As of July 2021, you can’t install Windows 11 without a Microsoft account because the upgrade is only available as part of the Windows Insider Program. However, once you have installed Windows 11, you can remove, delete, or de-link your Microsoft account from your PC and use a local account instead. Sure, you will not be able to update to the latest Windows 11 builds and will be unable to access all the cool new features such as Widgets, Android apps support, and more. But you will still be able to use the latest desktop OS, nonetheless. So let’s learn how you can remove a Microsoft account from Windows 11.

We will show you how to delete your Microsoft Account from any Windows 11 PC in this article. You can do so in several ways, including through Settings, via the Control Panel, and from the User Accounts menu. We will also show you how to create a local account because, without that, Windows won’t let you remove a Microsoft Account from your computer. So without further ado, let’s get started.

  • Things to Remember Before Removing Your Microsoft Account
  • Switch Over From Microsoft Account to Local Account
  • Create Local Account On Your Windows 11 PC
  • Change Account Type From Standard User to Administrator
  • How to Remove a Microsoft Account from Windows 11
  • Method 1: Remove Microsoft Account Via Settings
  • Method 2: Remove Microsoft Account via Control Panel
  • Method 3: Remove Microsoft Account via User Accounts Panel

Things to Remember Before Removing Your Microsoft Account

Removing a Microsoft Account from Windows 11 is a relatively easy undertaking, as you will see later in this article. However, there are a few things you need to know before embarking on that road. Here they are:

While a Microsoft account is currently mandatory to install Windows 11, that will likely change once the OS gets a stable release for all compatible devices. That means you technically won’t need to add a Microsoft account to use Windows 11 (at least the Pro version).

To use a local account on your Windows 11 PC, you don’t necessarily have to remove your Microsoft account. Instead, you can simply switch over to a local account whereby none of the Windows services can automatically sign you in. In this case, you will have to manually sign in to each service to use them on your computer. So let’s see how you can switch over from a Microsoft account to a local account in Windows 11.

  • Firstly, open the Settings app using the Windows 11 keyboard shortcut Windows key + I. From the Settings, click on “Accounts” on the left pane and select “Your Info” on the right pane.

Note: You can leave the password section blank because it is not mandatory. If you don’t want a login password for your local account, simply select your user name and move on.

If a switch from Microsoft account to a local account won’t do, you will need to start the process to remove a Microsoft account from your computer. The first step towards that involves creating a local account with Administrator privileges. To create a local account on your Windows 11 computer, follow the steps below:

  • Enter your chosen user name under “Who’s going to use this PC?”. Select a password (optional), re-enter it correctly, and hit “Next“. A new local account will immediately be created with your chosen credentials.

By default, all new accounts are “Standard User” accounts in Windows 11. That means you will have to now change the account type of your new account to “Administrator” manually. Here’s how you do that:

How to Remove a Microsoft Account from Windows 11

Method 1: Remove Microsoft Account Via Settings

If switching over to a local account isn’t enough, and you want to get rid of a Microsoft account from your Windows 11 PC for good, follow the step-by-step guide below:

Another way to remove or delete your Microsoft account (or any user account for that matter) is through the Control Panel. Here’s how:

  • Open Control Panel on your Windows 11 PC. To do that, search for “control” (without quotes) in the Windows search bar and select “Control Panel” from the results.

  • You will now be provided with two options on what Windows should do with your files: “Delete Files” or “Keep Files”. While the first option will delete all the files, the second one will only save some files and not all. Select your preferred option. Irrespective of what you choose, the Microsoft account will be deleted on your Windows 11 PC.

The third and final way to delete a Microsoft account from your Windows 11 computer is through the User Accounts Panel. Here’s how you go about it:

Use a Local Account on Your Windows 11 Computer

The tutorial above shows you three easy ways to remove a Microsoft account from your Windows 11 computer. So go ahead, follow our guide to delete or de-link your Microsoft account from your PC and use a local account instead. Meanwhile, check out some of our other useful Windows 11 tutorials, including how to turn off notifications in Windows 11, how to stop automatic updates in Windows 11, and how to take screenshots in Windows 11. Finally, if you are finding it hard to adjust to the new OS, learn how you can roll back from Windows 11 to Windows 10 in a few simple steps.