How to Switch Windows 11 to a Local Account
Windows 11; Windows 10 differences noted where they exist · Last checked · Suggest an edit
https://instructions.wiki/windows/switch-a-windows-11-pc-from-a-microsoft-account-to-a-local-account
A Windows 11 PC signed in with a Microsoft account can be switched to a plain local account with its own username and password. Your files, apps, and settings stay in place. Save one thing before you start.
Save your BitLocker recovery key first
Many Windows 11 PCs encrypt the drive and store the recovery key in the Microsoft account. Go to Settings, Privacy & security, Device encryption. If encryption is on, open a browser and sign in at account.microsoft.com/devices/recoverykey, then write down or print the key for this PC. Without it, a repair or hardware change later could lock you out of your own files.
Open Your info
Go to Settings, Accounts, Your info.
Click Sign in with a local account instead
Under Account settings, click Sign in with a local account instead. Windows explains what happens next. Click Next.
Confirm your current PIN or password
Windows asks for the PIN or password you use now to prove it is you. Enter it and continue.
Choose a username and password
Type a username for the local account. Enter a password twice, then fill in the three security questions; Windows uses these to reset the password if you forget it. Leaving the password blank is allowed but not recommended. Click Next.
Sign out and finish
Click Sign out and finish. Windows signs you out and shows the lock screen. Sign in with the new username and password. Everything on the desktop is where it was. OneDrive, the Microsoft Store, Office, and other Microsoft services still work; each will ask you to sign in with the Microsoft account the first time you open it, and that sign-in stays inside the app rather than the whole PC.
If Windows 11 Home would not let you skip the account at setup. Setup requires a Microsoft account on Home, but switching to a local account afterward is allowed and does not affect activation.
If you plan to close or forget the Microsoft account. Keep its password somewhere safe. Recovery keys, Store purchases, and some sync settings still reference it, and the Store will ask for it when you install or update paid apps.