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Microsoft is plugging more holes that let you use Windows 11 without MS account

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Re: Microsoft is plugging more holes that let you use Windows 11 without MS account

#721

Post by throitallaway »

LeifCarrotson wrote: post #619

Rufus and Massgravel still function as a pressure release valve to prevent too much outrage from building up, but Microsoft is working hard to direct more and more of the flow into the channels that get them the most revenue. If HN readers want to set up a machine without any of the bloatware, with all the "developer-mode" switches turned on, without a Microsoft account, there are still ways to get it done. I actuall…

> secure boot makes it scary simple to turn your new laptop into a $1800 brick

Maybe I'm misunderstanding how secure boot works, but why would it prevent you from using the hardware? At worst I'd think you'd just need to reinstall your OS. That's not a brick.

Re: Microsoft is plugging more holes that let you use Windows 11 without MS account

#722

Post by BizarroLand »

k3nx wrote: post #620
tombert wrote: post #585

I doubt it’s going to happen, but a part of me prays that people will eventually get sick Microsoft’s increasing bullshit and it really can become the Year of the Linux Desktop. Gnome has genuinely gotten pretty great in the last couple years, and I think a lot of former Windows would genuinely like it if they gave it a chance, and virtually any Linux you install will have less tracking bullshit than Windows. I suspe…

It was enough to get me to try Linux again, and it was pretty eye opening for me. My work laptop is a $3,200 USD Dell 5570 from 2023. I bought a Beelink SER5 on amazon on discount because it was an older model around $300. I installed Ubuntu on the SER5. I've used gentoo and other distros, I wanted to use the computer, not configure it, that's why I went with Ubuntu. That little Beelink box runs circles over the Dell…

If you have the space on your main drive you could probably shrink the partition a few hundred gigs and dual boot linux on it.

Swap over whenever you need something on Windows, easy peasy.

Re: Microsoft is plugging more holes that let you use Windows 11 without MS account

#723

Post by prerok »

paxys wrote: post #629

This could have been excusable if Microsoft was handing out the licenses for free, but the fact that you have to pay $140 (more than the price of some entire computers) and then deal with this bullshit is a slap in the face.

Exactly this. We've entered an era where you pay for the product and you are still the product. Disgusting.

Re: Microsoft is plugging more holes that let you use Windows 11 without MS account

#724

Post by SuperHeavy256 »

tombert wrote: post #585

I doubt it’s going to happen, but a part of me prays that people will eventually get sick Microsoft’s increasing bullshit and it really can become the Year of the Linux Desktop. Gnome has genuinely gotten pretty great in the last couple years, and I think a lot of former Windows would genuinely like it if they gave it a chance, and virtually any Linux you install will have less tracking bullshit than Windows. I suspe…

> it really can become the Year of the Linux Desktop. Gnome has genuinely gotten pretty great in the last couple years, and I think a lot of former Windows would genuinely like it if they gave it a chance

This comment could have been written at any point in the past 20 years.

Re: Microsoft is plugging more holes that let you use Windows 11 without MS account

#725

Post by hobs »

BirAdam wrote: post #611
hobs wrote: post #601

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Check the shrink wrap - in most localities you are leasing a license for which they tell you that you accept all liability and failure upon yourself.

There should be some kind of requirement to prominently state that a purchase does not imply ownership of any kind, right on the "box." The entire thing is quite deceptive. I am not singling out Microsoft here. Apple's AppStore and other digital purchasing methods are the same.

In my opinion anything like this is just failing to address the real problem, which can only be addressed by legislation. Having someone put a label that says "this is poison" on it does not improve the consumer situation when your choices are between different flavors of poison.

Re: Microsoft is plugging more holes that let you use Windows 11 without MS account

#726

Post by free_bip »

jasode wrote: post #677
tombert wrote: post #585

I doubt it’s going to happen, but a part of me prays that people will eventually get sick Microsoft’s increasing bullshit and it really can become the Year of the Linux Desktop. Gnome has genuinely gotten pretty great in the last couple years, and I think a lot of former Windows would genuinely like it if they gave it a chance, and virtually any Linux you install will have less tracking bullshit than Windows. I suspe…

>I doubt it’s going to happen, but a part of me prays that people will eventually get sick Microsoft’s increasing bullshit and it really can become the Year of the Linux Desktop. [...] I suspect, though, people will realistically just migrate to Chromebooks, Most people will stay on Windows... even with all the increasing annoyances from Microsoft... because there's too much important software that runs only on Windo…

I disagree with the reasoning "Because there's too much important software that runs only on windows."

My disagreement isn't because wine or proton exist, it's because most people only use a web browser. They check their email, watch tiktok and netflix, and write documents. 90% of people would have all their computing needs met by a basic chromebook.

Re: Microsoft is plugging more holes that let you use Windows 11 without MS account

#728

Post by bitwize »

tombert wrote: post #585

I doubt it’s going to happen, but a part of me prays that people will eventually get sick Microsoft’s increasing bullshit and it really can become the Year of the Linux Desktop. Gnome has genuinely gotten pretty great in the last couple years, and I think a lot of former Windows would genuinely like it if they gave it a chance, and virtually any Linux you install will have less tracking bullshit than Windows. I suspe…

The future of desktop Linux is in a Windows-hosted VM, and some configurations (Home) might not allow even that.

We're a few years out from machines that, by law, cannot run an alternative OS on bare metal. As it is, Linux only runs on bare metal because Microsoft, the sole Secure Boot key authority for almost all OEMs, deigns to allow it.

Re: Microsoft is plugging more holes that let you use Windows 11 without MS account

#729

Post by mapontosevenths »

sleepyguy wrote: post #719
mapontosevenths wrote: post #530

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Rufus relies in the bypassNRO trick. It just does it via a registry key.

It still worked a couple of days ago.

Weird. Microsoft's patch must not have broken the same method when applied by registry. Good to know! Thanks!

Re: Microsoft is plugging more holes that let you use Windows 11 without MS account

#730

Post by y-c-o-m-b »

tombert wrote: post #585

I doubt it’s going to happen, but a part of me prays that people will eventually get sick Microsoft’s increasing bullshit and it really can become the Year of the Linux Desktop. Gnome has genuinely gotten pretty great in the last couple years, and I think a lot of former Windows would genuinely like it if they gave it a chance, and virtually any Linux you install will have less tracking bullshit than Windows. I suspe…

I so badly want to jump ship entirely, but there's several things holding me back. I do music production as a hobby and Ableton Live doesn't play nice with Linux. In fact it seems anything that is resource intensive without native linux support has some issues. I'm also an MS stack developer, so things like Visual Studio Pro aren't available (although I've been using Cursor IDE more and more these days). Lastly I have some games acquired through "the high seas" in which a work-around doesn't exist for compatibility.
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