Switch from a Microsoft account to a local account. It’s easy to and you won’t lose any data (documents, pictures etc).
Signing in to your home computer with a Microsoft account does offer some advantages, but in my opinion, they’re outweighed by the disadvantages.
With a local account you don’t need to worry about the possibility of losing access to your MS account.
You’d be surprised at how many people forget or lose their passwords or 2FA options and find themselves locked out of their own computer.
How To Change A Microsoft Account To A Local Account In Windows.
Switching from a Microsoft account to a local account is quite easy to do in both Windows 10 & Windows 11.
To get started, click the Start button and then type “your info“
Then click on Your Account Info (system settings). It’ll usually appear at the top of your search results.
Accounts – Your Info.
Your Info screen will open.
To switch to a local account, click “Sign in with a local account instead”.
After clicking the “Sign in with a local account instead” link, you’ll see a confirmation window appear.
Click the Next button to continue.
Confirm Your Identity.
You’ll need to confirm that it is actually you that’s doing this. Enter your Microsoft account PIN if you use one or the password for your account.
Local Account Info.
Now you’ll need to enter your details for the local account.
Generally the username box will already be filled, but you can change it to be anything you want it to be.
Below the username are boxes for the account password and a password hint.
The password you use could be the same as your Microsoft account, or you could use a different one. But whatever password you enter, please be sure to remember it.
If you want to add a password to the account, go ahead and fill in the relevant boxes.
But if you’d prefer to NOT have a password, then you can just leave the boxes blank.
Click the Next button when you’re ready.
Passwords & PINs.
If you normally sign in to your computer using a PIN, then setting a password for your local account will keep the PIN active.
Click the Sign Out & Finish button.
Windows will then sign you out of your Microsoft account.
And you should now be able to sign in with your local account.
Do You Use A PIN To Sign In?
Microsoft encourage users to setup and use a PIN (Personal Identification Number) to sign in to their accounts.
If you’ve set a password for your Local account and you previously used a PIN, then it will still work on your PC, even though you’re now signing in to a local account.
At the login screen, you’ll be asked for your PIN.
Enter the PIN to sign in to your computer.
How To Remove The PIN.
Signing in with a PIN isn’t for everyone. If you’d prefer to just use your password instead, then you can.
Click the Start button and type “sign in options”.
Then click on Sign In options (system settings).
On the Sign-in Options page, click the PIN (Windows Hello) button.
Then click the Remove button.
Next you’ll need to enter account password to verify yourself. Note that this will be the password that you used earlier when switching to a local account.
That might or might not be the same as your Microsoft account password.
Sign In With Your LocalAccount Password.
After a restart you’ll need to sign in with your password rather than the PIN.
Summary.
Using a local account to sign in to your home PC gives you more privacy and control over how your data is stored.
It also offers you easier account recovery options. However that is probably at the expense of security. MS accounts are much more difficult to get into if you don’t have the correct credentials.
Keep Up With Home Computer Guides.
All the latest guides and articles published on At Home Computer delivered to your inbox.
No account needed, just add your email address.
