Solved Can I delete my Microsoft account without losing my Local account?

Hello everyone,

I have a local account with my Windows 11 (Pro, build 26200.8246) installation (see picture attached).



However, I have my Microsoft account under Accounts > Your accounts (see picture attached).



I guess I have my Microsoft account associated with my local account since I sign into Outlook. I am asking; can I delete my Microsoft account without it affecting my local account?

I'll take my answer off the air.

Kind regards,

tecknot

You can switch from a Microsoft Account to a Local Account login but Keep your Microsoft account to login to the Microsoft store, Outlook or other Office 365 apps

Hi @Spunk

Yeah, I believe that is the way I have it now (sign in with a local account, but can sign into apps with Microsoft account).

Kind regards,

tecknot

If you use bitlocker your ecryption key is stored in your MS account online. If you do not plan on using the MS account occassionally. I suggest your make record of that key or disable bitlocker on your drive(s). The policy requires a sign-in at least every 2 years to keep a MS account active. Also any subscriptions or purchases of MS products are licensed to your MS account (Ofc 365, MS Ofc)

glasskuter said:

If you use bitlocker your ecryption key is stored in your MS account online. If you do not plan on using the MS account occassionally. I suggest your make record of that key or disable bitlocker on your drive(s). The policy requires a sign-in at least every 2 years to keep a MS account active. Also any subscriptions or purchases of MS products are licensed to your MS account (Ofc 365, MS Ofc)

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I dig, Mama.

One of the moderators marked my thread as solved, but I have not received the answer. Can I safely delete the Microsoft account without any damage to my local account?

Kind regards,

tecknot

tecknot said:

Can I safely delete the Microsoft account without any damage to my local account?

Click to expand...

Yes, as long as you understand the caveats that have been mentioned.

glasskuter said:

Yes, as long as you understand the caveats that have been mentioned.

Click to expand...

Okay. Thanks, Mama Glass.

Kind regards,

tecknot

There is no advantage to delete your Microsoft account if you are logging in with a Local Account. You will probably need it sometime in the future.

On my PC I have two users.
One user with a local account. That's what I always have been using and stay using. No drive encryption and a local login. On that user I built all options and settings that I use for Windows and for tweaking the UI.

One user with MS account. I later on decided to have such a user extra. Why? Just because of the copy of the licence that is saved in my account and that I might need when the system would be failing and I would have to do a new installation. About a year ago I had some troubles re-installing Windows on a new drive: I did not get the licence key that should be stored in the UEFI to be recognized by the Windows that was installed. So I decided to use a spare licence key that I still had, but that was my last one.

After that I made an account at MS and used that for the second user. No special settings for that user, just basic setup. But did check if the name of the PC was indeed stored in my account and it was. So now I hope that if in future I might have a similar situation, I can activate the licence from my account. Further I do nothing at all with that account, except logging into it once per half year or so to keep it active.

Wow, thank you @Spunk and @Kees. You have certainly given me food for thought. Perhaps I will not delete my MS account and account of your advice.

Thank you, again.

Kind regards,

tecknot