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Microsoft has removed the “use offline account” option when installing Windows

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Re: Microsoft has removed the “use offline account” option when installing Windows

#341

Post by terenceng2010 »

clhodapp wrote: post #314
terenceng2010 wrote: post #267

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I will stick with my windows 8.1 in my i5 third gen machine as late as possible, until either the support ends or the computer needs to be retired.

That seems like a strange place to take a stand, since the specific brand of user hostility that pervades Windows 10 seems to have seen its origin in Windows 8

Windows 8’s windows update is always quick and doesn’t interrupt your work for a long period. The only usability issue on it is the start screen, which can be fixed by installing the classic shell.

Re: Microsoft has removed the “use offline account” option when installing Windows

#342

Post by oefrha »

a254613e wrote: post #280
oefrha wrote: post #242

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Yep, and last I checked (earlier this year I believe), there’s still a 14-character length limit on the MS account password. My bank’s better than that for crying out loud. Forget diceware or any other sane scheme, say hello to random hard-to-type punctuation characters. And now you’re forced to use that as your computer password too, which you probably have to type multiple times a day. (Okay, thankfully local accou…

Are you talking about online microsoft account or something windows specific? Because that's not true, my password has been 40+ characters for a long time and I change it pretty often. For local login you can use a PIN, or set up windows hello, if you don't want to type in the long password every time.

> Are you talking about online microsoft account or something windows specific?

I'm talking about the Microsoft online account, and I stand by my statement that I was limited to 14 characters until relatively recently (maybe not earlier-this-year recent, that part I'm not sure). Looking at my Microsoft password history, I've changed it five times since 2012 (when I started using a password manager), each one is 14 characters long; the last change was done in 2016. I've been using 32+ character passwords wherever possible since 2012, so the only reason I was using 14 characters for Microsoft was because of the artificial limit imposed on me. And I did check a few times after 2016 to confirm the limit.

Anyway, I just tried to change the password again and this time I was warned that my Microsoft and Skype accounts would be merged if I carried through with the password change, so something did change after I last checked.

> For local login you can use a PIN, or set up windows hello, if you don't want to type in the long password every time.

I'm aware, but I don't consider a PIN secure, and I don't think Windows Hello is an option for most desktop workstations.

Re: Microsoft has removed the “use offline account” option when installing Windows

#343

Post by mlinsey »

ztjio wrote: post #231
jamie_ca wrote: post #188

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Apple, with the new Mac Pro. Mac starting at $6k, Screen starting at $5k, but the monitor itself is only good on a (I hope) VESA mount, if you want an ordinary desk stand it's an extra $1k. https://www.cnet.com/news/1000-apple-mac-pro-display-stand-s...

It's ridiculous to call it an "ordinary desk stand" it's anything but. A 100% perfectly calibrate weightlessly counterbalanced stand is a godsend for those who need it. The rest can get the VESA adapter instead. Furthermore, this is a product targeting a market that normally spends over $40,000 on a monitor without any mounting gear or stand to do the same work. Apple's display a bargain in context. If you think this…

Are they really only marketing to those customers? Given the pitch in the keynote, I kinda doubt it. Reminds me of those fancy six figure sports cars that are capable of all sorts of things you would never do on a regular street...”it’s a good price for those who need all that power”...well sure but most of the people who bought it were convinced by the marketing that having all that power was cool and made them seem like a pro, not because they will ever really use it themselves, and the marketers know it.

Without access to Apple’s sales data, I could be wrong though.

Re: Microsoft has removed the “use offline account” option when installing Windows

#344

Post by davidvgoliath »

everyone wrote: post #178

@Everyone 'Windows 10 LTSB' is the true user-focused version of Windows 10. Its become one of my favourite OSes. It doesnt come with any shit on it (windows store, xboxlive, cortana etc etc.) MS have also promised It will not receive any updates that change its functionality but will receive security updates, for 10 years. You can only get it if u buy in bulk tho. Or, u can just get it from tpb.. Considering MS are i…

Agreed. 1000x. I do Windows Server because I should be able to have simultaneous multi-session instead of the intentionally hobbled singular "multi-session" offering in Client.

Re: Microsoft has removed the “use offline account” option when installing Windows

#345

Post by labawi »

pndy wrote: post #307
goatinaboat wrote: post #299

FTA They have not removed it, it just is not visible by default if you are connected to the internet. So it’s just a UI issue

This is more a dark pattern issue: user who's connected to the Internet during OOBE stage of installation will be forced to create or login with online account because it won't have other choice visible while the choice still exist but is simply hidden, because of MS "goals".

Can confirm. I was installing Win10 for a fried a few weeks ago and couldn't create a local account. After a couple minutes of search to no avail, I tried:

Just how is that supposed to work if I unplug the internet?

By letting you create a local account, of course.

Re: Microsoft has removed the “use offline account” option when installing Windows

#346

Post by rvz »

ddevault wrote: post #33

Use an operating system which respects you as the owner of your computer, not as a commodity to be exploited.

I agree, but unfortunately, end-users just want to buy products that just work without fiddling around with settings, etc.

The HN audience and generally programmers are usually pro-Linux which makes sense, but they keep forgetting that apps like Office, Adobe, etc are only on Windows / Mac which Linux has to resort to fiddling with hacks like Wine which is not enough for an out-of-the-box experience with end-users.

The mindshare, user experience of Mac and Windows just prevents end-users from bothering to try, fiddle and learn Linux just to do serious work for anyone that is not a programmer these days.

Re: Microsoft has removed the “use offline account” option when installing Windows

#347

Post by morsch »

oarsinsync wrote: post #266
taxidump wrote: post #227

Earlier quoted context omitted.

>but how is it "screwing"? Because all you get for $1000 is a one nice stand?

Good thing the Apple Watch is such a good bargain then, since all you get from Rolex for $10000 is one nice watch. Not all things in technology are created for all people. If you think selling a $6000 screen with a $900 discount if you only need a VESA mount because you already have a $2000 desk & mount setup is absurd, you’re not the target market.

Good thing the Apple Watch is such a good bargain then, since all you get from Rolex for $10000 is one nice watch.

A Rolex is a piece of jewelry, a status symbol. Might as well compare it with a Louis Vuitton handbag. What you are saying is that the display is desktop jewelry.

Re: Microsoft has removed the “use offline account” option when installing Windows

#348

Post by Iv »

mastazi wrote: post #63

This is incredibly bad. In general I have a positive opinion about what MS is doing lately, but Windows is a glaring exception, it’s getting worse and worse at an alarming rate. In the last two months we had two consecutive updates that broke basic functionality for users who disabled web results in Windows Search (which is a very common setting among those who care about privacy) https://www.zdnet.com/article/window…

> In general I have a positive opinion about what MS is doing lately

Dont get fooled. They got better because they have competition. The company is still mostly a marketing firm longing for the days when it could abuse positions of monopoly.

There has been no changes in their structure that would change their core ethics.

Re: Microsoft has removed the “use offline account” option when installing Windows

#349

Post by abixb »

FreakyT wrote: post #273
weka wrote: post #161

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It's most definitely a dark pattern. Just how reddit now prompts you to enter an email when you register but it's not marked as required and it doesn't say optional either.

To be fair, it’s really unusual that they even let you get an account without an email — I believe they’re still one of the only major sites left that allow this at all.

Not unusual when you consider this fact: when reddit was originally founded back in '05, the ability to create an anonymous account with a pseudonym in seconds was the goal. The redesign is a shame, but I'm glad they chose to stick with their old UI via a decicated URL (old.reddit.com).

Re: Microsoft has removed the “use offline account” option when installing Windows

#350

Post by pndy »

Wowfunhappy wrote: post #145
JMTQp8lwXL wrote: post #46

Earlier quoted context omitted.

To the end user, what makes this model preferable to buying the operating system software? For some businesses higher up the stack, it makes sense-- e.g., people spend $X per month on the Adobe Suite, and people tend to enjoy that.

> people spend $X per month on the Adobe Suite, and people tend to enjoy that. I work in the graphic design industry, and I've got news for you... people do not enjoy Adobe's move to subscription pricing, and on the contrary still complain about it. Anecdotal evidence, I suppose, but seriously... I haven't met a single person who prefers Creative Cloud to just buying the suites.

My friend who's a graphic designer had to reinstall Windows because, surprise surprise, one of earlier Windows 10 builds released for Windows 7 bricked her machine and that of course comes with reinstalling all software as well. And the fun started when she had to reinstall Adobe stuff: she couldn't reactivate one of older Photoshop she bought because it wasn't supported anymore - it couldn't connect to Adobe servers; helpdesk suggested her moving to CC which was out of the question for her. In the end, she pick the different solution suggested by her friend that doesn't come as SaaS.
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