How to Remove a Microsoft Account From Windows 11

How you remove a Microsoft account from Windows 11 depends on how the account is used. If apps like Outlook or the Microsoft Store use it, go to Settings > Accounts > Email & accounts (called Your accounts on some versions), select the account, and select Remove. If it’s the account you sign in to Windows with, switch to a local account first. To delete another person’s account from the PC, use Settings > Accounts > Other users.

These steps apply to Windows 11 Home and Pro. Removing an account from the PC doesn’t delete the Microsoft account itself. You can still use it on the web and on other devices.

Which Situation Are You In?

• An extra account that apps sign in with: remove it from Email & accounts. Your files and Windows sign-in don’t change.
• The account you use to sign in to Windows: there’s no Remove button for it. Switch to a local account, then the Microsoft account is gone from sign-in.
• Someone else’s account on this PC: an administrator can remove it from Other users. Read more about how to delete a user profile in Windows 11. This deletes that person’s files on the PC.
• A work or school account: disconnect it from Access work or school.
• A PC you’re selling or no longer use: also remove it from your devices list online. A phone or tablet that still gets your mail needs its own fix: remove the device that is syncing with Outlook.com.

Before You Start

• Back up files. Make sure anything you need is saved on the PC or an external drive, not only in OneDrive. Follow these steps to back up Windows 11 to an external drive.
• Save your BitLocker recovery key. If your drive uses BitLocker or device encryption, the key is often backed up to your Microsoft account. Microsoft’s recovery key guide says you can view it at aka.ms/myrecoverykey. Write it down or save it somewhere other than this PC before you switch. The walkthrough to manage BitLocker also shows how to find the key.
• Use an administrator account. You need admin rights to remove other users.
• Know your PIN or password. Windows asks you to confirm who you are before it switches account types.

Remove a Microsoft Account Used by Apps

1. Press Windows key + I to open Settings.
2. Select Accounts, then Email & accounts. On some versions this page is called Your accounts.
3. Under Accounts used by other apps, select the account you want to remove to expand it.
4. Select Remove, then select Yes to confirm. The account disappears from the list.

Apps such as Outlook and the Microsoft Store stop signing in with that account automatically. Your Windows sign-in stays the same. Microsoft lists these account pages in its guide to managing user accounts in Windows.

OneDrive has its own sign-in. To stop it too, select the OneDrive cloud icon on the taskbar, open Settings > Account, and select Unlink this PC. To learn what happens to online-only files first, read about turning off OneDrive on Windows 11.

Stop Signing In to Windows With a Microsoft Account

The account you sign in with can’t be removed directly. Switch it to a local account instead, and Windows stops using the Microsoft account for sign-in. A local account works only on this PC and isn’t connected to the cloud, so settings stop syncing to your other devices.

1. Save your work, because Windows signs you out at the end.
2. Open Settings > Accounts > Your info.
3. Under Account settings, select Sign in with a local account instead. This link only appears while you’re using a Microsoft account.

4. Select Next and confirm with your PIN or password.
5. Enter a user name, password, and password hint. The user name must be different from any other account on the PC.
6. Select Next, then Sign out and finish, and sign back in with the new local account.

These steps match Microsoft’s guide to switching between Microsoft and local accounts. Some guides say you can leave the password blank, but that lets anyone with the PC sign in, so set one. A local account has no online password reset, so create a password reset disk on a USB drive.

Your files and apps stay in place. For every screen, including what to do if the option is missing, read the full walkthrough for switching to a local account in Windows 11. Afterward, you can remove the Microsoft account from Email & accounts if it still appears there.

To check it worked, open Settings > Accounts > Your info again. You should see Local account under your name, and the link now reads Sign in with a Microsoft account instead.

If you only want a different sign-in email, you can keep the account and change the administrator email on Windows 11 instead.

Before Removing an Administrator

First make sure a different administrator can sign in and manage the PC. Do not remove the only working administrator. If necessary, create another user and change its account type to Administrator before signing in there. Removing a user deletes local data; changing its role to Standard User keeps the account.

If you need a second administrator first, follow these steps to make an account an administrator.

Remove Another User’s Account From the PC

1. Sign in with an administrator account.
2. Open Settings > Accounts > Other users.
3. Select the account to expand it.
4. Next to Account and data, select Remove.
5. Select Delete account and data to confirm.

This permanently deletes that person’s files on this PC, including their desktop, documents, and downloads. It doesn’t delete their Microsoft account. It only removes their sign-in and data from this device.

On a PC that still runs Windows 10, you can delete the user profile in Windows 10 without removing the account.

Start Fresh With a New Local Account

Some people prefer a clean profile instead of converting the old one. Create a local account from Other users > Add account, then select it and choose Change account type > Administrator. Sign in to the new account, copy over the files you need, and only then remove the old Microsoft account profile with the steps above. Removing it deletes everything in that profile.

Disconnect a Work or School Account

Before disconnecting an organization account, back up needed files and prepare a working local administrator account if you use it to sign in to Windows. Removing a work or school connection from Windows 11 or 10 covers the sign-in precautions and what to do when Disconnect is blocked.

1. Open Settings > Accounts > Access work or school.
2. Select the arrow next to the work or school account.
3. Select Disconnect, then Yes.

If there’s no Disconnect option, the PC may be owned or managed by your organization. Ask your IT department before changing anything.

Remove the PC From Your Microsoft Account Online

If you’re selling, giving away, or retiring the PC, remove it from your account too. Microsoft’s device management page shows these steps:

1. Go to account.microsoft.com/devices and sign in.
2. Find the PC and select Remove device.
3. Check the box to confirm, then select Remove.

If you only need to free up a Microsoft Store download slot, unlink the device at account.microsoft.com/devices/content instead. Microsoft limits Store downloads to 10 devices per account.

Why Is There No Remove Button?

• It’s your sign-in account. Switch to a local account first, as shown above.
• You’re not an administrator. Only admins can remove other users.
• The PC is managed by work or school. Your organization may block account changes.
• You’re looking at the wrong page. App accounts are under Email & accounts, other people are under Other users, and organization accounts are under Access work or school.

Close Your Online Microsoft Account

Removing the account from your PC doesn’t close it. If you want to delete the Microsoft account itself, first save your OneDrive files, email, and BitLocker recovery keys, then follow Microsoft’s account-closure instructions. Microsoft gives you a 30- or 60-day window to reopen the account before its data is deleted.

Frequently Asked Questions