Microsoft continues to make it more difficult to use a local account with Windows 11, deleting a guide that explained how to convert from a Microsoft account.

Microsoft has been pushing users to use a Microsoft account rather than a local one. The company is increasingly tying Windows to its vast ray of online and cloud services, of which a Microsoft account is a critical component.

According to Tom’s Hardware, Microsoft’s support page detailing how to switch from a local account to a Microsoft account also detailed how to do the reverse under a heading (visible via the Wayback Machine) entitled, “Change from a Microsoft account to a local account.”

As Tom’s points out, Microsoft has deleted the relevant section sometime around June 17, with instructions on how to switch from a local account to a Microsoft one being the only remaining instructions.

Microsoft is clearly pulling out all the stops in its efforts to switch users to a Microsoft account, touting the benefits in its instructions:

The main difference between a local account and a Microsoft account is that a local account is specific to one device, while a Microsoft account can be used across multiple devices and Microsoft services.

• A local account is created on the device and doesn’t require Internet connectivity to sign in. It’s independent of other services, and it’s not connected to the cloud. Your settings, files, and applications are limited to that single device
• A Microsoft account, on the other hand, is associated to an email address and password that you use with Outlook.com, Hotmail, Office, OneDrive, Skype, Xbox, and Windows. When you sign in to your PC with a Microsoft account, you’re connected to a Microsoft cloud service, and your settings and files can sync across various devices. You can also use it to access other Microsoft services

Unfortunately, while many users have no objection to a Microsoft account, many others are reluctant to give Microsoft more control, especially as the company continues to push advertising and data collection in its operating system.