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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

#41

This requirement just does not make sense to me. Why would Microsoft even have this requirement? Do they want to force users into an account so it is easier to lead them into Office packages? It can't be for greater data profiles on users since they could do this in other less explicit ways. Microsoft just doesn't have the ecosystem like Apple to make this worthwhile from their point of view or the users.

OneDrive, Edge (if you're into it) and setting sync. What do you mean it does not makes sense? I am not using MS login myself but saying it doesn't make sense is ridiculous. It's exactly same as what Apple does. As for people who say it's required on Windows: It's not. You can create local account during setup, the link is there once you cancel your online login. It's hidden at first, but it's there. You don't even h…

Apparently in Windows 11 they removed that loophole, and now you require an internet connection at least once during setup to proceed.

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

#43

This requirement just does not make sense to me. Why would Microsoft even have this requirement? Do they want to force users into an account so it is easier to lead them into Office packages? It can't be for greater data profiles on users since they could do this in other less explicit ways. Microsoft just doesn't have the ecosystem like Apple to make this worthwhile from their point of view or the users.

OneDrive, Edge (if you're into it) and setting sync. What do you mean it does not makes sense? I am not using MS login myself but saying it doesn't make sense is ridiculous. It's exactly same as what Apple does. As for people who say it's required on Windows: It's not. You can create local account during setup, the link is there once you cancel your online login. It's hidden at first, but it's there. You don't even h…

On Windows 10 Home, in latest releases, you actually need to disconnect the cable to get the move on without a Microsoft account links to show up. Word on the street is Windows 11 is going to make them actually mandatory on Home, instead of only pretend mandatory with lots of prompting.

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

#44
post #28

Until the Microsoft account was introduced I could never could on authentication working to mount SMB shares. My fear is that Microsoft is going to wreck it all in a fit of mindlessness. I wrote them a letter when they were in danger of impulsively stealing TikTok. So many of us depend on their products that we’d be devastated if they destroyed their ecosystem for no good reason. (Someday Microsoft may need to pick a…

> So many of us depend on their products that we’d be devastated if they destroyed their ecosystem for no good reason This is what free software people have been warning against for decades now, and yet governments and big structures still willingly give their hands to be tied instead of allocating some funds to the development of solutions that don't have this problem and would be far more cost-effective in the end.…

"But not only were they illegal, like debuggers—you could not install one if you had one, without knowing your computer's root password. And neither the FBI nor Microsoft Support would tell you that"

https://www.gnu.org/philosophy/right-to-read.html

That's nearly 25 years old. Fortunately we can still use Free operating systems on at least desktop and laptops, but if you choose to use proprietary software, you get what you get.

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

#45
post #25

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It was never a requirement. It uses dark UI patterns (You have to click cancel, then there is a tiny link at the bottom that allows you to create local pc admin account with no MS attachment). Media likes to overblow things.

I'm not sure this is true anymore. I bought a new laptop, and I could not figure out how to avoid signing in to a Microsoft account without starting over and refusing to set up Wi-Fi. I am quite savvy, but admittedly I had not used a consumer edition of Windows in quite some time. Nothing overblown here; dark patterns ought to be called out loudly.

Yep. I literally had to solve this yesterday helping a friend setup a brand new laptop (with Window Home edition) That little link is gone now. I had to Google to find that you create the local account by turning on Airplane mode before entering that screen. It then let me create a local account. ( And of course the other thing I did was immediately remove the McAfee security nagware - at least Microsoft has Defender already installed ready to take over AV duties )

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

#46

This is really a dealbreaker for me, much more than the TPM and recent processor stuff. There must be some workaround :( Edit: Thanks @yourusername, I had missed the part where it's only for the home edition. I'm glad there is still a way.

Fedora, Ubuntu, Mint, PopOS, Manjaro/Arch.

Spend the time to get acquainted, soon you will see you can do almost everything you need on linux (and more) that you can on Windows/macOS, but with less mental overhead (after you are used to linux, it really is simpler).

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

#48

Every stupid mistake by Microsoft is yet another great day for linux.

But also a challenge. Linux also has to introduce purely Microsoft/Google/whatever-account log-on (without explicit local user log-in preceding it) as an option because this is what many zoomers expect. You just give them a new computer, they sign-in with their account and start doing their job. Businesses they run also expect this when ordering computers/integration from you.

The open source world actually needs to implement this + a decent offline alternative to Alexa or be left behind.

I will never want to use a Microsoft/whatever account either but other people will.

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

#49
post #5

I don't really get the selective targeted hate. I don't like this move either but you need an account to use a Mac, iPhone or Android and nobody seems to fuss about it. So why only target Microsoft for doing what their competitors have been doing for a along time and why not protest against Apple and Google for making this practice the norm in the first place through their monopoly in the mobile space?

Actually, you don't need an iCloud account to use a mac. Neither do you in order to use an iPhone.

But you do lose a lot of functionality. Especially on the iPhone as there is no real way to add apps without it.

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

#50
post #43

Earlier quoted context omitted.

OneDrive, Edge (if you're into it) and setting sync. What do you mean it does not makes sense? I am not using MS login myself but saying it doesn't make sense is ridiculous. It's exactly same as what Apple does. As for people who say it's required on Windows: It's not. You can create local account during setup, the link is there once you cancel your online login. It's hidden at first, but it's there. You don't even h…

On Windows 10 Home, in latest releases, you actually need to disconnect the cable to get the move on without a Microsoft account links to show up. Word on the street is Windows 11 is going to make them actually mandatory on Home, instead of only pretend mandatory with lots of prompting.

Unless it changed very recently you can also enter a bogus email address several times. Not that that is much better.
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