Over the past few years, Microsoft has become increasingly aggressive in trying to push Windows users to sign in with a Microsoft account. Windows 10 already made it mandatory on Home editions of the OS, and Windows 11 went further by removing some of the workarounds for this requirement, on top of also making it mandatory for Pro editions.

Many users are upset with these requirements, but there are a few reasons why this requirement is there, and a few of them are actually good. Here's why Microsoft keeps pressuring users to stop using local accounts.

5 Tracking and ads

Using your account makes it easier to know who you are

The first reason is one you probably won't like, but it's probably the most important from a profitability standpoint. Having a Microsoft account linked to your Windows PC means Microsoft can know a lot more about what you're doing on your computer and use that to promote apps and services based on your usage. If you sign in with a Microsoft account on multiple devices, that information can be used to keep providing relevant ads and promotions, which are more effective.

This is important for experiences like Widgets, since those use your Microsoft account to pull in relevant interests from the web. That also includes ads powered by Microsoft Start. There's also Bing search, which uses your Microsoft account to remember your searches and also to get you reward points if you're in an eligible market.

4 Using the Microsoft Store

You need a Microsoft account to pay for apps

One good reason to require a Microsoft account on Windows 11 is that you need it for a few things on the Microsoft Store. For one thing, you need it in order to pay for apps that aren't free, and on top of that, the Microsoft account helps Microsoft know how many PCs you have. That way, you can't share your paid apps with just anyone, since there's a limit of 10 devices that can access your paid apps at any given moment.

A Microsoft account is also used for age verification for apps that require it. A lot of media apps like Netflix will have age-restricted content, so you need a Microsoft account with your age before you can download them.

Other platforms like Android also have an app store, and it's a big reason why you need an online account for those, too. Your purchases and downloads need to be tied to an account.

3 Backing up your settings and files

Makes it easier to set up a new device

Now we're getting into legitimately good reasons to use a Microsoft account, and that starts with backing up your Windows settings. Using a Microsoft account allows you to save certain preferences, such as your keyboard layouts and languages, to the cloud, so when you set up a new computer, your layouts are synced to your new PC because they were backed up on your old one.

Backups can also include your Start menu and taskbar icons, and through OneDrive, it can even back up files on your desktop, pictures, and documents folders. You can move from PC to PC and have this information synced across all of them, so there's a lot less hassle when you get a new computer.

Oddly enough, things like your system theme aren't synced, but still, many important settings are included.

2 Device encryption

Keeping your data safe

Screenshot of Windows 11 Settings and Control Panel showing device encryption options

If that's still not a good enough reason to use a Microsoft account, this is another great one. Windows 11 (and 10) come with a feature called device encryption, which makes it so that the data on your computer can't be accessed without a decryption key. That decryption key is tied to your Microsoft account, so only you can access your own files.

Using a Microsoft account makes it a lot easier to stay safe because device encryption is automatically enabled and the recovery key is stored on your Microsoft account. If someone steals your computer, they can't access your data, but if you need to remove the drive and access it another way, you can always get the recovery key and unlock it that way. This is a feature you may not think you need, but when you get in a situation where it really matters, you'll be thankful for it.

1 Windows activation

Who wants to remember product keys?

Finally, there's Windows activation, which is another great reason to have a Microsoft account on your PC. When you sign in to a Windows PC and activate your license, that license becomes linked to your Microsoft account. That means if you need to reinstall Windows, and even if you upgrade your hard drive, that license isn't forgotten, and you can simply install Windows without a product key. When you connect your Microsoft account again, the license will be pulled from the cloud and Windows will activate automatically.

This has made reinstalling Windows on a computer much easier, and I'm personally very thankful for this feature.

It can be annoying, but Microsoft accounts are beneficial

For decades, we've been accustomed to using Windows without any online accounts, so to have this forced onto users now can definitely seem hostile and frustrating. But when you consider the reasons Microsoft has for making this push, it becomes a lot more acceptable and justified. Using a Microsoft account benefits the user more than it harms them, and even if it weren't mandatory, we'd recommend it. That being said, giving users the choice is generally better, so we'd like to see that change.