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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

#191

Post by guappa »

mythz wrote: post #69

Now that I've started getting Windows 10 EOL Notifications (on aging 2017 hardware), I'll be needing to upgrade to a new Desktop + OS soon. No idea what my next Desktop OS is going to be but definitely don't want ads/spyware in a progressively user hostile OS so it will be the first time where I wont be using Windows as my primary OS. I've been using macOS on my macbooks and deploy exclusively to Linux servers so eit…

I've been getting harassment to update to 11 (on a machine where secure boot is disabled) for a very long time.

Plus harassment to stop using a local account, of course.

Re: Microsoft blocks Windows 11 workaround that enabled local accounts

#192

Post by karmakaze »

philistine wrote: post #164
jzxy wrote: post #48

Earlier quoted context omitted.

>I still can't imagine how they managed to make a context menu open in almost a full second They did make everything slower than it used to be when it comes to new UI elements, but the context menu can also be slowed down by third parties. On my machine, the primary cause was the shortcut to AMD radeon settings. You can remove it with this powershell command : Get-AppxPackage -AllUsers AdvancedMicroDevicesInc-RSXCM |…

It’s for these weird edge cases that I love macOS’ new Startup Items menu. It includes a list of everything that starts at boot, and everything running in the background that’s not the OS or Apple. I had been waiting for a feature like that all my life. Sure, put a weird little service hidden somewhere as a login item, but tell me so. I can now turn off Microsoft’s license validator !

The thing on the later macOS that opens so slowly is System Preferences. So annoying, and also how it always starts at Appearance (as if that's the most important) when I usually want the last thing I had opened before.

Re: Microsoft blocks Windows 11 workaround that enabled local accounts

#193

Post by branon »

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…

There is nothing inherently special about ThrottleStop and MSI Afterburner, these are merely (proprietary) Windows-specific utilities for changing the behavior of your hardware.

Running these programs on Linux would not make sense because their only purpose is to twist knobs in the Windows OS. Linux has different knobs so their functions do not apply.

Thus your restriction is self-imposed more than anything, you are effectively saying "the only thing stopping me from switching to Linux is that it's not Windows."

Between your BIOS settings and programs like cpufrequtils and CoreCtrl there are equivalents to those programs, but interacting with hardware is platform-specific. You may have to learn different programs because Linux abstracts access to your hardware differently, thus your preferred Windows-specific utilities will not have any use :D

This is in contrast to productivity applications like Adobe which could reasonably work the exact same way across platforms... if only they were cross-platform at all :(

Re: Microsoft blocks Windows 11 workaround that enabled local accounts

#194

Post by nope1000 »

quantumspandex wrote: post #41
nope1000 wrote: post #19

Earlier quoted context omitted.

But do they know they don't have to use a terminal? You can use Linux Mint perfectly fine without ever opening a terminal, like MacOS. Seems like more of a reputation issue.

Only if all you ever do is web browsing and do some light office work. As soon as you have to troubleshoot something or install some less popular software, you can't avoid it.

I would hazard a guess that this (+ gaming) is how most people use their personal computers. Most users live in their browsers.

Re: Microsoft blocks Windows 11 workaround that enabled local accounts

#195

Post by devsda »

flacebo wrote: post #145

Little bit off topic, sorry. Windows 10 support ending in 2025 is really scary. Literally billions of computers are not eligible to install Windows 11 because of artificial limitations, all of these are supposed to be trashed? That would be an enormous amount of e-waste. Realistically one or a combination of the following will happen: - Microsoft extends the deadline - There will be a paid long term support update ch…

May be and just may be, those users will then try some linux distros and realize that it's not so bad and stick with it.

Hope that will drive linux adoption a little more.

Re: Microsoft blocks Windows 11 workaround that enabled local accounts

#196

Post by BenjiWiebe »

guappa wrote: post #191
mythz wrote: post #69

Now that I've started getting Windows 10 EOL Notifications (on aging 2017 hardware), I'll be needing to upgrade to a new Desktop + OS soon. No idea what my next Desktop OS is going to be but definitely don't want ads/spyware in a progressively user hostile OS so it will be the first time where I wont be using Windows as my primary OS. I've been using macOS on my macbooks and deploy exclusively to Linux servers so eit…

I've been getting harassment to update to 11 (on a machine where secure boot is disabled) for a very long time. Plus harassment to stop using a local account, of course.

IIRC, there is a pretty simple registry edit that can force Windows to remain on the Windows 20 22H2 update channel, i.e. not prompting to install windows 11.

Re: Microsoft blocks Windows 11 workaround that enabled local accounts

#197

Post by rrrrrrrrrrrryan »

Nullabillity wrote: post #184
whywhywhywhy wrote: post #75

I'm definitely not one of those people who thinks Windows should stay frozen forever as Windows XP, I appreciate we're finally getting 15-20 year old features like search filtering in the task manager. But whoever's bonus metric is tricking people to sign in with MS accounts is really making it a gross experience. I managed to finally get my new machines install on a local account using "OOBE\BYPASSNRO" although none…

> You have a "Home" and a "Pro" version, really just wish for a world where they do this silly scammy behavior in the Home version and let the Pro version just be an actual tool to use hardware. This "it's fine if they scam other people as long as they leave me alone" attitude is really bizarre to me. If they keep showing you that they can't be trusted… maybe believe them?

I think OPs sentiment translates to "I'm fine with them charging more money for a version that works without a Microsoft account, so long as it exists."

Re: Microsoft blocks Windows 11 workaround that enabled local accounts

#198

Post by starkparker »

Y-bar wrote: post #99
Dalewyn wrote: post #87

Earlier quoted context omitted.

>and let the Pro version just be an actual tool to use hardware. Pro has Group Policy, among which is an option to block Microsoft account logins at the OS level. It kind of breaks Microsoft 365 subscriptions if you need Office 365, but that's obvious. Other Group Policies include ones to turn off Windows Autoupdates, block OneDrive, block Copilot, and more.

Any good resources on flipping these switches?

There's an official spreadsheet of Group Policies that's typically updated alongside major feature releases: https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/download/details.aspx?id=105...

Search for Microsoft account or local account and you'll find several relevant policies.

Re: Microsoft blocks Windows 11 workaround that enabled local accounts

#199

Post by ofrzeta »

Somehow I managed getting through the setup of a 2nd hand laptop that came with Win 11 preinstalled. At one point they wanted me to enter a Microsoft account but through back and forth I somehow was able to skip it although I couldn't reproduce it. Probably I accidentally did the same as described in the article.

Anyway, requiring a Microsoft account sucks and I wonder if it's even legal in the EU (better to ask for forgiveness than permission, I guess, right MS?). Conclusion is, Microsoft sucks as much as ever, even with all the open source and Microsoft loves Linux.

Re: Microsoft blocks Windows 11 workaround that enabled local accounts

#200

Post by Filligree »

haspok wrote: post #61

This is how Microsoft is fighting piracy: "So you want to use our software and not pay for it, huh? Fine, but in return we need your personal data and behaviour, and we will show you unwanted ads in the Start menu and other places. Deal?"

No deal. I paid quite a lot for my windows license.
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