People keep finding ways to make local accounts on Windows
Make an uncrackable method, and people will find a new way to crack it
Microsoft really, really would rather you use a Microsoft account to log into Windows. It tries its best to convince you; after all, signing into your PC with a Microsoft account lets you sync all of your data across all of your Windows-based devices. It also lets you log into its own services a lot easier. And you can enjoy all the apps on the Windows Store! It’s a fantastic deal – at least, Microsoft believes so.
But you didn’t always need a Microsoft account to sign into Windows. In fact, long before the internet was the widespread phenomenon it is today, there were no Microsoft accounts. If you wanted to sign into Windows, you made a local account. This is where the username and password are stored on the PC itself, instead of an online account. And this had benefits of its own, such as letting people who are concerned about privacy use their PC.
People keep noticing when Microsoft tries to stifle local account conversion
The company can’t catch a break
The problem is that Microsoft doesn’t like local accounts. Ideally, it wants everyone to use its online accounts – it’s how it can gather usage data, after all. The problem is, every time they try to sweep local accounts under the rug, its users end up biting back until Microsoft either gives up or reverts its change. So, here’s how local accounts have been a bugbear for Microsoft.
Some people don’t want their accounts tied to Microsoft’s services
Local accounts will always have its defenders
Some people just don’t want to use a Microsoft account, and who can blame them? While Microsoft would love to see everyone’s usage data, some people would prefer to tell the Redmond giant to mind its own business and let them use a local account instead. And as Elon said above, some people are worried about their privacy as Microsoft slowly adds more and more AI-based tools to Windows. Fortunately for these users, these AI features require a Microsoft account, so going local is a great way to hinder them.
Local accounts prove that less is more
Don’t get me wrong; it’s not like Microsoft is going to give this fight up any time soon. As the company adds more and more tools that require a Microsoft account to Windows, it’s going to start tightening the loopholes that let people use a local account. Unfortunately, people love the idea of local accounts so much that Microsoft will have to put up a powerful fight in order to get them to swap over to an online account – that is if they don’t change operating systems beforehand.
