Don't use a Microsoft Account! 

Yes please. More info on which privacy settings to turn off and which settings to leave on 😊

I have customized the Microsoft privacy settings for years and think you should make a video about it because everyone should know their options. I recommend checking them every now and then because sometimes updates change some settings back to default.

Yes definitely, make a video on the group policy editor for privacy.

Yes, please! A video with more privacy settings would be great!!!

Yes we do want to see which settings we should have in Windows!! Thank you for offering!!!!

absolutely want more privacy, and a registry video would be cool, too

One of the first things I did with my new windows laptop, I uninstalled all the bloat wear like one drive, 365, Skype, teams, just anything I had no intention of ever using. Then I downloaded a new internet browser, installed it and found out how to completely remove edge. I disabled Cortana, I won’t use it. Now with Microsoft forces copilot onto everyone, I found out how to completely remove that as well. I would get rid of the Microsoft store but it’s the only way to actually get programs on your computer now days. I wish companies like Microsoft would stop installing things we don’t ask for. I wish the US would follow the EU and force Microsoft to allow us to uninstall the things we don’t want. No one wants Edge, not many people use teams or Skype, and not very many want to use AI like Cortana or copilot. Just allow us to customize our windows experience.

I set up two local accounts on a new Windows computer: an administrator account and a standard user account. Most of the time I use the standard account, so I don't mess something up inadvertently. I only log in to the administrator account when I want to install software or similar.

Definitely make a video about more privacy please Liron.

Hi to correct something you said about MS Account, timestamp 6:08... You can sign in to windows even when you are offline. What you can't do though is changing things like user names when you are offline.

Thank you! and I will love more videos about Wiindows especially Stop Code

I really appreciate how balanced and objective this was. Most RU-vid videos on the subject seem to have an agenda, and end up ignoring the requirements of the user.

yes please, and would like a video on which setting to turn of in edge and bing

Only problem with a local account are the endless prompts and suggestions that state you should use a Microsoft account. Of course, you cannot shut these off; just like Windows and Office prompts about features that most could care less about. Then there are "your system is in an unsafe state" or "your system could run more efficiently" messages one many pages that need to be read and ignored. None of this is a big issue, but .... If security is that much of an issue, ditch windows. Some sacrifices come with that choice. Still, it would be mostly safer and more secure. Next video, Chrome login :)

If Microsoft uses data to "improve" the user experience then why does each version of Windows seem worse than the previous one? They seem to work towards making even the simplest actions more difficult.

Very useful and pertinent, thank you. Yes, please, to the video, to turn off all privacy settings on microsoft

And this is a huge reason why I switched to Linux.

One thing you need to watch out for is whenever you download a windows update, it can automatically change to a Microsoft account from a local account. I've noticed this and changed it back to a local account. Thank you Liron sir as you made this so easy.

I would like to see what policies you have set on your daily computer. Thank you for your work done on your videos.

Agreed, stay logged on with Local Account.

Very interesting video! I would definitely like to see a video on which privacy settings should be turned on in Windows.

Yea! Just what I was looking for! And yes I would love the privacy setting video

Best channel on RU-vid hands down. Liron is an absolute legend!

Yes please do a video on more information regarding privacy settings. Additionally, a video on group policies which those of us who have Windows 11 Pro could use would be great.

Yes to more privacy settings!

Hi Liron would like to see how to get privacy settings set up

Thank you, was just wondering how to do this.

YES DO IT!! PLEASE!! Thank You Liron

Yes please make this privacy settings video. Thank you!

Great video Liron, can you show how to take away, remove, delete and not have a Micros. Acccount when logging in after I reformated my computer by accident with that account, and tells me the Bios has to be altered? Perhaps there is a tutorial of how to specifically apply this? Once this works, will use a personal account for access.

Thank you and take care.

Absolutely brilliant advice, thank you Sir. 🦉

Liron! , Thanks for posting this video.

Wow! Been into computers since the MSDOS days, but had no idea that we could make the switch after installation....THANK YOU, and I am now using a local account in W11..Of course they changed the location of the switch in settings, so I had to Google it.... If Linux was only ready for primetime......

I don't think it changes much to change windows by tweaking it, since you have approved a lot when you accepted the license agreement. All that will then just be changed back at the first update, since you have already approved it.

Your videos are excellent, I have a work laptop and I am not tech savy by any means, so if you could provide more information on privacy settings that would be very beneficial. I also have a problem with using Gmail to send private informed, all of this bugs me to no end. I want to protect myself and my family business/ information. Any advice and tips would be very welcome, thank you.

Thank you, l had Microsoft Account on my PC and l was not able to access remotely, l have now changed to Local Account and it has now worked

Yes more privacy info. Great work.

you used to be able to create a Windows user account that didn't have a Microsoft account attached to it, but nowadays it's no longer possible because after a short period of time Microsoft requires you to attach a Microsoft account to your Windows user account.

Liron 👌 it makes sense. It's a great video 👍

Yep, cheers.

Yes please, I would like to know more about privacy settings on MY own computer. I will check back for another video

THE TRUTH. 💯💯💯💯💯💯💯! I BYPASSED IT ~ ~!! I hope all listen to you..💯💯💯💯%

You've gained another subscriber today ❤

Which edition did you use? Home or professional edition? As far as I know, local accounts on windows 11 are only available on the windows pro edition.

Absolutely a video about privacy setting please

Thank you for this advice Jemmy from Seychelles

This has happened to me twice, could not login with my known pw, and even the security questions and disk failed. So this time I definitely created the Windows installation as local account. Fingers crossed!

Have you done a video on installing or fresh install of Windows

More about privacy settings please. I log in with a pin.

to be on safe side, which setting should we on and off. And what the best security login to windows?

I've always used a local account. My MS account is basically just used for my Xboxen. However, I've heard stuff about MS making it non-intuitive to set up a local account when firing up a Win11 machine for the first time. I have that situation with a new Win11 laptop that I have yet to unbox and place into service. Now, I know I can find this info elsewhere on YT, but such a procedure (workaround?) would be a nice complement to the info you've presented here.

BIG ISSUE: You CANNOT RECOVER a lost account's files, if damaged or other. Unplug network cable at the step JUST BEFORE the account creation page when installing, you can create a local account

Great video, interesting I have always used both since about 2015. I use the admin Microsoft acct with admin for updates and Local account for daily use. Thinking is that a Local account reduces the risk of getting a virus since it’s not admin and also controls auto updates. Thoughts?

This is great advice if you're only talking about one or two Windows installs. If you have lots of devices and licences to manage, the Microsoft account makes sense then.

Definitely make a video on more privacy settings the more secure the better.

תודה רבה לירון

For a prebuilt PC, should I go with a full Windows 11 retail or cheap key version? What is the difference?

I do clean installs when I upgrade from the Home to Pro version (using the free upgrade option). First step is to use NTLite (the free version suffices for my needs) to customize the Windows ISO image I download from Microsoft's site. Besides removing Windows components and apps I don't want, it gives me the option to automatically have the same account as the computer I'm using to run NTLite. That of course will be a local account, and I always use a generic name. So when I do the installation, I don't even get prompted with any of the account screens.

Anything to stop giving anything to shoddy Microsoft.

More infomation on which privacy settings to turn off and which settings to leave on Thanks. kevin j

on eleven you can bypass the login form by entering wrong from a known account the password and block the accound for 24hours then you can login as unregistred account

How can I tell if I initially signed in using a "Local Account" first or if i did it with a "MS Account?"

Yes more privacy videos please .

Very helpful video.

Hi Liron I use SDAntiBeacon to disable all Microsoft Telemetry on my computer 😁

Don't use an MS account bold statement but true ,In my opinion the user has become the product rather than the O/S. The only way to force a climb down from this strategy is don't give them data to sell . However this is easier said than done especially if you run the home editions which i would guess a large majority do. Running pro and above does give other options but you need your tech head on to implement them

When you create that local account and you have to enter the credentials of your MS account, MS now knows that local account is the same person as the MS account, so I’m sure they are linked. Therefore the local account is no more private than the MS account. You probably don’t know the info is being sent to MS. If an average person like me thought of that, I’m sure MS thought of it long time ago.

I had no idea that you'd need your Microsoft account every time you logged in if you used it while setting up windows! Last time I set up windows, I forgot and let it access the internet during setup. Thankfully it kept rejecting my password(idk why) I turned off the router and restarted the process and made a local account. I prefer a local account, especially when I'm installing windows for friends and family on their computers.

Can you please make a video on WinBuntu? (Use a virtual machine) and why you should stay away from it?

Thank you

Thx my friend ❤

I moved from Win 7 to Win 11 (yes, I know but I loved my Win 7 machine). I was able to install it with the local account after watching videos on how to do that. I also use Excel a lot but with this new version of Excel that I was able to download to my local machine I have to sign in with my Microsoft account. Why? If I am using it locally, why do they need to know? I can fire up Excel 2010 on my Win 7 machine without anyone asking me who I am. Did I install that part (Office) incorrectly? Is there a way to run it like Excel (Office) 2010? I really dont care to have to sign in every time I want to use it - its like they're tracking me and (hopefully not) my data?

This is very great information

realy realy thanks for nice sharing and greetings from Eskisehir/Turkiye.

It's why I run local account and "O&O shutup" to remove telemetry and other feeding of data to third parties

More Microsoft Privacy Tips Please.

More privacy on Windows? That would be helpful information, indeed.

Hi, I need assistance in making sense of the following, please. Why would an enail be routed to an international data center as per its headers if email was sent in a local country to another email also based in this same local country using local ISPs with both companies not based inany way internationally. That international ms corp Data Center ip has several serious reports of malicious activity. Could it be that the email was somehow instructed to go there regardless?

If you do lose your local account password, can you use your MS account access to go into local account settings and reset it?

That's exactly how I do it, local admin account and then OneDrive associated with MS account to get my files, etc. Brave browser with VPN to mask IP address. Cheers.

And if I make a "Local Acct" Do I have to always go to settings to sign into the MS acct? I use OneDrive on multiple dives that I use everyday and not sure that by signing into a Local Acct that I would not get frustrated going back and forth to sign in using the steps in Settings. I'm confused. Please respond because I would really like to have a Local Acct, just not sure how that would all work for me.

thank you!

If you have kids and want to use Microsoft Family Safety to manage the computer, you'll most likely to use a MS account. In that situation, use WPD to regain control of your privacy and block telemetry.

Yes please, more info on privacy! :)

How would you compare Google vs Microsoft in terms of privacy? Wouldn’t you run in the same issues if you are using a Chromebook?

Yes Please Liron, I am setting up a new computer as we speak (Mid June 2024) and need to organize Windows 10 before we start on the Yubi keys which just arrived.

First, there’s no such thing as privacy when you’re on the internet. There are all sorts of ways vendors and other people can get your information. Second, if you use a local account, Office can’t verify your license. Trying to log into Office 365 on your pc while your windows is logged into a local account will just time out. You will have to switch back to logging into windows with Microsoft, start Word to update the license, then switch back to a local account.

After (or maybe before) 24H2 is released I was intending to do a clean slate install of 11 Pro (10 Home currently on this machine) but really wanted to try avoid using my MS account altogether this time around but I may end up having to do it the same as I did this one huh, did the 10 install using my MS account but made a local account afterward then did some policy/task scheduler tweaking, never touched the MS account since. So hoping the amount of background stalking MS is doing is quashed to its absolute minimum and is as effective for 11.. I did manage that OOBE bypass trick for my secondary 11 computer though it *only* has a local account so it may be pretty much invisible as it's only on the local network maybe 2 or 3 times a month now for update checks. I'm with the rest of the comments on the notion of making a group policy specific / privacy enhancing video too, the more people know and how to do it the better. ^_^ Cheers

Not sure what windows you are using but mine doesn't even have that option that I can find. There is no 'manage your account', it only pulls up a web search. I can't find anything to do with a local account. Using windoze 11 here.

only use windows ie 10 for livestream my local church service so there is no pin no on the system plug in and play

Absolutely make more videos about privacy on your windows

Yes, a vid on which privacy settings should be turned off will be very helpful.

I did local account with windows 8.1, c an it be done in windows 10 & 11?

how do I stop my Microsoft from constantly trying to update things and change settings on my computer giving me new versions of Microsoft edge with their settings not mine.

If I don't wish to use the One drive as storage. What other storage is available? Thanks

Glad that I do NOT use apps on my computer. I make calls, get calls and check Barney for the weather and THAT'S ABOUT IT!

THANK YOU !👍🥰😍😍😘

Mr. Liron Segev! I hope you are doing well. I keep up with all your advice and you have yet to let me down. I have a HP x7t54 to which I cannot get passed the blue screen.. sosomething about 0x00021A.. and I just had connected my Microsoft account to do onedrive and stuff.. Any idea what I can do?? Please and thank you.

I've been wanting to do this for awhile now. I've got issues with Ms and slowly loosing control over my emails and passwords by setting and resetting passwords. I followed your guided instructions, however, when coming to manage accounts, it was not in the menu. Now what do I do.