You might soon be able to sign into Windows 11 without a Microsoft account, with software engineers 'working on it'

We're hopeful

22 Mar 2026, 17:30 · TechRadar

News By David Nield published 22 March 2026

The Windows 11 setup process may be about to change (Image credit: Microsoft)

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Microsoft may ditch the need to set up Windows 11 with a Microsoft account
A company exec says software engineers are working on it
There's no indication yet of when the change might be implemented

Microsoft has told users that big improvements are coming to Windows 11 — improvements covering how much AI appears in the software, how updates are handled, and much more — and the operating system's setup process might also be getting a welcome tweak.

As spotted by Windows Latest, in response to a user query on X about being able to set up Windows 11 without a Microsoft account, Microsoft exec Scott Hanselman says software engineers are now "working on it".

Hanselman is a Vice President at Microsoft, and is part of the team tasked with pushing forward his company's year of reliability and performance upgrades for Windows 11. So far, Microsoft's changes have been positively received, for the most part.

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Being able to set up a Windows 11 computer without the hassle of logging into a Microsoft account is something else that's likely to prove popular with users — as you can see if you read through some of the comments underneath Handselman's post.

Putting the users first

While it is still technically possible to set up Windows 11 without a Microsoft account, the workarounds are rather technical and tricky. The local account option has been gradually pushed out of the software over the years.

As we've written in the past, that takes away user choice and flexibility, and there are no doubt some users who would rather not tie their copy of Windows 11 to a Microsoft account – or even have a Microsoft account at all.

That Scott Hanselman says this is also something he hates is significant. It shows Microsoft willing to change features for the benefit of end users rather than prioritizing the best interests of the company.

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