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Windows 11 is closing a loophole that let you skip making a Microsoft account

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Re: Windows 11 is closing a loophole that let you skip making a Microsoft account

#171
post #63

Windows set up is actually insane, I did it in a VM recently to test my app on Windows. I would say not only does it require a Microsoft account but you also have to agree to (at least) 3 EULAs about sharing/selling your data that are unskippable. Pretty sure it also makes you set your ad preferences. Absolutely insane for an OS, I don't know how people put up with it as a daily driver.

If you're setting up Windows in a VM for test purposes, I'd recommend Windows Server. There is an eval version you can get from Microsoft that can be used for 180 days without activation.

No account needed, no extra BS installed.

Re: Windows 11 is closing a loophole that let you skip making a Microsoft account

#173

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I'm amazed at your experience, not sure what distros you've been using. I've been using Linux for over 20 years. Can't remember when I had to do anything other than choose my keyboard layout, region and enter the WiFi password. 20 mins later, all installed and working. Dual boot I agree can be awful, because for me, Windows has hosed the other operating system more than once on some update. Can't put them on the same…

It’s not so much my experience, but an understanding of why people unlike us face hurdles to even trying out Linux to make the switch. If you go on distowatch, look at the download pages for the top ten distros. Some are better than others, but most present a dizzying array of options and terminology that assume the person reading is already familiar with Linux and those options. It would be trivial to add in some “I…

Huh, there is a lot of distro choice, which isn't a bad thing but may be confusing I guess.

When I first started playing with Linux I tried quite a lot out for fun, but settled on Ubuntu (or derivatives like PopOS).

Never encountered gatekeeping by anyone, although I guess I don't really need much help.

Re: Windows 11 is closing a loophole that let you skip making a Microsoft account

#174

Called it. https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=42698137 I'll make another prediction: their ultimate goal is to start charging a subscription service for Windows.

Think You're Right. Then they'll justify price hikes with AI shit nobody asked for.

Re: Windows 11 is closing a loophole that let you skip making a Microsoft account

#175
post #94

Earlier quoted context omitted.

If all you need is the terminal than windows is definitely getting in your way, WSL is a worse experience. Plus you still have to put up with candy crush in your start menu, Cortana annoying the hell out of you, and the taskbar giving you unwanted updates on the latest news from the Kardashians.

I don't have any of that in Windows. I'm not using the home version but the preinstalled apps can be removed in a minute, I think cortana has been deprecated for a while now, and the only unwanted thing I've seen on the taskbar has been the weather that I've hidden with two clicks. For wsl, it's just a normal VM that's integrated with Windows. Maybe it'd get in the way of I did development that needed to work closer…

You can remove them in a minute, but they'll come back. ChatGPT will pop in there when Microsoft adds it. You will get a full-screen blue "get windows ready" wizard every few days to "remind" you to log in. OneDrive will reappear on your desktop.

You can still choose most things, but they will keep asking and twist your arm as much as possible.

Re: Windows 11 is closing a loophole that let you skip making a Microsoft account

#176
post #52

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I'm with you. The very few games I play work great on Linux. As a professional dev, there's absolutely no reason to choose Windows (or any OS, for that matter) over Desktop Linux at this point. I'm convinced Windows is mainly for people that buy computers at Best Buy and corporate IT that are unfortunately funneled into the ecosystem (hats off salute to all you).

My gaming PC has four NVME slots. Currently it hosts Windows 10 and Fedora, but since a new update was released it's also about to host SteamOS. When W 10 support ends later this year, I'll use Windows 11 ARM in a VM on my MacBook and that'll be that. The only thing I really needed Windows for was gaming, tax preparation and running Scrivener. You can get native versions of Taxcut and Scrivener for MacOS and SteamOS…

I switched to 100% linux (PopOs, Suse) and the only app I really miss is Scrivener.

Re: Windows 11 is closing a loophole that let you skip making a Microsoft account

#177

Why do this? It was already a loophole that most users would never know of or care about using, but it is essential for a small core user base that cares about how they set up their systems. This cannot be a good business decision.

Addressed in another comment: close all loopholes, then make using your computer a subscription service. It's a great business decision. It's a horrendous decision in all other respects.

Re: Windows 11 is closing a loophole that let you skip making a Microsoft account

#178
post #99

I had to install Windows 11 on a laptop last year, for the first time since win2k. I managed to dodge the online Microsoft account and create a local account, and was proud of myself... And the installer asks "Enter your name", so I enter "Firstname Lastname". Now my $HOME directory is `C:\Users\Firstname Lastname` with a space character in it! Ironically, the whole point of the Windows machine was to install ESRI's…

I have a personal “Windows install / configuration playbook” so I don’t fall into these types of pitfalls for the Nth time (including the very example you give).

Some fun ones: windows defaults to storing the hardware clock time as a time-zone local offset, so whenever it syncs time with network servers, it messes up your time in other OSes (in multi-boot setups). You have to set the RealTimeIsUniversal registry key to make Windows behave.

What made me figure this out? Another pair of issues: the XBox/gaming app/overlay would give nonspecific errors, or at best not let my party hear me, when I’d try to join my brother’s party when playing games. Eventually connected the dots: I would reboot into Windows after working in Linux, the time would be messed up, and the Windows gaming overlay’s party stuff would be broken, suggesting the local time is used in some way for the chat/voice protocol, but of course they don’t tell you that. I initially scoured pages, and pages of Google search results, leading to countless MS forums and Reddit posts, none of which pointed out the importance of the system time. This wouldn’t be as much of an issue if Windows would more regularly sync the system time, or at least do so upon booting, but of course there isn’t a first-party way to do that, either — the best I could do without installing crap was go into the time settings and unset then set the option for syncing time automatically, coercing it into updating the time right then and there — at least, until I sorted out why the time was all messed up when rebooting after running Linux.

Now with the ads and forced online account creation, it’s only becoming more of a dumpster fire than it already was.

Re: Windows 11 is closing a loophole that let you skip making a Microsoft account

#179

I actively avoid using a MS account on my local Windows machines. Until last week when I logged into Teams and Windows activated that account as the Windows account on the next boot. The problem is: I was using my wife's laptop. I dunno how to remove the account without creating more problems.

This is one of the most insidious parts of the Microsoft Account. Windows and other apps (from Microsoft) are littered with booby traps where if you sign in on one of them, it’s irrevocable and automatically attaches the account to all the other apps and Windows. You can’t feel safe anymore because there are land mines all over the place.

Re: Windows 11 is closing a loophole that let you skip making a Microsoft account

#180

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Luckily I use my phone for most tasks and can avoid my two remaining windows machines unless necessary. Also I doubt it's just me but every other day when Windows forces an update "restart and update/shutdown and update", upon restarting I am again prompted by Microsofts dark patterns for all the telemetry, defaulted to ON (location, biometrics, etc). Literally every second update windows wants to re ask me and I hav…

Sure your phone doesn't have any google/apple accounts, right?

Apple is pretty awesome at privacy compared to everything else.
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