Are Microsoft Accounts Required to use W7 or W10?

In creating a W7 Pro 64Bit PC, must I have a Microsoft Account?

In creating a W10 Pro 64Bit PC, must I have a Microsoft Account?

In either case, what would I be missing if I did not have a Microsoft Account?

Best regards,

Mike

Heck no. No to both. And to Windows 8 as well.

In ANY case, what would I be missing if I did not have a Microsoft Account?

The subject of Microsoft Account does not apply to the Operating System this forum covers. There is nothing there to be missing.

Why is that?

Normally Windows 7 is installed with a local account. However, in the Control Panel there is an option to link it to your Microsoft Account. I never did that because I saw no value in doing it.

Last week I installed Windows 10 Pro and Windows 11 Pro on some computers. On Windows 10 I was easily able to select to start with a local account. On Windows 11 no matter what trick I tried I couldn't bypass the requirement to start with a Microsoft account. However, I did switch that to a local account after the installation was finished. Note when Windows 11 first came out it was easy to select to change from a Microsoft account to a local one. Now they hide that option so you have to search for it.

Even though I use local accounts on Windows 10 and 11 there is sometimes a need to use my Microsoft account. For example, the Microsoft Store, Microsoft Office, Sticky Notes, and syncing Windows with other computers. However, that is totally separate from how I log into Windows.

Mike:

All 4 of my full-time PCs are set up to dual boot Windows 7 Pro 64-bit and Windows 10 Pro 64-bit.

None of them are set up to use and log in with a Microsoft account.

However, I do have a Microsoft account because occasionally I need to access a site or app that requires it.

local account is better. Microsoft account is mainly to tie everything into one account so all Microsoft services and systems are in one place. There is downsides to that where local account is just better.

- you need to be online the first time you signing into something using Microsoft account.
- its invasive.
- its doing to much

when systems are doing to much its not always a good system. Majority of the stuff its doing don't interest some people so there is no point using something where 90% of its features you don't agree with.

Microsoft accounts are also an ID so they utilize things like, in no particular order
- OAuth 2.0 client ID
- Microsoft identity platform(Which uses Authentication and Access Tokens)

Information in ID tokens enables the client to verify that a user is who they claim to be, similar to name tags at a conference. The authorization server issues ID tokens that contain claims that carry information about the user. They can be sent alongside or instead of an access token, and are always JWT (JSON Web Token) format. ID tokens differ from access tokens, which serve as proof of authorization. Confidential clients should validate ID tokens. You shouldn't use an ID token to call an API."

The world has gone mad with proving who you are at every step, i should not have to prove who i am just to sign into my own fkn computer, Its not really that majority of people even care its just that Microsoft thinks it knows best.

So take this for example Microsoft Authentication Scheme - wiki.vg I will use this to explain why i don't care for the system.
Minecraft requires, that every user has a Microsoft Account the online one(Microsoft ID basically). Any application that runs Minecraft either official or thridparty has to have Azure integration so that it can contact the Microsoft Identity Platform, you know when you go to sign in to the app or any app and it pops up a web page for you to sign in?

That is because you are proving that its you with OAuth and then receiving an Access Token back that says you are OK to use the application. Your personal details are connected to your Microsoft Account if you used your real name and systems like this are using cryptography, the tokens themself can be encrypted and the services can use many forms of cryptography,

Minecraft has all sorts of cryptography features in it, online has it and the multiplayer chat uses Crypto to parse chat logs, i think admins can turn it off now but Basically Microsoft want to Police like a mediator all Minecraft servers and threaten to ban users for bad behavior like an overlord, i know that Microsoft realms you cant turn it off.
Regardless on thridparty servers Admins should be able to police the conduct on their own without overlord Microsoft watching over them.

This is where its becoming an issue imo they could potentially divulge from a system like this Who you are, what you are doing and when you are doing it, at that point id rather use local accounts where i can and only use my Microsoft Account where i have to, which has false credentials on it.