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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

#861

Post by Athari »

ziml77 wrote: post #578

I've always set up with a local account as long as it's been possible. Not because I don't want a Microsoft account linked (I always end up linking one after installation) but because they don't let me choose my god damned username! I want my user folder to be C:\Users\[FirstName] but for some stupid reason they don't give me the option to do that! It just creates a name automatically based on the account email addre…

It's in the article. Microsoft has apparently added customization of the account name and is working on doing that in a more user-friendly way.

As soon as they do that, I frankly don't care whether my account is online or not. I'm using Windows Store, Edge and PIN login; I don't remove auto-updates. Sure, there's some crap to remove, but it's a matter of right-clicking on a few icons and choosing "Uninstall". And no, I don't mind clicking "no" about 5 extra times when Windows asks whether I want some garbage on my PC.

I'll spend more time tinkering with Windhawk and PowerToys than dealing with MS being greedy.

I've been using Windows since Win98. I know what for worse or better. I'm not switching now, because Windows is still the only viable option for what I need.

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

#862

Post by ItsBob »

high_na_euv wrote: post #375
ItsBob wrote: post #333

I was using Win 11 for a year or so until recently but I'd had enough. It was laggy and I was scared to download updates as they break things way too often. I understand the complexity with the Windows codebase... it's fkn massive! However, to be able to push out a Windows update and break something literally every single time is something for the history books! Anyway, I need Windows for some of my software, like my…

I've used w11 on both private and work PC and had 0 issues except sound UI being not resizable sometimes and requiring restart

Latency. It's everywhere. Open file Explorer and it lags. Change the volume and the slider lags with the example sound and just a general sluggishness compared to Windows 10.

Also updates have broken my printer 3 times (that I can remember). At least once my network connection failed due to updates.

With the resources they have, it's unforgivable.

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

#864

Post by GeekyBear »

koakuma-chan wrote: post #704
observationist wrote: post #665

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Companies that cannot run their businesses responsibly at scale should not be allowed to run their business at that scale. If Microsoft can't do it, if Apple, Google, Facebook, X , OpenAI can't do it, then maybe we shouldn't allow companies to operate at scales which inevitably lead to widespread consumer harm. They should be required to provide human customer service, with some sort of legal liability to ensure thei…

Apple has customer service you can call and speak to a person.

Apple offers tech support via FaceTime for people who require a sign language interpreter.

https://support.apple.com/en-us/101572

They are the polar opposite of Microsoft and Google when it comes to providing customer support.

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

#865

Post by sixothree »

paxys wrote: post #634
imglorp wrote: post #584

Notice all the potential revenue operations for Windows: exfil your data, show you ads, sell your data, sell you cloud services. All these things require you to have an identity. Windows is not the product any more.

Considering they are selling it for $140 it is very much the product.

So basically a year's worth of "advertising" money?

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

#866

Post by mbirth »

koakuma-chan wrote: post #704
observationist wrote: post #665

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Companies that cannot run their businesses responsibly at scale should not be allowed to run their business at that scale. If Microsoft can't do it, if Apple, Google, Facebook, X , OpenAI can't do it, then maybe we shouldn't allow companies to operate at scales which inevitably lead to widespread consumer harm. They should be required to provide human customer service, with some sort of legal liability to ensure thei…

Apple has customer service you can call and speak to a person.

I had the iPhone 3G back in 2008 and only had Android phones after that. Until 2020. But when trying to log into my old Apple account, it was asking for answers to security questions I’ve never setup because they weren’t a thing in 2008. After calling Apple support, my problem went up the ladder until someone called me and told me the way to do it. Try that with Google.

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

#867

Post by sky2224 »

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…

A huge problem is driver support, especially for gaming. Yes, it's significantly better than it used to be, but it's still a problem and it's not something the average user is going to want or know how to deal with.

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

#868

Post by LeifCarrotson »

soupfordummies wrote: post #653
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…

The cheeky response to that is: At that point you might as well have just installed Linux :)

I'd like to. If you have contacts at Autodesk, Siemens, Fanuc, and Rockwell who can port their software to Linux, would you suggest that to them for me? Thanks!

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

#869

Post by tavavex »

bongodongobob wrote: post #833
tavavex wrote: post #767

It's crazy how quickly most of this ramped up. Not that Microsoft hasn't been trying to push abusive but money-making "requirements" down users' throats for decades, but there have always been paths around them for people in the know. Now, they've changed course and are trying to clamp down hard on every little thing that's like this, make their software watertight. It would almost seem desperate if one didn't see ho…

As someone who manages 1000s of windows devices.... Do the damn upgrades. That is why your device has issues. You can have all the moral complaints you want, I get it, but you're just making things more difficult for yourself. Either follow their patching cadence or switch to Linux. You're putting yourself into a purgatory zone that is only making things more janky.

I mentioned feature upgrades specifically. Why is it so imperative to apply them immediately, especially since the older major releases receive updates for quite a while after it stops being the most recent version? I'm talking about updates like 25H2, 24H2 etc that supply new features, not the "cumulative" stability/security updates that broadly don't change anything in terms of UX. I don't remember these major releases ever fixing any problems I had, besides adding something I wanted to have that wasn't in an older release.
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