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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

#201

Post by utensil4778 »

My husband is a normal layperson who treats his computer like an appliance. It's just there to do word processing and web browsing. He's been asking me to buy him a new laptop and specifically wants Windows on it.

I've been struggling for weeks trying to explain to him why Windows is bad and why I don't want to setup and manage his spyware machine.

I've convinced him to at least try a few Linux distros to see what he's comfortable with, but he either doesn't understand why Windows is bad or just doesn't care.

For now I'm avoiding purchasing the new machine, and he's begrudgingly using my manjaro laptop. I really don't know what to do about it. The most solid argument I've got so far is that I can't help him with any of the inevitable windows 11 issues because I just don't use windows anymore.

Re: Microsoft blocks Windows 11 workaround that enabled local accounts

#202

Post by Stagnant »

whywhywhywhy wrote: post #177
mistercheph wrote: post #101

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Pirate it next time!

Although I agree with the sentiment of voting with your wallet, but building the foundation of my GPU workstation that could cost me a lot in electricity if a bad actor took control of it on pirated software is ill advised.

You can download official ISOs of all of the Windows versions for free directly from Microsoft's servers. Then you just need to activate it and there are plenty of methods to do that without risk of malware. Microsoft seems to care about this so little that one of the most starred repositories in github(MAS) has provided easy one click activation solution for years at this point.

Re: Microsoft blocks Windows 11 workaround that enabled local accounts

#203

Post by Mountain_Skies »

utensil4778 wrote: post #201

My husband is a normal layperson who treats his computer like an appliance. It's just there to do word processing and web browsing. He's been asking me to buy him a new laptop and specifically wants Windows on it. I've been struggling for weeks trying to explain to him why Windows is bad and why I don't want to setup and manage his spyware machine. I've convinced him to at least try a few Linux distros to see what he…

He's his own person. You want to help him avoid future headaches and protect his privacy but ultimately, he is his own person who should be able to make his own choices. Understandably this is difficult for you since you are being asked to buy the new laptop and have valid reasons for not wanting to purchase one with Windows but none of that changes the fact that he is his own person with his own thoughts. You may feel complicit in any trouble his choice brings him since you're involved in the purchasing process but that's on him, not you, if it ends poorly.

Re: Microsoft blocks Windows 11 workaround that enabled local accounts

#204

Post by CoastalCoder »

utensil4778 wrote: post #201

My husband is a normal layperson who treats his computer like an appliance. It's just there to do word processing and web browsing. He's been asking me to buy him a new laptop and specifically wants Windows on it. I've been struggling for weeks trying to explain to him why Windows is bad and why I don't want to setup and manage his spyware machine. I've convinced him to at least try a few Linux distros to see what he…

That's a tough situation.

Marriage is one of those relationships where hard-line stances (on either side) can be really damaging.

Re: Microsoft blocks Windows 11 workaround that enabled local accounts

#205

Post by gs17 »

advael wrote: post #178
baq wrote: post #91

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The GPU market forces are: - gaming: Windows with a sprinkle of Steam Deck (yay!) - compute: Linux - video decode: Windows (DRM on Linux... yeah) - video encode: mixed (Windows for consumers and smbs, Linux for cloud transcode) Of these, the Steam Deck is the closest to a laptop that we got to. This is actually great, but it didn't result in a noticeable shift in anything, because LLMs took it all.

I am not sure what point you're trying to make with this collection of non-sequiturs and false statements -The vast overwhelming majority of games are now effectively cross-platform. Work done mostly by valve benefits the entire ecosystem of linux-based OSes, and the sliver of incompatible games that still exist take vast resources to prevent from being made compatible, and thus can only be pulled off by well-resourc…

> The vast overwhelming majority of games are now effectively cross-platform

That's true (and Proton often works better than a native Linux build), but then there's the few games only run on Windows, often due to anti-cheat (see https://areweanticheatyet.com/). Unfortunately, a lot of developers aren't very interested in making it compatible even when it's definitely possible and not something they're opposed to, e.g. that list shows SMITE as compatible, but Paladins from the same company with the same anti-cheat as incompatible. Almost no games are Linux-only, many are Windows-only.

VR can also be a big headache, although I made it worse by getting WMR. Monado is getting there though.

Re: Microsoft blocks Windows 11 workaround that enabled local accounts

#206

Post by Retric »

erremerre wrote: post #147
baq wrote: post #47

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Let's be honest here, the something is 99% drivers. It was printers, then it was wifi, now it's gpus. DNNs and LLMs at least made the compute part of the gpu driver Linux-native (from the vendors' perspective), one would hope the graphics part of the graphics processor would come next, but alas making big iron do work is done from macos and windows laptops.

In the year 2024 of our lord, Linux do not works fine with the ultra-common Realtek ALC892 chip for sound, having constant audio skips. Found in a myriad of motherboards from the last decade. This is just my issue, I am pretty sure, there are other loads of drivers issues elsewhere.

You check for compatibility before buying a part and if there’s going to be an issue you buy something else.

MacOS doesn’t work on most machines either, but drivers aren’t an issue for Mac users.

Re: Microsoft blocks Windows 11 workaround that enabled local accounts

#208

Post by orev »

fattegourmet wrote: post #21
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…

>lots of people just don’t want to use the terminal at all That's unfortunate, since the article notes: "Another method of bypassing the account lockdown still exists. You simply have to enter OOBE\BYPASSNRO in the command prompt during the Windows 11 setup process, which allows you to skip the connection to the Internet and thus also the link to a Microsoft account."

Using the terminal for day to day things is different than having to use it one time during the setup process.

Re: Microsoft blocks Windows 11 workaround that enabled local accounts

#209

Post by ryandrake »

Mountain_Skies wrote: post #203
utensil4778 wrote: post #201

My husband is a normal layperson who treats his computer like an appliance. It's just there to do word processing and web browsing. He's been asking me to buy him a new laptop and specifically wants Windows on it. I've been struggling for weeks trying to explain to him why Windows is bad and why I don't want to setup and manage his spyware machine. I've convinced him to at least try a few Linux distros to see what he…

He's his own person. You want to help him avoid future headaches and protect his privacy but ultimately, he is his own person who should be able to make his own choices. Understandably this is difficult for you since you are being asked to buy the new laptop and have valid reasons for not wanting to purchase one with Windows but none of that changes the fact that he is his own person with his own thoughts. You may fe…

I set up a separate VLAN on my home network to isolate all Windows machines from the rest of the LAN and strictly lock down their access to the outside world, too. Maybe that is an option for OP's home network?

Windows machines can safely coexist on your network, but you need to treat them as attackers in your threat model.

Re: Microsoft blocks Windows 11 workaround that enabled local accounts

#210

Post by xnx »

utensil4778 wrote: post #201

My husband is a normal layperson who treats his computer like an appliance. It's just there to do word processing and web browsing. He's been asking me to buy him a new laptop and specifically wants Windows on it. I've been struggling for weeks trying to explain to him why Windows is bad and why I don't want to setup and manage his spyware machine. I've convinced him to at least try a few Linux distros to see what he…

ChromeOS might be a good option.
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