Microsoft is trying to keep Windows users away from local accounts

Facial palm: Like Google, Apple and other major online providers, Microsoft is willing to play dirty to keep users within its digital ecosystem. The Redmond company is now making it more difficult for Windows 11 users by removing official instructions on how to convert an online account to a local account.

The Windows ecosystem has traditionally been designed to treat users fairly, providing unprecedented openness and software backward compatibility that has transformed a “simple” operating system into a major force in the world of technology and computer science. However, fairness, compatibility, and openness are now somewhat obsolete concepts as big tech proactively harvests user data to train AI algorithms, sell advertising, or improve their own products.

Microsoft has long tried to push PC users toward an online-only experience, making it increasingly difficult to create local accounts, starting with the Windows installation process. Recently, the company changed the online guide for Microsoft and local accounts, which now contains no official instructions on converting a Microsoft account to a local account.

Thanks to the Internet Archive’s Wayback Machine, the previous version of the guide can still be viewed as it was before the change. Microsoft has provided detailed instructions on switching from a Microsoft account to a local account, although the company still recommends an online account for “seamless integration of Microsoft services”, enhanced security capabilities, device syncing , etc.

The newly revised guide now only provides instructions on switching from a local account to a Microsoft account, with the section focused on the local account completely removed. Microsoft now claims that an online account offers several advantages over a local account, suggesting that users would be better off replacing their previously created offline accounts with the “latest and greatest” computing experience provided by a Microsoft account.

A corporate, online-only, cloud-linked account is now the standard requirement for owners of mobile platforms such as Google (Android) and Apple (iOS), and Microsoft clearly wants to make Windows a mobile platform. exclusively cloud-oriented form. .

Even though Microsoft no longer provides official instructions, Windows 11 users can still change their online account to local account whenever they want. The “Your Information” page in the Windows Settings app should provide everything you need to make the change, at least until Microsoft decides to remove the feature altogether.