The online help page for switching to local accounts briefly disappeared for no apparent reason only to be re-upped days later. Last week Tom’s Hardware reported on June 23 how the online help page for switching to local accounts on a Windows 11 PC was removed on June 17. The page could still be found via the Wayback Machine Internet archive showing users the step-by-step process. Some have already been tracking how Microsoft is seemingly moving towards online-only account logins and it was believed this latest event could be another move in that direction, after all, it was only a few weeks ago that it was discovered how one easy workaround for creating a local account on Windows 11 had been removed.
It looks like Microsoft has blocked the bypass that allowed you to create a local account during Windows 11 setup by typing in a blocked email address. Now it just loops you back to typing in a different account 🙁 pic.twitter.com/mKnHToLLQV
— Zac Bowden (@zacbowden) June 3, 2024
Meanwhile, the page for changing to/from either account is back up, at least at the time of this writing anyway, and for now, users still have the option of a local account. However, Microsoft is urging users to use an online account as it “allows for seamless integration of Microsoft services, enhanced security, and sync across devices, unlike a local account.”
From NT to Online
Windows 10 and 11 currently are still based on the NT architecture which retains a local account option and then allows the addition of online accounts. Microsoft may be looking to join the ranks of Apple and Google in removing, or at least making it incredibly difficult to continue doing so. Presently, those familiar enough with the NT architecture still have some tricks up their sleeves but it could only be a matter of time until such tactics become unavailable. It could also be that Microsoft is weighing its options for compliance with U.S. government contracts and EU regulations before taking further steps. It is well known how Windows is customized for governmental use and Microsoft has encountered legal challenges with its OSes on more than one occasion.