How to Remove Microsoft Account from Windows 11 25H2

When you first set up Windows 11 25H2, Microsoft nudges you to sign in with a Microsoft account — and for good reason. It unlocks OneDrive sync, the Microsoft Store, and seamless settings backup across devices. But there are plenty of legitimate reasons to remove that account from your PC: privacy concerns, sharing the computer, switching to a local account, or simply decluttering user profiles. Whatever your reason, Windows 11 gives you three straightforward ways to get it done.

This guide walks you through every step, complete with screenshots, so you can safely remove a Microsoft account from Windows 11 without losing important data.

⚠️ Before You Begin: You cannot remove the account you’re currently signed into. Follow Part 1 below to create a local administrator account first, then sign in with it before proceeding to Part 2.

Part 1: Create a Local Administrator Account

Windows won’t let you delete the account that’s currently active. The safest approach is to create a new local account, grant it administrator rights, sign into it, and then remove the Microsoft account from there.

Step 1: Open Settings from the Start Menu or press Windows + I.

Step 2: In the Settings window, click Accounts in the left sidebar.

Step 3: On the right side, click Family & other users (or Other users).

Step 4: Under the Other users section, click Add account next to Add other user.

Step 5: In the Microsoft account sign-in window, click I don’t have this person’s sign-in information.

Step 6: On the next screen, select Add a user without a Microsoft account.

Step 7: Enter a username and an optional password for the new local account, then click Next.

💡 Tip: You can leave the password fields blank if you prefer no password on the local account — just click Next to continue.

Step 8: The new local account is created as a Standard User by default. To promote it to Administrator, click on the newly created account under Other users.

Step 9: Click Change account type next to Account options.

Step 10: In the Change account type dialog, open the Account type dropdown and select Administrator. Click OK to save.

Your local administrator account is ready. Sign out of your Microsoft account and sign in with the new local account before continuing to Part 2.

Part 2: Remove the Microsoft Account

Once you’re logged in with your local administrator account, use any of the three methods below to remove the Microsoft account from your Windows 11 PC.

Method 1: Remove Microsoft Account via Settings

This is the recommended method — it’s built directly into Windows 11 Settings and takes less than a minute.

Step 1: Open Settings with Windows + I.

Step 2: Click Accounts in the left sidebar.

Step 3: Click Family & other users or Other users.

Step 4: Under Other users, find the Microsoft account you want to delete and click on it to expand its options.

Step 5: Click the Remove button next to Account and data.

Step 6: In the confirmation dialog, click Delete account and data to finalize the removal.

The Microsoft account is now removed from your PC.

Method 2: Remove Microsoft Account via User Accounts Panel (netplwiz)

Power users may prefer this classic Windows tool — it’s fast and doesn’t require navigating multiple Settings screens.

Step 1: Press Windows + R to open the Run dialog. Type netplwiz and press Enter.

Step 2: In the User Accounts window, select the Microsoft account you want to remove from the list.

Step 3: Click the Remove button.

Step 4: Click Yes in the confirmation prompt to complete the removal.

The Microsoft account is removed from the system.

Method 3: Remove Microsoft Account via Control Panel

If you prefer the classic Control Panel interface, this method works equally well and gives you the option to keep or delete the account’s associated files.

Step 1: Search for Control Panel in the Start Menu and open it.

Step 2: Click User Accounts.

Step 3: Click Remove user accounts.

Step 4: Select the Microsoft account you want to remove from the list of user accounts.

Step 5: Click Delete the account.

Step 6: Choose Delete Files to remove all associated data, or Keep Files to save certain files to your desktop before deleting the account.

💡 Tip: Choosing Keep Files saves a limited set of files (Desktop, Documents, etc.) to your desktop as a folder. You can delete them manually afterward if needed.

The Microsoft account has been successfully removed via Control Panel.

Which Method Should You Use?

• ✅ Settings (Method 1) — Best for most users. Clean, modern UI, fully supported in Windows 11.
• ⚡ netplwiz (Method 2) — Fastest option if you’re comfortable with classic Windows tools.
• 🗂️ Control Panel (Method 3) — Best if you want control over whether to keep or delete the account’s files.

Conclusion

Removing a Microsoft account from Windows 11 25H2 is straightforward once you understand the two-step process: create a local admin account to sign into, then delete the Microsoft account through Settings, netplwiz, or Control Panel. All three methods are reliable — choose whichever fits your workflow best.

If you’re not ready to delete the account entirely but want to stop using it as your primary sign-in, consider switching your sign-in to a local account instead via Settings → Accounts → Your info → Sign in with a local account instead. That way, the account stays available but doesn’t control your daily login.

Have a question or ran into a snag? Drop it in the comments — we’re happy to help.