Microsoft has started marking Windows 11 local accounts as potentially “bad”. Do not worry; you don’t have a problem. This is a new attempt to get users to use Microsoft ID accounts instead, which in turn leads to the use of their own services (OneDrive, Office…) over competitors’ services.

Microsoft has long been accused of using “dark patterns” to make Windows users choose the options that the company prefers over those that users would choose without any pressure. The dark pattern is user interface that has been carefully designed to achieve this goal.

Windows 11 local accounts are in the spotlight, just like those of Windows 10. Microsoft complicates the life of users by forcing them to use ID accounts by default during the installation of the operating system, and although there are solutions to solve this process, not all users know it.

Now back to the load adding a red “X” to the profile picture of local accounts as you can see in the cover image. This makes it appear that the account or the system itself has a major problem, but when the user clicks on it, they find an ad for OneDrive and other Microsoft products. This setting was found in Windows 11 Developer build 23419 from late March. Microsoft didn’t announce it official changelist.

Let’s say that Windows 11 can work with a user-created local account or a Microsoft ID account. The operation of some functions of the operating system and its administration changes depending on whether we choose one or the other. An online account has advantages such as better connectivity with cloud applications and Microsoft services, better synchronization with other devices or access to additional functions.

However, a local account has other no less significant advantages, such as not connecting to an online identity that can be challenged. Not to mention its higher level of privacy, one of the most controversial points of the latest Windows 11, whose telemetry and data collection is higher than would be recommended.

You know our opinion. Microsoft should inform about the advantages of each type of account and place them in the same place in a transparent way so that the user can choose the one he prefers. All of these dark patterns are “gimmicks” (some very crude and unexpected from a company like Microsoft) that don’t respect customers. Hopefully this type of procedure will be removed and not reach a stable channel.