Backed to Local Account After Unintentionally Logging In: How to Keep My Device Listed in My Microsoft Account as Before?

Hey there. I've been using a local account on my laptop for over seven years, and I think my device has been listed to a Microsoft account for the past seven years as well, probably because I've been using their Mail, Xbox apps and Office 365 with my Microsoft account (but for my PC it has always been a local administrator account). And even though I've been using a local account to download free apps from the Microsoft Store, my device is somehow listed as one of the 10 device limits in the Microsoft Store. Now, everything works perfectly for me as I do want to see my device in my Microsoft account while still using a local account for my PC.

When I was renewing my Office 365 subscription the other day, I found out that my Microsoft account was logged out of Microsoft Word, probably because I haven't used it in a while. My first reaction was to log in, and when the prompt "Use this account everywhere on your device" popped up, I clicked "Next" without thinking much. Then I found out that my local account was replaced by my Microsoft account, or rather, a hybrid account that was sort of like a local account but was essentially a Microsoft account (like this: Add Microsoft account to Local account for Hybrid account in Windows 11 Tutorial). This makes me feel uncomfortable because Microsoft used misleading language to make me unknowingly convert my local account that I've had for years into a Microsoft account.

After doing some research, I found out that clicking "Stop signing in to all Microsoft apps automatically" reverts my account to a local account. After that, however, my device is no longer listed in my Microsoft account.

Any idea how to get my device listed in my Microsoft account while keeping me using a local account on my coumputer like before? I read that if you sign in to some Microsoft app with your Microsoft account on your PC, your device should be listed. For now, I've tried logging into the Microsoft Store with my Microsoft account, but my device still doesn't appear in the Microsoft account's Devices page.

You cannot see device on MS account unless you keep same MS account on pc.

If you change an MS account to a local account, the device is no longer shown. You also lose link of digital licence to MS account.

You have to create a separate local account whilst retaining MS account to do what you want.

I think you want to unlink your device from Microsoft account i have video tutorial for doing that for Windows 10 but works for Windows 11.

If you are giving away or disposing of your system, it is important that you unlink Windows 10 license from Microsoft account. Here’s how.

FreeBooter said:

I think you want to unlink your device from Microsoft account i have video tutorial for doing that for Windows 10 but works for Windows 11.

If you are giving away or disposing of your system, it is important that you unlink Windows 10 license from Microsoft account. Here’s how.

Click to expand...

This is not what op is asking.

Also last point is overstated. All anybody has to do is reset pc, or change to a local account then the link is gone.

cereberus said:

You cannot see device on MS account unless you keep same MS account on pc.

If you change an MS account to a local account, the device is no longer shown. You also lose link of digital licence to MS account.

You have to create a separate local account whilst retaining MS account to do what you want.

Click to expand...

My device definitely used to show up on the Devices page of my Microsoft account even though I was using a local account on my laptop.

I remember it well because I tried to enable two-step verification for my Microsoft account a few months after I purchased the laptop, and then I was surprised to find that even though I wasn't logged into my PC through my Microsoft account (although I did sign into my Mail, Xbox, and Office 365 apps with my Microsoft account on that laptop), my laptop still appeared in the Devices page of my Microsoft account.

Would removing my Microsoft account from "Accounts used by other apps" and adding it back by signing into Microsoft apps like Office or Mail be a viable way to get the device listed in my Microsoft account again while keeping the local account?

I have a Chinese friend who switched from his Microsoft account to a local account because he couldn't stand having to enter a password every time he turned on his computer. I asked him if the computer that he switched to a local account was listed in the devices page of his Microsoft account, and his screenshot told me it was, even though he was using a local account (as you can see there is no email address under his username) on that computer, just like my previous situation.



Very curious what the logic behind this is that triggers this situation.