The shift from local-only user accounts in Windows to Microsoft accounts wasn’t great for many reasons, and one of them is that your home folder would always have the same name as your email address.

Windows 11 has a new preview build It cracks down on workarounds to install the OS with a local account This is a continued campaign to force people to use a Microsoft account, and Microsoft argues it ...

Microsoft's latest Insider Preview, Build 26220.6772, introduces a significant policy change: removal of known workarounds to skip Microsoft Account setup during Windows 11 installation (OOBE).

Microsoft is blocking another way to choose a local account in Windows 11. You'd force a local account by disconnecting from the network. The block is currently in place in the latest Windows 11 ...

Microsoft is removing known workarounds for local account creation in Windows 11 setup (OOBE), effectively making a Microsoft Account (MSA) mandatory for most users. The company cites proper ...

Microsoft knows we want local accounts, not Microsoft accounts, but I don't think they'll deliver it -- even on the Windows 11 apology tour. After years of pissing me and other Windows 11 users off, ...

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A Microsoft VP doesn't like forcing a Microsoft account in Windows. This means the company may finally let you use a local account instead. This is part of an effort to make Windows more reliable and ...

After a 7-year corporate stint, Tanveer found his love for writing and tech too much to resist. An MBA in Marketing and the owner of a PC building business, he writes on PC hardware, technology, and ...

It is probably safe to say that most Neowin readers and Windows enthusiasts are not fans of the Microsoft Account requirement. In fact, even Windows 11 devs apparently dislike it. However, there can ...