To remove a Microsoft account from your PC while keeping your Windows profile, open Settings > Accounts > Your info and select Sign in with a local account instead. Complete the local-account setup, then sign back in with it. These steps use Windows 11 menus.
Removing another person's Windows user deletes that user's local sign-in and data. Signing out of apps or removing the PC from your online device list has a different effect, so choose the action that matches what you need to disconnect.
The short version
- Keep your profile: Switch your Windows sign-in to a local account through Your info.
- Remove another user: Back up their files, then remove their account from a different administrator sign-in.
- Disconnect apps: OneDrive, Edge, Outlook, and other apps can require separate sign-out.
- Give away the PC: Back up your files, reset with Remove everything, then remove the PC from your online device list.
| Method | Where to start | What it changes |
|---|---|---|
| Switch to a local account | Your info | Replaces your Windows sign-in while keeping the profile |
| Remove another Windows user | Other users | Deletes that local sign-in and its data |
| Create a replacement administrator | Other users > Add account | Creates a separate profile before you remove the old user |
| Remove a saved app account | Email & accounts | Removes an account saved for apps |
| Disconnect an organizational account | Access work or school | Disconnects the work or school account |
| Unlink OneDrive | OneDrive account settings | Disconnects its sync connection |
| Sign out of Edge | Edge profile settings | Disconnects browser account sync |
| Sign out of Microsoft websites | Each website's profile menu | Ends those browser sessions |
| Sign out of Microsoft 365 | An Office app's account page | Signs out of Office and can affect editing access |
| Remove a new Outlook account | Your accounts | Removes the email account and its offline cache |
| Remove a classic Outlook account | Account Settings | Removes the selected email account |
| Sign out of Teams | Teams profile picture | Ends that Teams session |
| Sign out of Microsoft To Do | Manage accounts | Signs the selected account out of To Do |
| Sign out of Clipchamp | Clipchamp user icon | Ends the Clipchamp session |
| Remove the online device association | Microsoft account device dashboard | Removes the online association without deleting the Windows user |
| Unlink a Store device | Device dashboard's Unlink action | Addresses the Microsoft Store device limit |
| Reset through Windows settings | Recovery > Reset PC | Erases accounts and PC data with Remove everything |
| Reset through recovery | Hold Shift while selecting Restart | Provides a reset route when normal sign-in is unavailable |
Switch your Windows sign in to a local account
Use this method when you want to keep your existing Windows profile. It changes how you sign in without creating a replacement profile or deleting your current user.
Open Settings > Accounts > Your info, then select Sign in with a local account instead. Complete any identity verification requested. Enter the local username, password, and password hint, then select Next.
Select Sign out and finish, then sign back in with the local account you just created. Apps already connected to your Microsoft account can remain signed in, so disconnect those separately using the relevant app steps below.
Ordinary Windows sign-out ends your current session and leaves the account configured. Removing a PIN, disconnecting the internet, or deleting profile files alone also does not disconnect your Microsoft account from Windows.
Remove another Windows user from the PC
Use account removal when someone no longer needs a Windows sign-in on the computer. Back up their needed files first, then sign in with a different administrator account. Removing their local sign-in and data does not close their online Microsoft account.
Open Settings > Accounts > Other users and expand the account you want to remove. Beside Account and data, select Remove, then complete the confirmation. Check that you selected the intended user before proceeding.
To replace your own Microsoft-connected user with a separate profile, open Settings > Accounts > Other users > Add account from an administrator account. Select I don't have this person's sign-in information, then select Add a user without a Microsoft account. Complete the local-account creation prompts.
Expand the new account, select Change account type, choose Administrator, and select OK. Sign in to that new account and copy the files you need. Then return to Other users, expand the old account, and beside Account and data, select Remove. This creates a different profile rather than converting your existing one.
Remove an account saved for apps
For a personal Microsoft account saved for apps, open Start > Settings > Accounts > Email & accounts. Select the account you want to remove, then beside Remove account, select Remove.
If the account is your Windows sign-in, use the local-account conversion under Your info. Afterward, check your apps because their existing sign-ins can require separate action.
Disconnect a work or school account
A work or school account uses a separate Windows connection from a personal Microsoft account. If you use the organizational account to sign in to Windows, arrange another usable administrator sign-in before disconnecting it.
Open Settings > Accounts > Access work or school and expand the relevant account. Select Disconnect, then select Yes. If your organization's restrictions prevent disconnection, contact its IT team for help.
Unlink OneDrive and sign out of Edge
OneDrive has its own account connection. Select its cloud icon in the notification area, then open Help and Settings > Settings > Account. Select Unlink this PC, then select Unlink account.
Locally available OneDrive files remain on the computer after unlinking, while online-only files remain accessible through OneDrive on the web. Unlinking does not change your Windows sign-in.
In Edge, open Settings and more > Settings > Profiles, then select Sign out. This disconnects Edge account sync, but website sessions remain separate.
On Microsoft websites such as Outlook.com, select your profile picture in the upper-right corner and select Sign out. Close all browser windows afterward. Repeat for separately signed-in browser profiles or sessions.
Disconnect Microsoft 365 Outlook and other apps
In a Microsoft 365 desktop app such as Word, open File > Account and select Sign out. In classic Outlook, open Office Account instead. Close all Microsoft 365 or Office apps afterward. Signing out can remove subscription activation and editing access, while the separate OneDrive sync app stays connected until you unlink it.
To remove an email account from new Outlook, select View > View settings, then open Accounts > Your accounts. Under Email accounts, select Manage beside the account. Under Account details, select Remove; this also removes the account's offline cached content.
In classic Outlook for Microsoft 365, open File > Account Settings > Account Settings. Select the account, choose Remove, review the offline-cache warning, and select Yes. If you are removing the only or final account, you may need to create an Outlook Data File first.
Windows Mail and Calendar are retired, so their old removal instructions do not apply to current Outlook. Follow the procedure for the Outlook version you use.
In Teams, select your profile picture at the top and choose Sign out. That ends the session in that Teams installation or browser, while other apps and devices can remain signed in.
In Microsoft To Do, open the user menu and select Manage accounts. Select the account's Sign out button, then select Sign out to confirm.
Before signing out of Clipchamp, let project saving and media uploads finish. On its home page, select the user icon in the upper-right corner, then choose Sign out.
Remove the PC from your online device list
Removing a device online clears its association with your Microsoft account. It does not convert your Windows sign-in or delete the Windows user and files. Complete the appropriate action on the PC first.
Sign in to the Microsoft account device dashboard, find the PC, and select Show details > More actions > Remove. Select I'm ready to remove this device, then select Remove.
If the dashboard opens the PC in a device drawer, select Remove device to reach the confirmation. Select I'm ready to remove this device, then select Remove.
A separate Unlink action on the dashboard handles a Microsoft Store device association. Find the device, select Unlink, review its details, then select Unlink again. This addresses the Store device limit without removing your Windows sign-in.
Erase your accounts before giving away the PC
Before selling or giving away your PC, back up your needed files and BitLocker recovery key. Then reset the laptop before transferring ownership to erase its existing accounts and data.
Open Settings > System > Recovery. Under Recovery options, select Reset PC, then select Remove everything. Choose Cloud download or Local reinstall, enable Clean data when transferring the PC, and follow the reset prompts.
When normal Windows sign-in is unavailable, hold Shift while selecting Power > Restart from the sign-in screen. In Windows Recovery Environment, select Troubleshoot > Reset this PC, choose the Remove everything option, and complete the reset. An encrypted PC can require its BitLocker recovery key.
If you have a Surface, follow the device-specific steps to restore a Surface to factory settings. After resetting, remove the computer from your Microsoft account's online device list. If you select Keep my files, you are not choosing the account-erasing reset described here.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can you disconnect Microsoft account sessions when you no longer have the PC?
Yes, open Advanced security options on your Microsoft account security dashboard, find Sign out everywhere, and select Sign out. Microsoft says this can take up to 24 hours and excludes Xbox consoles. It affects sessions across devices without deleting the PC's Windows user or files.
Can you remotely sign a PC out of Microsoft 365?
Yes, Microsoft 365 for home supports remote sign-out through your Microsoft account Installs page. Under Devices, find the PC and select Sign out of Microsoft 365 or Office. Detection can take up to 72 hours.
Can you stop Windows settings backup without disconnecting your account?
Yes, open Settings > Accounts > Windows backup. Turn off Remember my apps, then turn off Remember my preferences. These controls stop the corresponding backup and sync functions while leaving your Microsoft account connected to Windows.
Does uninstalling OneDrive remove your Microsoft account from Windows?
No, uninstalling OneDrive stops its PC integration without removing your Microsoft account Windows sign-in or deleting cloud files. Some built-in configurations do not allow you to uninstall OneDrive. You can still unlink it in those configurations.
Does removing an Outlook profile delete its PST files?
No, associated .pst files remain on your computer when you remove a classic Outlook profile. Removing that profile removes every email account stored in it, so it affects more than a single-account removal.