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I Will Never Use a Microsoft Account to Log Into My Own PC

extremetech.com

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Re: I Will Never Use a Microsoft Account to Log Into My Own PC

#301

Post by skohan »

acapybara wrote: post #133

When Windows 10 came out, the telemetry, MS account features, forced auto updates/reboots made my computer feel like it was no longer my own. Having used Microsoft OSes since DOS, this was the straw that finally broke the camel's back. After dabbling in Linux for years, this was motivation to commit 100% to using Linux as my main OS. It was mildly painful at first, but after sticking with it, I would never go back.

Yes exactly - MS does not respect the user's ownership of their own hardware.

My favorite thing about Linux is that it does what I tell it to, and that's all it does.

Re: I Will Never Use a Microsoft Account to Log Into My Own PC

#302

Post by b0tzzzzzzman »

croes wrote: post #277
dzdt wrote: post #200

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Twitter also. You can create an account without a phone number but in about 2 weeks it is locked unless you supply and verify one.

My Twitter account got locked in about a minute.

Took about 5 for me.

Re: I Will Never Use a Microsoft Account to Log Into My Own PC

#303

Post by [deleted] »

checkyoursudo wrote: post #96
Freak_NL wrote: post #32

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Keep an eye out for games supported on Proton (Steam's Wine facilitation) on protondb.com. In a mere five years gaming on Linux went from a solid selection of native games, to those, plus an impressive amount of high profile titles that just work out of the box (often with better performance on Linux). Of course there may be one or two titles that tie you to Windows, or perhaps multiplayer specific gaming related sof…

My biggest pain point is that some of the mainstream multiplayer anticheat implementations don't work on wine. I'd like to be able to play Tarkov or Hunt or Apex on Linux, but I can't. So far, I have just not played those titles, even though I really want to. I don't really want to have to dual boot just to play them, because Windows 10 messes up my EFI booting. I used to run Windows with a GPU passthrough, but I sto…

[deleted]

Re: I Will Never Use a Microsoft Account to Log Into My Own PC

#304

Post by Spivak »

fsloth wrote: post #57
addicted wrote: post #38

Earlier quoted context omitted.

To be honest, I think it’s as simple as it being a better experience for the type of people who would buy the Home edition. Forcing them to log in with a MS account allows MS to provide a lot of the services people expect using Android or iOS as their primary devices. For one thing, both those devices pretty much require an online account as well. And they contain far more sensitive data. But more importantly, they a…

"I think it’s as simple as it being a better experience for the type of people who would buy the Home edition. ... allows MS to provide a lot of the services people expect using Android or iOS as their primary devices. This. 100 times. The main compute device people as a population are familiar with is the cellphone/tablet, and usage patterns that differ from this are becoming the odd man out. Consumer tech. Commodit…

Another big one is being able to reset your laptop password without having to take your PC into the shop for someone to break into it. And if you turned on Bitlocker let's hope that they saved their recovery key or escrowed it to their MS account.

This is the biggest feature for my relatives who no longer feel dependent on a "tech person" to help them out.

Re: I Will Never Use a Microsoft Account to Log Into My Own PC

#305

Post by Nexxxeh »

nickjj wrote: post #117

I know the post is about Windows 11 but I installed Windows 10 for someone on a laptop about 2 months ago and it had the most crazy dark pattern I've ever seen to be able to proceed past the installation screen without a Microsoft account. Short of not connecting to the internet first the only way I saw where it was possible to create an offline account was to first attempt to sign in using an incorrect password with…

My usual procedure is make a restore USB drive using whatever tool supplied, or just clone it with TrueImage, in case something goes arwy.

Then: "Disable secure boot, wipe SSD, reinstall Windows without connecting to the Internet".

You'll end up with a relatively bloat-free non-S Windows 10 install with a local account, no BitLocker (although it can be enabled later), and Windows will generally install all the hardware drivers for you.

Anything missing that you want can be grabbed from the manufacturer's website. Once everything's done, re-enable secure boot.

Re: I Will Never Use a Microsoft Account to Log Into My Own PC

#306

Post by philliphaydon »

brushfoot wrote: post #73

This makes me want to move back to Linux, but last time I tried Ubuntu (2020) there were lots of little annoyances. Off the top of my head: - Screen tearing. I Googled around and installed the Nvidia drivers for my laptop, but it never went away. - No detection of tablet mode. - No auto screen rotation. - Slow Blender rendering. Probably a PEBKAC with my driver setup, but it just worked in Windows and it was easy to…

I had the issue with Screen Tearing, its baffling to me that out of the box Windows with no GPU drivers for AMD/Nvidia does not suffer from this issue, yet this issue has existed on Linux since the dawn of time.

However, moving from Ubuntu to Manjaro (KDE Plasma) based on recommendation from someone on HN, oh it almost /just works/ without issues. There's just little gotchas along the way but atleast it doesn't make me want to tear my hair out like Ubuntu flavours do.

Re: I Will Never Use a Microsoft Account to Log Into My Own PC

#307

Post by neodymiumphish »

elliekelly wrote: post #292
HeckFeck wrote: post #245

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It is a shame to watch the decline of Windows. There isn't much I can recommend to non-technical users looking affordable computing relatively under their control. Manipulation and user hostility is unacceptable. Any of these possibilities would be nice: * The market presents a kinder (and equally-affordable x86) solution and users follow. * ReactOS lurches leaps and bounds ahead. * Microsoft realises this trajectory…

Why does Apple make it so difficult/borderline impossible to run MacOS on non-apple computers? Would it cut into their computer sales that significantly? I would imagine most people who want (and can afford) a Mac would still buy one.

> Would it cut into their computer sales that significantly?

Is this a real question? Many of the edge cases, both high cost and low, would disappear for Apple.

Additionally, all the tech support will fall on them.

Lastly, any bad user experience (cheap device with crap battery, low quality hardware that doesn't match the software experience, etc) would have a negative effect on them as a brand.

Re: I Will Never Use a Microsoft Account to Log Into My Own PC

#308

Post by Spivak »

hulitu wrote: post #168
cmiles74 wrote: post #85

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Password recovery seems like another big reason to push this. Many consumers don't really have any tech support, aside from vendors like Dell or HP. With an MS account, Microsoft can manage this process.

How about security ? If MS needs to know your password than you can leave your computer without any password. Security is the same. Or you never heard of Solar Winds ?

So because you can log into a website with your Google account and theoretically this means that a malicious Google could log in as you this means you might as well let anyone log in as you?

Re: I Will Never Use a Microsoft Account to Log Into My Own PC

#309

Post by 29athrowaway »

When Stallman warned people about the risks of proprietary software, people laughed and continued using Windows.

You created this problem. You kept buying Windows when they added telemetry, ads and other forms of privacy invasion, so you emboldened to go one step further. And when they are done with this they will invade your privacy more and more.

If Facebook can require Facebook login for the Oculus then Microsoft can require Microsoft Login for Windows. It works. You made it work.

If wolves accept the convenience of eating leftovers from human camps what is the worse that can happen? Yeah, they got domesticated. That just happened to you. By using a Microsoft account now you are living inside Microsoft's data farm as marked cattle.

It is not your computer anymore. You gave computing away by being complacent just like the wolves were.

Your decisions matter, and your decisions have consequences.

Re: I Will Never Use a Microsoft Account to Log Into My Own PC

#310

Post by 41209 »

Obviously it's because Microsoft isn't selling the OS anymore. They're selling various services, such as office 365, Xbox game pass, and individual apps you can buy off the Microsoft store.

At this point why not just make the OS free ? I actually like office 365, by far it's the easiest way to backup my data

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