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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

#501

Post by trynumber9 »

amanzi wrote: post #479
w4rh4wk5 wrote: post #79

Fun fact, password for my Microsoft account sits in my password manager. If I can't log into my PC, I can't access that password. And no, I am not going to remember that, or change it to something simpler. (Yes I know about entropy and correct horse battery staple!)

One thing Microsoft does really well is passwordless logins. As long as you've set up MFA with the Microsoft Authenticator app, you won't need your Microsoft account password to log in ever again. Instead, when you log in, you receive a notification in your Authenticator app which lets you log in without a password.

Except on the Xbox. I turned mine on the other day and it requested that I re-enter my stupidly long, randomly generated password. There was no option to send an authorization email or use a code. Entering that password with an Xbox controller was a very unpleasant experience.

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

#502

Post by john2010 »

pmoriarty wrote: post #475
saul_goodman wrote: post #371

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Phone numbers have become the new SSN tied to your physical identity. In most cases you have provide extremely detailed personal info to get a working phone number. There are probably still some ways crafty folks can get a working phone number without it being tied to your physical identity, but you must go way out of your way to do so. Privacy and freedom of speech are dead, long live the constitution.

The saddest thing is that many HN readers (and the tech community in general) have been instrumental in privacy's demise. Despite paying lip service to privacy, many people here still work on privacy-eroding companies and services. How many people here work Facebook, Google, Microsoft, or LinkedIn, Palantir, etc... (not to mention less well-known names that still erode privacy).. probably a lot. Many founders (anothe…

you are absolutely right. Even a google employee uses lineageos to avoid tracking but I am sure they deliver the code to millions of innocent...

https://libredd.it/r/LineageOS/comments/nnccvr/google_locati...

https://www.azmirror.com/2021/05/24/newly-unredacted-documen...

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

#503

Post by hilbert42 »

Nexxxeh wrote: post #305
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 hardwa…

Agreed, this ought to mantra for everyone. Ever since XP, I have always installed or setup Windows in essentially this way—and I never do the setup with the internet connected (not even with Linux). If in the middle of the process I need an updated hardware driver then I'll download it on another machine.

Once the setup is done and the O/S configured exactly the way I want it (which often takes me considerable time), I'll then mirror the drive.

I then progressively repeat the process in stages, first with essential utilities, text editors and maintenance tools and work up to bigger programs, word-processors etc. At the end of the process I'll end up with at least four mirrors. If anything goes wrong I can restore the image which typically takes me 7 to 10 minutes and I'm right to go.

Doing the job in multiple stages is good idea if you want to remove traces of a program that, say, won't allow easy re-installation for licensing reasons. All such program are relegated to a latter-stage image, so the process then is to restore the immediately preceding one that is 'clean'.

Only when I'm finished saving the last image and I'm totally happy with the installation do I connect the internet.

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

#504

Post by sandworm101 »

KingMachiavelli wrote: post #82
jve wrote: post #53

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Except for Ubuntu Core which requires Ubuntu SSO account. https://ubuntu.com/download/raspberry-pi-core The requirements doesn't list internet... and I was pretty sure my friend pressed some button or something that asked him for online login, when he tried to install Ubuntu for raspberry (because I'm not hardcore linux guy and I use Ubuntu and I will be able to assist him better in that OS), but after some googling…

Not really sure what the Core part means but it looks like the SSO part is specific to it. You can just download the regular ISO for ARM/RPi... Also Canonical/Ubuntu seems just have a particular bad track record of stuff like this. Most Linux distorts are better.

Lol. "Linux distorts".

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

#505

Post by amanzi »

trynumber9 wrote: post #501
amanzi wrote: post #479

Earlier quoted context omitted.

One thing Microsoft does really well is passwordless logins. As long as you've set up MFA with the Microsoft Authenticator app, you won't need your Microsoft account password to log in ever again. Instead, when you log in, you receive a notification in your Authenticator app which lets you log in without a password.

Except on the Xbox. I turned mine on the other day and it requested that I re-enter my stupidly long, randomly generated password. There was no option to send an authorization email or use a code. Entering that password with an Xbox controller was a very unpleasant experience.

That sucks. I don't have an Xbox and hearing that makes me never want one.

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

#506

Post by quasarj »

DrBazza wrote: post #284

If it's true that Windows 11 (home or pro) requires me to create an online account, then I'm finally done with Windows at home. I really hope that it isn't, but it does seem like this has been coming since Windows 10. I can understand from a company perspective that this kind of thing reduces piracy (and losses for a $2tn company), potentially improves the Windows upgrade route in future, and has minor benefits to so…

Well, I grabbed the current dev ISO and installed it in a VM. I could not find a way to login without an MS account.. however, I will admit I didn't try the "incorrect password for a windows account" to force it. Maybe I'll try that and see..

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

#507

Post by einpoklum »

dividedbyzero wrote: post #384
einpoklum wrote: post #282

Earlier quoted context omitted.

You yourself just explained how this is not a need of the everyday user: Most people do not need to have their PC/laptop account be the same as their account on some Microsoft services/apps. Also, and to generalize - we need to stop judging these decisions based even on everyday single computer user's needs and consider the needs of the computing using _public_. ... and the public definitely does not need Microsoft t…

> Most people do not need to have their PC/laptop account be the same as their account on some Microsoft services/apps. But having only one secure login helps keep things simple(r), Microsoft can help keep associated devices secure and bad guys out, 2FA gets easier, and there is an easy way out in case of forgotten passwords and the like. For most people I guess that's pretty convenient and helpful. Besides, I don't…

> But having only one secure login helps keep things simple(r)

1. It's not secure / doesn't keep things simpler: If you lose it, or it's get compromised, you're screwed on all your Windows machines, not just one.

2. It doesn't keep things simpler: If you lose it, or it's get compromised, you depend on Microsoft to access all of your Windows machines, not just one.

3. It's not "one login", unless Microsoft has gotten control over all websites, banks, ATMs, mobile phone apps and so on. It's just n-1 or n-2 sets of credentials instead of n.

4. Microsoft controls the authentication, so one could argue it's not secure.

---

> mobile platforms, which have been pretty well-secured from the get-go

Not sure how you figure that. More like the opposite.

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

#508

Post by sm4rk0 »

gentleman11 wrote: post #375
nayuki wrote: post #285

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This makes Microsoft's purchase of LinkedIn a good fit as another master of dark patterns.

LinkedIn is so full of dark patterns that there is barely room for the site any more. I keep missing recruiter messages because my LinkedIn email just goes to spam because they send so much junk to try and boost engagement. It’s like being stuck in a room with a car salesperson. I’m thinking of deleting it

I've deleted my LinkedIn account the same day I found my data and trust were sold out to MS without my consent. And I don't feel I'm missing anything.

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

#509

Post by vageli »

dkersten wrote: post #378
vageli wrote: post #317

Earlier quoted context omitted.

These days there is Windows Subsystem for Linux (WSL).

Which is a subsystem of windows to run linux, not a subsystem consisting of windows to run on linux. Ie that doesn't solve the problem of "I don't want to run Windows but want Windows software", but rather it solves the opposite problem of "I'm on Windows and want to run Linux software".

Ah, I see I misunderstood the comment to which I replied.
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