From: V@nguard.LH   
      
   winston  wrote:   
      
   > VanguardLH wrote:   
   >>   
   >> There are 2 places where a user might associate or create a new Windows   
   >> account to link to their MS account:   
   >>   
   >> Settings -> Accounts, expand "Microsoft account" section, Sign in.   
   >>   
   >> Or:   
   >>   
   >> Settings -> Accounts, expand "Your info" section, Account settings ->   
   >> Local account, Sign in with a Microsoft account instead   
   >>   
   >> The first option hints the existing local Windows account under which   
   >> you are currently logged into would get linked to the MS account.   
   >   => It does not   
   >>   
   >> With the "instead" mention, the second option hints a *new* Windows   
   >> account gets created.   
   >   => It does not   
   >   
   > i.e. your understanding is the opposite of what each does(backwards)   
   >   
   > The latter('instead') does not create a new Microsoft account(MSA), it   
   > replaces your Windows Local account signon with a Windows Microsoft   
   > accountMSA) signon. The MSA account for the 'instead' option can be an   
   > existing MSA, if not using an existing MSA a new MSA can be created.   
   >   Your userprofile name and folder remains unchanged   
   >   Your digital license for Windows 11 is linked(device and license) to   
   > your MSA and only stored on the Windows activation server. It(your   
   > license) does not 'get recorded' to your Microsoft account. i.e. its the   
   > other way around - the device/license/MSA stored on Microsoft's   
   > activation server, not your Microsoft account,   
      
   I'm not privy to how the backend works.  In Windows 10, I go to Settings   
   -> Update & Security -> Activation, and it says:   
      
   "Windows is activated with a digital license linked to your Microsoft   
   account"   
      
   As I recall, on a reinstall, and you log into an MS account, your MS   
   account gets checked for the license.  That the license lookup passes   
   through MSA to an activation server is unimportant to the user.  The MSA   
   is the tracking interface to the user.   
      
   https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/activate-windows-c39   
   05d4-95ee-b91e-b399-2820fda32227   
   "It is essential that you link your Microsoft account to the Windows 10   
   license on your device. Linking your Microsoft account with your digital   
   license enables you to reactivate Windows using the Activation   
   troubleshooter whenever you make a significant hardware change."   
      
   The user is reinforced the MSA is involved in recording the license.   
   There may be further views on the entire process, but to users the MSA   
   is the interface.   
      
   It's like with mail servers.  Users only care about the frontend or   
   boundary IMAP, POP, or SMTP servers, not how frontends weave through a   
   network, or how load balancing is accomplished in a server farm.  All   
   that backend stuff is out of control and invisible to the user.  But   
   thanks for the info, anyway.   
      
   > You really don't want to use the former option(Sign in - One account for   
   > everything) to accomplish your task.   
      
   So, to keep my current Windows account (vanguardlh) to link to my MSA, I   
   to go to Settings -> Accounts, and:   
   - Skip (do NOT expand) the "Microsoft account" section to reach that   
     Sign in button.   
   - Instead expand the "Your Info" section, Account settings -> Local   
     account, Sign in with a Microsoft account.   
      
   Thanks for the correction.  I doubt I'm the only confused by the   
   multiple avenues for registering the OS license.   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)