Microsoft has been cracking down on the use of local accounts since the launch of Windows 11, but it's now almost impossible to use a local account unless you log in to your Microsoft account for ...

Want to create a local account in Windows 10? Microsoft discourages people from doing it, but the option is available. Share on Facebook (opens in a new window) Share on X (opens in a new window) ...

Choose to set up Windows 10 or 11 with a local account, and you're required to select three security questions to answer if you ever get locked out. Those questions include the typical ones, such as ...

One of the downgrades that Windows 10 users experience when moving to Windows 11, especially when clean-installing the newer operating system, is the inability to create a local account and set up ...

Upgrading to Windows 11 is still possible even after Windows 10 reached the end of support on October 14, 2025. Although many devices continue to run the retired operating system, switching to Windows ...

As time goes on, it is becoming increasingly clear that Microsoft is trying to make local accounts a thing of the past and push all new Windows 10 users to a Microsoft account. Historically, when ...

Microsoft really doesn’t want you creating a local account on Windows 11. Microsoft really doesn’t want you creating a local account on Windows 11. is a senior editor and author of Notepad, who has ...

A newly discovered trick allows Windows 11 users to bypass Microsoft’s online account requirement during setup, raising questions around user control and privacy. The workaround, shared by X user ...