Microsoft accidentally lists the benefits of not using a Microsoft account on Windows 11

This is part of why I preach Linux. I don't care what distro, just get away from Microsoft.

I don't think it's to outright steal or scam

It is. They’re a monopoly. It’s illegal and unethical. And, just poor design.

Does anybody remember back in 2005 when Google had a plugin for windows xp that would index your entire hard drive and give you quick search for your files?

How things have changed.

My buddy’s account got compromised because his kid fell for some kind of Minecraft scam. It was his 365 account that he pays for and Microsoft has told him to pound sand. He’s grateful that he doesn’t use one drive and uses a local login on windows. He’s not even the only person that I know that had this happen to them.

They're in on collecting data, like every other company

or write your windows ISO using rufus and check the "no MS account" checkbox.

Thr FN part is notable if you have a recent computer. A lot of laptops and keyboards ship out with media keys as the default on the top row now, and you must hold the FN key to use F10. Lot of people don't realize this and think Shift+F10 isn't working.

Possibly an easier option: you can let it connect to the internet, and then when it tells you to set up a Microsoft account, click on "Other sign in options" (or whatever it says beneath the text box). Then select "Domain Join instead". It'll let you use a local account, expecting you to join it to a domain later, then you just...don't join it to a domain.

Always be sure to use something like O&O ShutUp10 or Winaero Tweaker after you reach the desktop, so you can shut off all the bullshit, otherwise it will keep harassing you to make an account. I think you need to uninstall OneDrive too, to stop it hijacking the address bar in file explorer with constant nagging to set it up

Lemmy probably isn’t the target audience for this, here’s the steps to bypass the MS account requirement when setting up W11:

"Install Linux"

Newer versions won't allow you run the command prompt in the initial setup environment.

Thanks for reminding me about this!

We used to use that method for the company I was working for. We would setup laptops in advance and they were in the early process of setting up intune. Since we didn't have a user account, we'd use your method to continue setup to get to the desktop.

I think we'd then run commands in pwershell to have the machine appear on intune.

It was a good few years ago and it was a very annoying, arduous time. They worked out the kinks eventually and that was no longer required.

I still find it funmy how seemingly everyone in an earlier threat knew about a dummy e-mail to bypass it but not about the oobe command.

Or just select local domain login.

Good to know. thanks!

there is another way in W.Pro: choose "for Buisness or education", and then "To later join a domain"

Very common tactic for many of these sites. They're either paid by Microsoft or they're just run-of-the-mill Microsoft boot lickers.

If you search for how to disable or bypass something in Windows, these SEO'd junk articles pop up and trick you into reading them. It's usually a long preamble full of arguments for why you really shouldn't try to disable or bypass the thing, because Microsoft's shit doesn't actually stink, and they know better than you. Then at the bottom they put the generic instructions that may not even work anymore, that you've likely already read.

The pros are pros IMO. I'm not a fan of my desktop files clogging up my other computers and if the easiest way is through local accounts I'll do just that and deprive Microsoft of trying to sell me on the functionality of their suite of subscriptions. No loss to me

"We'll force you to reuse the same username and password for these different functions!"

Are you talking about the Support article, or this WindowsCentral article?

Because I would say that's true of both.

This article is heavily inflated/extended with pablum that could come straight from Copilot, and frankly, it seems more concerned with listing the benefits of a Microsoft account than reporting on the support article.

It's AI junk all the way down.

The OEMs do...

Darn Noone, I wish they'd just mind their own business

It's a junk article, likely written by AI in part or entirely. Paragraphs and paragraphs of nothing just to reference a support article they found, all the while subtly implying a Windows account is a really good thing to use and everyone should use it.

You’re not wrong or anything, but “on accident” is used commonly in American English, so the author isn’t wrong either. I think it might have come from an association with “on purpose”, as in “I didn’t do it on purpose, I did it on accident.”

Unfortunately (or fortunately, depending on how you look at it), the rules of language only matter if people actually stick to them. Language shifts over time no matter who kicks or screams about it.

offline on a computer with a MS account

That's technically impossible because you must create an account... online. Also it's a Microsoft account which is worse.

If it’s been more than 30 or 60 days (can’t remember which) you will be unable to sign in if you don’t have an active internet connection. I found that out in 2022 when I had to travel for work (90 days in a fairly remote area) and the only internet connection I had was at the worksite on a company computer.