Windows 11 Home will require a Microsoft account, but Pro won't

Windows 11 Home will require a Microsoft account (MSA) at the beginning of the installation process, according to a source close to the company. Windows 11 users who want to use a local account from the beginning when setting up a new PC will be required to use or upgrade to Windows 10 Pro. 

It’s not a life sentence. Microsoft will allow the user to transition to a local account once the installation process has completed. Retail versions of Windows 11 Home will offer the same experience.

Our source told us that local account users will not have a “diminished or limited experience,” though they won’t be able to sync content or use Windows 11’s ability to sync or recommend content from other devices. That content—which could include documents or webpages that a user had viewed on another PC—is typically synced to the user’s MSA account.

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