Why Do I Need a Microsoft Account?

In all versions of Windows up to and including Windows 7, you would create a local account on the computer with a username and password, and log in. Business customers could also have an Active Directory domain, which would allow workers to log in with one set of credentials on any approved domain joined workstation.

Windows 8 introduced the construct of logging into Windows with a Microsoft Account. Logging in with your online profile for Microsoft would then also log you into all of the online services, such as OneDrive for cloud storage, Skype for messaging, and email through outlook.com or Hotmail. Other services, such as weather, could sync your favorites across devices. It also allowed you to optionally sync your computer layout across devices, so your desktop wallpaper, theme, and even your Start Screen layout could all by synchronized across any Windows device you logged into. Also, any password changes would be synchronized as well.

There is certainly people who do not want this though, and Windows 8 made it very difficult to use the Microsoft services if you were not logged in with a Microsoft Account (MSA). During initial setup, the default prompt is to set up the computer with a MSA and although you could bypass this step and create a local account, it was somewhat non-obvious.

For Windows 10, Microsoft has backed off on this somewhat. During setup, the local account option is still not the default, but it is more obvious that you can bypass the MSA login. Most of the built in apps also support login individually rather than at the system level, which gives you the option to log into those services individually if you want to use them, or you can use multiple accounts for things like Xbox in case you have a different profile for that.

Adding a user defaults to MSA but you can choose the link at the bottom to switch to Local Accounts

I think they have found a much better balance with Windows 10 in this regard. Local accounts can now be used without really forcing you to use a MSA for everything. You will lose some features, such as Cortana, if you don’t use a MSA, so it’s not 100% the same but for the people who don’t want to log in with a MSA this is maybe just the way they want it.

So do you need a MSA to use Windows 10? If you want the best and easiest experience, then yes you should use a MSA for Windows 10. You will get the features that we have come to expect from modern systems such as the ability to sync passwords, themes, and more. Hopefully Microsoft will bring back the ability to sync the Start Menu layout like it had in Windows 8 as well, at least as an optional toggle. Windows 10 leverages cloud services for a lot of the functionality, and in order to use these services you have to be logged in. It’s certainly not anything most people are not accustomed to with the rise of smartphones, but there are certainly going to be desktop users who prefer to not log in with their online profile, and for those people they should find the experience a lot better than Windows 8.

OneDrive Windows Hello and Passport
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  • SlyNine - Tuesday, August 25, 2015 - link

    Another agreement.
  • imaheadcase - Wednesday, August 26, 2015 - link

    wrong
  • Margalus - Wednesday, August 26, 2015 - link

    again, zero credibility when you keep posting the same fake photoshopped picture
  • SlyNine - Sunday, August 30, 2015 - link

    Stop with the ad hominem. The argument is still valid.
  • Notmyusualid - Tuesday, August 25, 2015 - link

    I too believe in 'paid shills' also.

    I cannot imagine any sane, informed mind, would this data mining acceptable. Whatever the conveniences perceived.
  • theuglyman0war - Wednesday, August 26, 2015 - link

    wouldn't mind if I was perhaps paid for this information and could care less if someone was spying on my latest sextapes ( if they think they can stomach my telephoto close-up pimply ass in all it's videotaped digitally edited glory ). I am not paranoid. But I would rather not have every app, browser and OS clogging my systems resources memory and performance with monitoring processes.
  • yuhong - Friday, August 28, 2015 - link

    I agree that keylogging and reading arbitrary files and the like would not be acceptable, but does Win10 really do that? Cortana I think can be turned off.
  • Zak - Thursday, August 27, 2015 - link

    Yup, they ought to be MS shills because I can't imagine any self-respecting individual with IQ over 75 will think what MS is doing with Windows 10 is fine.
  • yuhong - Friday, August 28, 2015 - link

    I agree that keylogging and reading arbitrary files and the like would not be acceptable, but does Win10 really do that? Cortana I think can be turned off.
  • yuhong - Friday, August 28, 2015 - link

    You know you can set the telemetry down to basic, right?

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