How to Switch to a Local Account in Windows 11

To switch to a local account in Windows 11, open Settings > Accounts > Your info and select Sign in with a local account instead. Enter a user name, password, and password hint for the local account, select Next, then select Sign out and finish. Your files and apps stay where they are. Only the way you sign in changes.

A local account is a user account that exists only on one PC. You sign in with a user name and password instead of the email address and password of a Microsoft account. Microsoft documents this switch in its guide to changing between a local account and a Microsoft account, and the steps below follow it.

If You’re Setting Up a New PC

Windows 11 Home and Pro need an internet connection and a Microsoft account during first-time setup, according to Microsoft’s system requirements. Finish setup with a Microsoft account, back up your recovery key, and then switch to a local account with the steps below. Switching only changes how you sign in to Windows. It doesn’t delete your Microsoft account. Work and school PCs can be set up differently.

If you are still in setup, here is why you can’t reliably skip the Microsoft account sign-in on Windows 11.

Before You Switch

These steps apply to Windows 11 Home and Pro when you currently sign in with a personal Microsoft account. Check these items first.

• Save your work. Windows signs you out at the last step.
• Back up your BitLocker recovery key. If your drive uses device encryption, the 48-digit recovery key is typically attached to your Microsoft account. Make your own copy first. Select Start, type BitLocker, select Manage BitLocker, then select Back up your recovery key and save it to a USB drive, a file, or a printout. Every backup option is listed on the Back up your BitLocker recovery key page. Do not keep the copy with the PC.
• Pick a password you will remember. A local account password cannot be reset online. If you forget it and have no recovery method, you may have to reset the PC.
• Choose a unique user name. The user name must be different from any other account on the device.

Microsoft prefers a Microsoft account for signing in to Windows because it adds sync and security features. A local account is still a supported choice, and you can switch back at any time.

If the real problem is an old address on your Microsoft account, you can change the administrator email on Windows 11 and keep the account.

How to Switch From a Microsoft Account to a Local Account

1. Press Windows key + I to open Settings.
2. Select Accounts in the left sidebar.
3. Select Your info. Your name and Microsoft account email address appear at the top of the page.
4. Under Account settings, select Sign in with a local account instead. Windows shows this link only when you are signed in with a Microsoft account.

5. If Windows asks you to confirm the switch or verify your identity, select Next and enter your PIN or Microsoft account password. On an encrypted PC, you may also see a reminder to back up your recovery key at this point.
6. Type a user name, a password (twice), and a password hint for the local account. The hint is shown on the sign-in screen after a wrong password, so make it a clue only you understand.

7. Select Next.
8. Select Sign out and finish. Windows signs you out.
9. On the sign-in screen, select your account and enter the new local password.

How to Confirm the Switch Worked

Open Settings > Accounts > Your info again. Your name now shows Local account under it instead of an email address, and the link under Account settings now reads Sign in with a Microsoft account instead.

Your profile folder, desktop, documents, and installed apps are the same as before. If you set up a PIN earlier and it no longer works, set a new one in Settings > Accounts > Sign-in options.

What Changes With a Local Account

A local account is specific to one device, with no internet connection needed to sign in. A Microsoft account connects Windows to Microsoft cloud services so settings and files can sync across devices.

• Sync stops. Your Windows settings no longer sync to your other PCs through this sign-in.
• Apps ask you to sign in separately. OneDrive, the Microsoft Store, and other Microsoft apps may ask for a Microsoft account when you open them. Signing in to one app does not have to change how you sign in to Windows.
• Your Microsoft account still exists. Switching only changes this PC. Your email, OneDrive files, and purchases stay in the account online.
• Password recovery is your job. There is no online reset for a local password.
• Device encryption needs attention. Device encryption does not turn on automatically with a local account. If your drive is already encrypted, keep your own copy of the recovery key. Here is how to find your recovery key and manage BitLocker.

Set Up Password Recovery Right Away

If you use a local account without a password reset disk and then forget the password, you will not be able to recover it. A password reset disk is a USB flash drive that lets you set a new password from the sign-in screen.

1. Sign in with the new local account. The option is not available for Microsoft accounts.
2. Plug in a USB flash drive.
3. In the search box on the taskbar, type Control Panel and open it.
4. In the Control Panel search box, type create password reset.
5. Select Create a password reset disk and follow the instructions.
6. Remove the drive and keep it somewhere safe. Anyone who has it can reset your password.

You do not need to make a new disk when you change your password later. Microsoft covers this in Create a password reset disk for a local account.

When you want a new password, here’s how to change your password on Windows 11.

If you do get locked out, Microsoft’s page on how to change or reset a local account password lists the other routes: security questions if the account has them, or another administrator account on the PC. Without any of these, the remaining option is resetting the PC. The steps for finding your Windows 11 user name and resetting a forgotten password walk through them.

Alternative: Add a Separate Local Account

You do not have to convert your current account. You can keep the Microsoft account and add a second, local one. This suits a shared PC or a spare account for troubleshooting. The new account starts with an empty profile, so your files and settings do not move with it.

1. Open Settings > Accounts > Other users.
2. Next to Add other user, select Add account.
3. Select I don’t have this person’s sign-in information.
4. Select Add a user without a Microsoft account.
5. Follow the instructions to set the user name and password.

These labels come from Microsoft’s Manage user accounts in Windows page. For the full walkthrough, read about creating a local account on Windows 11.

With two accounts on the PC, you can switch between users in Windows 11 without closing your apps.

How to Switch Back to a Microsoft Account

Open Settings > Accounts > Your info and select Sign in with a Microsoft account instead. You see this link only while you are using a local account. Follow the prompts to sign in with your Microsoft account email and password. Your files stay in place in both directions.

To come back with a different Microsoft account than before, change the Microsoft account on Windows 11.

Troubleshooting

The local account link is missing

• You already use a local account. The page shows Local account under your name and offers Sign in with a Microsoft account instead.
• The PC is managed. A work or school device may hide or block the option. Ask the person or IT department that manages it.
• Windows is out of date or the page looks different. Install pending updates in Settings > Windows Update, restart, and check Your info again. If the link still does not appear, add a separate local account with the alternative method above.

Windows will not accept your password or PIN

The verification step wants the credentials of the Microsoft account you are signed in with, not the new local password. If you normally sign in with a PIN, try the PIN. If you have forgotten the Microsoft account password, reset it on Microsoft’s website first, then try again.

The user name is rejected

The user name must be different from every other account on the PC. Pick another name. It isn’t permanent, since Windows lets you change your user name in Windows 11 later.

Your Microsoft account still appears in apps

Switching the Windows sign-in does not sign you out of every app. To take a leftover account off the PC, remove the Microsoft account from Windows 11.

Frequently Asked Questions

Next Step

Once you are signed in with the local account, create the password reset disk before you do anything else. Then sign out of Windows 11 and back in once to confirm the new password works.