Microsoft has been pushing hard for its users to sign into Windows with a Microsoft Account. The newest Windows 11 installer removed the easy bypass to the requirement that you make an account or login with your existing account.
If you didn't install Windows 11 without a Microsoft Account and now want to stop sending the company your data, you can still switch to a local account after the fact. Microsoft even had instructions on how to do this on its official support website – or at least it used to...
Changing Login Credentials
Microsoft's 'Change from a local account to a Microsoft Account' guide shows users how they can change their Windows 11 PC login credentials to use their Microsoft Account. The company also supplied instructions on how to 'Change from a Microsoft account to a local account' on the same page. However, when we checked the page using the Wayback Machine, the instructions on how to do the latter appeared on June 12, 2024, then disappeared on June 17, 2024.
It's apparent that Microsoft really wants users to sign up and use their services, much like how Google and Apple make you create an account so you can make full use of your Android or iDevice. While Windows 11 still lets you use the OS with a local account, these developments show that Microsoft wants this option to be inaccessible, at least for the average consumer.
