In theory, signing into Windows with a Microsoft account is a good idea. It allows Windows to perform some handy quality-of-life services without the user having to lift a finger. From syncing settings between computers to automatically signing you into services like Microsoft Copilot, giving people the option to tie their account to Windows sounds great.

The problem is, Windows 11 doesn't give you any options. If you want to use the operating system as Microsoft intended, you're forced to use a Microsoft account during the setup process. There's no easy way to create a local account —, one where you can use a username and password you create for your PC specifically. And while Microsoft seems adamant about keeping people using Microsoft accounts to sign into Windows, there are a few good reasons why the company should allow local accounts again.

3 Windows privacy concerns are mounting more than ever before

People just aren't happy about tying their offline activity to an online service

Did you know you have to sign into Microsoft Copilot to use all of its features? You'd be forgiven if you didn't think you had to; after all, if you click the Copilot button on your taskbar, you can ask it whatever you please without it ever asking for a sign-in prompt. That's because Copilot grabs your login from your Windows account and uses it to sign in.

People have privacy concerns about services automatically signing them into things they might not want. Elon Musk reignited this discussion in a post on X after he purchased a new laptop and discovered he couldn't "skip signing into or creating a Microsoft account," which refers to the older method of creating a local account on Windows.

I understand why Microsoft forces people to use a Microsoft account, but I also feel that it should give people the option to manually sign into the services they want to use. While the current system allows for a lot of convenience on the user's end, it also assumes that the user wants to engage with every service Windows has to offer, which simply isn't true. A local account fixes this privacy problem with very little effort on Microsoft's side.

2 Local accounts give users more control over their account security

Not everyone wants a password-protected account

Another good-in-theory idea behind using Microsoft accounts to log into Windows is that it takes the onus off of the user to secure their Windows account. Instead, Windows can lock your account behind your Microsoft password by default, with options to change the login method locked behind a password entry screen. It's a great way to keep people's PCs safe without them needing to do anything.

However, what if someone doesn't want to lock the account behind a username and password? Perhaps the computer is a dedicated media player without any sensitive information on it, and the user wants to log on as quickly as possible. While it is possible to set up an account so you don't need to enter any credentials on login, Windows should ideally give you the option on setup without asking for a Microsoft account.

1 People are still finding ways to create local accounts

Give the people what they want

Microsoft is in a constant battle with its users. People are finding new ways to create local accounts during Windows setup, and when they do, Microsoft finds a way to thwart it again. Given that this back-and-forth even exists in the first place, it's proof that people are willing to go through a lot just to get a local account, even if it means launching Command Prompt during setup and entering a strange command to skip the process.

Microsoft would be better off putting its attention into other ventures than constantly swatting people's methods of making local accounts. If the company enabled the option, people wouldn't have to go through hoops and crack open their system just to get what they want. It'd save Microsoft time from patching the methods, and users won't have to keep hunting for a new method every time the newest one gets patched out.

Bring back local accounts on Windows

After Elon Musk's X post, the conversation about the absence of local accounts on Windows has been reignited. People have their reasons for wanting the return of local accounts, from privacy concerns to wanting control over how secure their account is. Hopefully, Microsoft will take note of this wave of criticism and develop a way for people to create local accounts without requiring a Microsoft login or the need to jump through hoops to make one.