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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

#511

Post by bruce343434 »

sounds wrote: post #477
arp242 wrote: post #329

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Both Android and iOS require an account to be practically useful for most people, and have for years. Microsoft is "only" following suit, and I'm afraid that a bunch of hackers here aren't enough to stop the tide :-/

There's a solution I put out there for my non-technical friends. I just tell them to buy two Android devices. Obviously with iOS this won't work, but then again, iOS devices aren't cheap enough for this to be a reasonable approach anyway. Device #1: Buy the cheapest device you can. I give my friends specific recommendations. Invent a new burner gmail account for it. Install whatever you want off the Play Store - obvi…

Your cause is noble but this is just way too much effort.

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

#513

Post by xtiansimon »

On my personal I’ve tried and failed to change my login email address for a domain I no longer own.

At work I’m constantly updating registry to take videos, pictures etc out of my explorer window. Fracking clueless. Why should any of this be in Windows Pro is beyond me.

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

#514

Post by Merad »

jptech wrote: post #221
shantnutiwari wrote: post #119

Microsoft has been using this dark pattern for a while now. Around 1-2 years ago, I upgraded MS Office on my Windows laptop. It asked me for my username/password-- which I didnt think strange, as I assumed it needed it to upgrade. And thats when I got a message "Good news! Your Windows machine now uses your Microsoft to login." W.T.F. I was never asked, never warned, just tricked into replacing my local login with an…

Even without an MS account, when using Microsoft Store with a local account, I won't be surprised if they used some hardware fingerprint such as MAC address to assign a unique ID to that account.

I don't know about use of the store in general, but if you use the MS store to buy a Windows license they automatically convert your account and link the license to that account.

Source: built a new PC a few weeks ago and naively assumed they'd just give me a product key or ask how I wanted to receive it.

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

#515

Post by politelemon »

alpaca128 wrote: post #149
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…

Microsoft really is one of the worst examples in the dark pattern department that I've ever seen. Same with their email service, where you can register an account without issues and after a few weeks of use I was presented with an unskippable input field for my phone number. Don't want to give MS your phone number? Too bad, better hope you don't need those emails anymore.

Same with Google. Same with Apple. Each I feel are worse than MS. The other day I tried using an iPad and could not proceed without signing in, and giving over my credit card details. The dark pattern being that it tricks you into thinking that you _can_ proceed without either.

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

#516

Post by reaperducer »

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…

"are less secure by not registering an account with Microsoft"

More accounts equals less security. That's a fact. If Microsoft believes this, it's not worthy of our trust.

If it's just marketing hype, ditto. I don't trust companies that outright lie to me.

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

#517

Post by encryptluks2 »

sounds wrote: post #477
arp242 wrote: post #329

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Both Android and iOS require an account to be practically useful for most people, and have for years. Microsoft is "only" following suit, and I'm afraid that a bunch of hackers here aren't enough to stop the tide :-/

There's a solution I put out there for my non-technical friends. I just tell them to buy two Android devices. Obviously with iOS this won't work, but then again, iOS devices aren't cheap enough for this to be a reasonable approach anyway. Device #1: Buy the cheapest device you can. I give my friends specific recommendations. Invent a new burner gmail account for it. Install whatever you want off the Play Store - obvi…

That is hardly a solution. You also act like by "inventing" a burner account that Google has no clue who you are, but that is simply not the case. If so their service would be overrun with spammers. Generally they require that you also verify a real phone number to setup an account.

Also, once you've done all this you can download APKs from Google Play Store without needing a burner phone. They've had extensions that do this for some time. Might as well just do it from the computer and or use an alternative app store.

If you really don't want someone to sign in to Google services, then there are ROMs made specifically for that. Have them use CardDav and CalDav. Use email with IMAP, etc. The route you've chose seems way too convoluted for no purpose other than the illusion that you're somehow unidentifiable.

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

#518

Post by tssva »

int_19h wrote: post #135
tssva wrote: post #29

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Great. The workaround is much worse battery usage, screen tearing and a horrible trackpad experience.

Trackpad is silky smooth on Star Labs laptops.

It isn't whether it is smooth or not. The issue is the mess that is multitouch gesture support on Linux.

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

#519

Post by tu7001 »

dzdt wrote: post #200
GuB-42 wrote: post #171

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Google does that too.

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.

I have twitter without phone number, typing from Poland

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

#520

Post by [deleted] »

AnIdiotOnTheNet wrote: post #394
nickjj wrote: post #377

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Running native Linux for non-technical users ends up being a great move as long as the programs they want to run work on it. For example imagine a retired non-technical person who occasionally trades stocks. Even major trading platforms like Interactive Brokers have native Linux clients. Non-technical users want a stable system that doesn't constantly change. Windows loves to hit you with popup notices or UI changes…

> Non-technical users want a stable system that doesn't constantly change. ...and you're recommending Linux Desktop for that? An operating system famous for breaking compatibility with itself every 2 years or so? Not to mention between distros. I mean, I suppose you can just leave them on some arbitrary un-updated version of Ubuntu forever, but the same could be said for Windows 2000.

[deleted]
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