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Microsoft blocks Windows 11 workaround that enabled local accounts

pcworld.com

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Re: Microsoft blocks Windows 11 workaround that enabled local accounts

#51

Post by HeckFeck »

cjk2 wrote: post #4

More user hostility. Less user choice. I remember a few years ago on here everyone crowing about the new Microsoft and how it wasn't like the old one. It's notably worse a this point.

The only thing I can praise is the .NET Core ecosystem. C#, ASP.NET and EF is very comfy for web dev compared to my experiences with Java and its thousand moving parts.

That said, I still fear what may come. The decrees from on high concocted by the unscrupulous bugmen that are breathing absolute contempt for their users. Who can ponder their designs while maintaining his conscience?

Re: Microsoft blocks Windows 11 workaround that enabled local accounts

#52

Post by jorvi »

worewood wrote: post #10

I recently had to install windows on 2 computers after some years without doing it. Had to spend an entire day debloating the thing. Had to use a handful of tools and powershell scripts to do it. I still can't imagine how they managed to make a context menu open in almost a full second. In Windows 9x on a 200Mhz it was instant. A useless one too, because all the options that matter are in the old one. The only thing…

You don’t really need ThrottleStop if you go into your bios, turn off Turboboost and/or powerlimit your CPU.

If your laptop bios doesn’t allow that, look for a “quiet” setting in the bios. This changes the PL1/PL2 to 35w/65w down from 85w/60w.

With the NVK driver steadily improving, it feels like it is only a matter of time before something similar to Corectrl is written for Nvidia. I realize GreenWithEnvy exists, but it’s never worked well for me.

Re: Microsoft blocks Windows 11 workaround that enabled local accounts

#53

Post by mtlmtlmtlmtl »

fragmede wrote: post #12

It's worth noting ChromeOS doesn't let you do that either, while MacOS doesn't require an iCloud account. iOS doesn't either, but is pushy about having an iCloud account. Don't know about Android.

I have a Samsung phone and while I'm allowed not to have a Samsung account, it's pretty pushy(pun intended) about it. There's an eternal notification active that tells me to add one. If I dismiss it, it reappears, either instantly or within a couple minutes. It can be snoozed, but the option to mute it indefinitely is greyed out in the notification manager. The app responsible can't be disabled or uninstalled. I can kill it, but then it's promptly restarted. Currently it has used 2% of the battery since the last charge.

I don't even know what a Samsung account is for, but I don't care. Clearly I don't need one because the phone is fine otherwise.

Re: Microsoft blocks Windows 11 workaround that enabled local accounts

#55

Post by squarefoot »

bee_rider wrote: post #15

I have a theory, which I have no way of backing up or testing at all, that the entire slump in the laptop segment is driven by the fact that Windows is just utterly user-hostile garbage, and there aren’t any alternatives really, other than MacOS, which is too tied to Apple. Like any reasonable tech savvy person I use Linux of course, but I’d have trouble suggesting it… lots of people just don’t want to use the termin…

> the entire slump in the laptop segment is driven by the fact that Windows is just utterly user-hostile garbage

Partially true, but I wouldn't rule out the marketing driven belief that cellphones are just like smaller laptops, which is utter BS.

Regarding Linux, I've installed Manjaro on some laptops and desktops for non techies, even seniors, and all of them (but one due to incompatibility with a proprietary Windows app) kept using it without any issues. I'm more a Debian user, also liking Alpine a lot on small systems and servers, but found Manjaro to be quite good for laptops and desktops that need to just work without fiddling too much with the command line.

Re: Microsoft blocks Windows 11 workaround that enabled local accounts

#56

Post by figassis »

bee_rider wrote: post #15

I have a theory, which I have no way of backing up or testing at all, that the entire slump in the laptop segment is driven by the fact that Windows is just utterly user-hostile garbage, and there aren’t any alternatives really, other than MacOS, which is too tied to Apple. Like any reasonable tech savvy person I use Linux of course, but I’d have trouble suggesting it… lots of people just don’t want to use the termin…

I fully agree. There is no choice. People need to be on a certain income bracket to own macs. On a certain tech literacy level to own Linux laptops. So They've all been born and grew up on Windows. Recently I setup a recently purchased windows laptop.

Cleared all the crap, did not have the energy to work around online accounts, so setup one. All working. Great! 6 months later, Genuine Windows warning shows up on desktop, windows keeps asking to add product key. We never received one.

All the guides to retrieve it fail. I gave up, wiped the machine, installed Linux but had to give the person another windows laptop bc they had no idea how ot use Linux desktop.

Currently, my brother wants my help setting up some apps on his windows (he's an architect, so you know the heavy CAD stuff). I'm running away from him like the plague...managed to avoid him for 2 months, wonder how long I can last til he corners me.

Re: Microsoft blocks Windows 11 workaround that enabled local accounts

#58

Post by jonesjohnson »

kreyenborgi wrote: post #17

So what would be a good laptop for Linux these days?

A used Thinkpad. (or any other used non-consumer grade laptop)

Most companies either rent their laptops or somehow sell them after a couple of years. They are usually in good condition and often the reseller gives you 1-2 years of warranty. I've bought a used X250 for Bonus: used Docking stations and spare power supplies are cheap and the battery can be hot-swapped.

Bonus2: since it's already slightly beaten down, making another scratch doesn't hurt as much as if it would've been a shiny new macbook.

edit: I think the official term is "refurbished". I can't see myself ever buying a new device again.

Re: Microsoft blocks Windows 11 workaround that enabled local accounts

#59

Post by devsda »

orphea wrote: post #32
proneb1rd wrote: post #18

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It's amazing how they keep digging their own grave.

Don't forget that we all are in an echo chamber. Most people are not pushed anywhere, they don't care. They don't even know that Microsoft is hostile.

Yeah. Only MS knows the actual impact of their decisions.

The fact that they are removing a workaround says that it doesn't impact them much i.e. their actual users don't care.

Despite all these shenanigans, their regular users will be oblivious to the harm and power users will still grudgingly use it.

Re: Microsoft blocks Windows 11 workaround that enabled local accounts

#60

Post by glimshe »

dgellow wrote: post #5
raxxorraxor wrote: post #2

I just recently had to reinstall it a second time because my first image didn't let me past the account registration. It specifically stated that an internet connection is required and there was no way around it. On a notebook where neither ethernet nor wlan worked out of the box btw, I had to install them manually. That wouldn't have been possible with the old install. While I had an adapter to enable networking jus…

As far as I’m aware you can still manually disable the internet connection and get a local install: https://www.tomshardware.com/how-to/install-windows-11-witho... Yes it’s a real pain and it should be way simpler to do. Microsoft makes it pretty hard to like windows…

That's how I installed Windows on one those mini PCs you can get from Amazon for $150. The trick, which required no fake account, came in the computer instructions.

Additionally have in mind you can create a random account for free for each computer you buy. That's what I do for my TVs when using YouTube.

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