Forum Discussion
LylesRobert
Jul 05, 2024Copper Contributor
What Are the Benefits and Considerations for Switching to a Local Account
I recently inherited a laptop and started using it, only to discover that it's currently set up with a Microsoft account instead of a local account. I'd like to switch to a local account, but I'm concerned about what features or data might become inaccessible as a result.
Specifically, one of the laptop's internal drives has BitLocker encryption enabled. If I switch to a local account, will I still be able to access the encrypted drive, or will it become inaccessible? Any insight or guidance would be greatly appreciated!
- Switching to local account means your account details are stored on your local device. It may not need to connect to network to verify your login details, each time you login. On the other hand, when you use Microsoft account, Windows needs to verify your login details with web/network.
Using Microsoft account, you can sync settings, files and sign in to apps seamlessly and you don't have to sign-in apps individually - a plus benefit over local account.
If you plan to switch to local account, I recommend to decrpypt Bitlocker drive first. When you switch to local account, you can encrypt it back.