Microsoft account

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What are the difference between a local account and a Microsoft account ?

Some people don’t care and some others don’t want a Microsoft account, why ?

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A Microsoft account comes with lots of advantages and no disadvantages, but a few people don’t want that just because it’s Microsoft:

Windows 11 setup: Which user account type should you choose?

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I’m not trying to pick a fight here, and will admit to knowing nothing about Win 11 setup, having never done it. But “no disadvantages” to a Microsoft Account? NOI but that’s quite a stretch. Everything has disadvantages; you just weigh the advantages against them and then make your decision.

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Please list your perceived disadvantages of a Microsoft Account.

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I’ve never had a MS account, so I don’t really know the advantages or the disadvantages. I’m willing to learn, but I’d like to hear about both sides.

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I’ll give you one.  I’ve personally been moved from a password to a PIN on my Microsoft account because of one of their updates that demanded a PIN.  (sometimes you just give up arguing with computers).  It’s the lack of communication regarding some of the changes that’s slightly annoying to us all.

Next, it adds your email (or a Microsoft account email) to a cloud database/system.  If you are untrusting of Microsoft, you probably don’t want a system that knows where you are logging in from (your IP is tracked).  Now I would argue that if you don’t trust Microsoft account and their handling of that, you probably shouldn’t be trusting of the operating system in general.

This is yet another example of lousy communication from Microsoft when they make these decisions.

Susan Bradley Patch Lady/Prudent patcher

4 users thanked author for this post.

tdmadden, Sky, tjm1963, DrBonzo

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Susan Bradley wrote:

I’ll give you one.  I’ve personally been moved from a password to a PIN on my Microsoft account because of one of their updates that demanded a PIN.  (sometimes you just give up arguing with computers).  It’s the lack of communication regarding some of the changes that’s slightly annoying to us all.

A PIN is more secure for a Microsoft account than a password. Isn’t it also more convenient? What’s the disadvantage of using a PIN?

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Not when it demands it get changed or is different for each computer I have.

Susan Bradley Patch Lady/Prudent patcher

2 users thanked author for this post.

Fabled, Sky

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Nothing to stop you using the same PIN on each computer. Why does it ever need to be changed?

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Ask the computer that demanded I change it.  I have no idea why it triggered a change.  I have a Surface, a laptop, a desktop at home and a retired Surface (Surface Go, nice for travel but the keyboard wasn’t the right size and I kept hitting the wrong key so I donated it to someone at the office).  The desktop doesn’t have a Microsoft account hooked to it, the Surface device(s) do. When I introduced the new Surface Pro 7 in the mix it demanded my PIN change. I think (but I’m not 100% sure) it was because even though it’s a personal machine with a Microsoft account I used the office Microsoft 365 subscription to install on it and my guess is that slightly got the Microsoft account confused and it triggered a demand for a PIN change. Then it couldn’t be the PIN I had before.  Also with a Microsoft account you need to ensure you either have a strong password or two factor because you will get hacking attempts on that account. Before I put MFA on it, I would get alerts of possible logging in from Countries I’d like to visit but I’ve never been personally.

Bottom line I still don’t see valid communication from Microsoft as to why this is mandated.  I set up a lot of VMs and I really don’t want to use my Microsoft account every time. Nor do I want to use Enterprise deployment tools just for a one off VM.

Susan Bradley Patch Lady/Prudent patcher

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Fabled, Sky

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If the internet goes out, can you still turn your computer on and log in if you have a Microsoft account?

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Yes.

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As far as I’m aware, with Windows 11 you need a Microsoft account for the home edition, but can use local accounts on the Pro version?

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Read on-going discussion here:
https://www.askwoody.com/forums/topic/can-you-still-have-a-local-account/

On permanent hiatus {with backup and coffee}
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