/corporate users that’s not going to happen.

Now that I’m thinking about it I should make a series of complaints against the practice to my representatives and consumer protection agencies as it’s basically locking me in to Microsoft cloud services

 

[b1k3rdude]

Screw them, I hope EU takes them at task with this nonsense of forcing MS account on users.

Exactly this, its monopolistic abuse of power.

But this is basically a dead horse, as for biz/corps, there to be a local/network account that cannot for any reason be an online account for obvious security reasons. So as that option alwasy exists, then there will ALWAYS be a way to work around this inane b$.

 

[Prima.Vera]

I use home a local account since I don't need that bs with username and password prompt every time I start my PC or resume from sleep mode.

 

[GoldenX]

How's gaming going on that platform? Is it good?

If you have NVIDIA or AMD, great. If you have Intel, worse than on Windows.

Glad I moved to Enterprise IoT LTSC to avoid all the new bloat and get local accounts support directly from the installer.

 

[DaemonForce]

MS actin a little parasocial fr.
Who's terminally online now?

 

[ExcuseMeWtf]

W10 or Linux it is for me then, officially.

 

[lemonadesoda]

I'm finding MS increasingly invasive. So much so, that I'm struggling not to get angry whenever I use skype. I'm looking for alternatives. As for OS, I think I'd better bag another W10 LTSC while I still can. I used W2K3 well past it's sell by date, in fact, I still have a couple servers on W2K3. So W10LTSC here I come...

 

[Chaitanya]

Exactly this, its monopolistic abuse of power.

But this is basically a dead horse, as for biz/corps, there to be a local/network account that cannot for any reason be an online account for obvious security reasons. So as that option alwasy exists, then there will ALWAYS be a way to work around this inane b$.

Unfortunately when it comes to forcing accounts onto users M$ is trailing behind Google and Apple by quite a bit of large margin(and yes MS will be jealous about the stuff those have been allowed get away with compared to MS in late 90s). Google and Apple(even Samsung who doesnt even allow for updates of their apps through Samsung store without phone having either Samsung or Google account) are far worse with locking out users out of even accessing app stores(until recently sideloading of apps on iOS was also locked out). If EU, and US investigation agencies have any cojones then they should open an investigation about this monopolistic behaviour(more than enough dirt compared to US vs MS case of 2001).

I'm finding MS increasingly invasive. So much so, that I'm struggling not to get angry whenever I use skype. I'm looking for alternatives. As for OS, I think I'd better bag another W10 LTSC while I still can. I used W2K3 well past it's sell by date, in fact, I still have a couple servers on W2K3. So W10LTSC here I come...

MS is only learning from the best in business thats Google and Apple.

 

[JAKra]

It's not bad at all. Valve has really put in the work such that basically any linux distro can install steam, turn on proton and go to town. Nvidia drivers are still annoying, but if you've got amd or intel hardware it's mac levels of easy.

Couple of months ago (January I think) I've tried multiple distros and drivers for gaming on desktop.
HDR for games in linux is STILL non-existent in 2024, it was a major letdown for me.
In games I play/tried I got much lower FPS. ~200FPS in Windows; same settings in Linux I got ~120 with stuttering.
I went back to Win 11 and made it feel&look like Win 7.
(

)

 

[john_]

I guess keeping a Windows XP/7/Linux machine around will be the best thing to do. Doing casual stuff on the Windows machine and everything considered more personal on the WinXP/7/Linux machine.
Where we are going it does explain why Microsoft has made it so easy and cheap to have authentic or "authentic" windows in PCs. Keys on line are sold for 2-3 euros, activation scripts on github for everyone to use. Even without activation the OS doesn't shut down as the older versions where doing, after an hour. Someone can use a Windows PC without needing to activate it, ever.

 

[qlum]

Just as a mirror android technically does not require a google account, certain google apps and the play store do, but as long as you download apps through different stores, if they are available.

Still On winsows 11 pro the option to "join" a local domain still exists and I don't think that will go away anytime soon, so that should remain an option.

 

[Vayra86]

Screw them, I hope EU takes them at task with this nonsense of forcing MS account on users.

This is gonna be fun! Is MS really going to make Windows an online service with a substantial user count and market penetration? Hi, here's the DMA. The same one that is now forcing Apple to open up their store and also allow sideloading with no barriers for consumer or dev.

Digital Markets Act

The Digital Markets Act is the EU’s law to make the markets in the digital sector fairer and more contestable.

digital-markets-act.ec.europa.eu

Let's go Nadella, I have a nice set of middle fingers for you. So far W11 is a fat no and 10 might be the last Windows I'll ever even connect to the interwebs. I'll just wait until the EU forces you back to sanity.

I guess keeping a Windows XP/7/Linux machine around will be the best thing to do. Doing casual stuff on the Windows machine and everything considered more personal on the WinXP/7/Linux machine.
Where we are going it does explain why Microsoft has made it so easy and cheap to have authentic or "authentic" windows in PCs. Keys on line are sold for 2-3 euros, activation scripts on github for everyone to use. Even without activation the OS doesn't shut down as the older versions where doing, after an hour. Someone can use a Windows PC without needing to activate it, ever.

Everything more personal... on a XP or 7 machine? Like what? Banking? Have you lost the plot, or? That's like securing your house with a big sign that says 'collect my stuff between these hours, because I'm gone now'.

I'm finding MS increasingly invasive. So much so, that I'm struggling not to get angry whenever I use skype. I'm looking for alternatives. As for OS, I think I'd better bag another W10 LTSC while I still can. I used W2K3 well past it's sell by date, in fact, I still have a couple servers on W2K3. So W10LTSC here I come...

Yeah this feels more sensible by the day too now to me.

But this is basically a dead horse, as for biz/corps, there to be a local/network account that cannot for any reason be an online account for obvious security reasons. So as that option alwasy exists, then there will ALWAYS be a way to work around this inane b$.

I think MS will be forced back into making these features non hidden and even part of the flow when you setup the system. Probably in the shape of a tiny button somewhere in those screens It'll take a few years of back and forth and then they'll get the reality check again.

 

[john_]

Everything more personal... on a XP or 7 machine? Like what? Banking? Have you lost the plot, or? That's like securing your house with a big sign that says 'collect my stuff between these hours, because I'm gone now'.

Of course not banking. Are you nuts.
But how about sending mails, posting online personal opinions, for example? No need MS to (also) know everything I write and post.

I think MS will be forced back into making these features non hidden and even part of the flow when you setup the system. Probably in the shape of a tiny button somewhere in those screens It'll take a few years of back and forth and then they'll get the reality check again.

Or use Rufus to create a bootable USB with default creation and usage of a local account. I bet even if future versions of Windows hide this option completely, programmers will create programs that build installation media having the option to force a local account. MS will have to completely remove this possibility to make online accounts mandatory.

 

[Jeager]

How's gaming going on that platform? Is it good?

It's very good (amd & wayland) but you might have some issues with MP games (with craps devs who doesnt enable their useless anticheat to work like pubg & bf5)
Recent game like Squad / THE FINAL / Helldiver2 all working flawlessly

Couple of months ago (January I think) I've tried multiple distros and drivers for gaming on desktop.
HDR for games in linux is STILL non-existent in 2024, it was a major letdown for me.
In games I play/tried I got much lower FPS. ~200FPS in Windows; same settings in Linux I got ~120 with stuttering.
I went back to Win 11 and made it feel&look like Win 7.
(

)

What GPU did you have ?
KDE now manage HDR so it might be better

 

[Vayra86]

Of course not banking. Are you nuts.
But how about sending mails, posting online personal opinions, for example? No need MS to (also) know everything I write and post.

Online and XP/7 feels similarly nuts, perhaps you should read up on security a little bit. I'll take MS's keylogger over the one from a random nobody somewhere in Timbuktu, to be honest. I think you're just making your own life complicated that way for a false sense of security. Its totally counterproductive to be on ANY OS that is no longer kept up to date unless you keep it disconnected. You're basically advocating users trade in known security issues for unknown security issues. In what world is it better to not know attack vectors?

 

[Carillon]

So 10 was indeed the last windows

 

[john_]

Online and XP/7 feels similarly nuts, perhaps you should read up on security a little bit. I'll take MS's keylogger over the one from a random nobody somewhere in Timbuktu, to be honest. I think you're just making your own life complicated that way for a false sense of security. Its totally counterproductive to be on ANY OS that is no longer kept up to date unless you keep it disconnected.

I have seen videos where XP is infected in zero time online, but those videos are made with windows XP completely unsecured, connected online directly and not through a router, if I am not mistaken. But what about an XP system with an antivirus(even old and not currently updated), a firewall and a router that comes with it's own protection layers. I am playing with an ancient Athlon XP, running ....Windows XP, that I do connect online. It's obviously dead slow, but having connected it for hours, even days, when I connect it's SSD on a Windows 11 system and check it, Win11 finds nothing malicious on it.

 

[JWNoctis]

Anyone still recall the suit over bundling IE with Windows 9x? That seemed to pale in comparison yet there don't seem to be nearly the same brouhaha. Shame.

I have seen videos where XP is infected in zero time online, but those videos are made with windows XP completely unsecured, connected online directly and not through a router, if I am not mistaken. But what about an XP system with an antivirus(even old and not currently updated), a firewall and a router that comes with it's own protection layers. I am playing with an ancient Athlon XP, running ....Windows XP, that I do connect online. It's obviously dead slow, but having connected it for hours, even days, when I connect it's SSD on a Windows 11 system and check it, Win11 finds nothing malicious on it.

A guess is it depends on what you visit with your browser, what you run, and most importantly whether the computer's own ports are visible from the network. It might be an acceptable risk, if it's merely for playing around with nothing valuable, which included any logins for places you value.

I'd just leave retro systems to retro gaming.

 

[Yttersta]

I understand that to compete with their biggest competitor (mac OS) they have to implement features that are cloud based like this, allowing for inter-device operations but Microsoft should understand that if I wanted to use a device like that I would have switched long before Stop competing, do you own thing, don't betray your own user. You are already pushing for online accounts a lot on Win11, let the option for a local account remain. Hide it if you wish, but removing it completely will alienate users like me and it will only, and actually, make me think of switching whereas I normally wouldn't consider it an option given the status-quo.