…aaaand I will never switch to Windows 11.
But then, I’m a hypocrite, because I have to create an account to use Android.
Forced accounts are evil - including Android. Here’s my Android story:
When I got my first Android phone, my intention was to not have an account - or at least have as much isolation between any account and my actual usage as possible. So I decline account creation when I first started using the phone, and told the phone to only store all contacts locally. That worked, and I was pretty happy with it. But later, I wanted to download a couple of basic apps from the app store - and that required an account. So I created a bogus account to download the apps. …
After creating the account to download stuff, I noticed that the contacts had automatically associated themselves with that new account had automatically uploaded all my contacts and personal info to google to sync with this account. This is precisely the thing I was trying to avoid in the first place. So, I immediately logged into that account via google’s website and told it to not store any contact info, and to delete all existing info. Which it did.
But then some time later… the account again decided to sync with my phone - this time to delete all the contacts from my phone (presumably because I’d deleted them from the online account). So although I’d gone to some deliberate lengths to tell my phone to only store data locally and to not upload it, what i ended up with was all personal data uploaded, and then purged from my phone. I had to try to restore my contacts from an ancient sim-card backup from my old phone.
Since then, I’ve decided that I will not use a google account for my phone for any reason, ever. I’ve use F-droid and the Aurora store instead. (But actually I very rarely use any apps anyway.)
because I have to create an account to use Android…
You don’t. Look into degoogled ROMs, MicroG, Aurora store, and f-droid.
Oh sure, sure. My point is that Google asked for the same thing as MS, and I mindlessly gave it to them.
I’ll look into degoogling at some point.
One difference is there was already value with having a gmail account. What’s the point of getting a Microsoft account? The only thing I can see is it makes settings set up/transfer easy between PCs and for reinstalls.
Except, if I’m reinstalling, I can’t imagine waiting to copy settings since one of those settings is probably causing a problem and I don’t want it to be automatically set for me. I also don’t use the Microsoft store so…
Does anyone else actually get value from their Microsoft account? If not, It just feels like it’s only purpose is giving them (more) access to your computer. Why would anyone want that?
#RUNBSD it is then
On a new install, before powering up, make sure you don’t start it up with Ethernet plugged in, when you get to the Wi-Fi connection stage hit Ctrl+f10
Type in
oobe\bypassnro
And press enter. The computer will restart and now when you get to the Wi-Fi connection screen you’ll have a like that says “I don’t have internet”.
Isn’t this getting blocked in 24H2?
No, only a “normies” exploit involving using a defunct email address is getting blocked.
Or just don’t use Windows
If only that option were realistic
Removed by mod
It’s not a simple one to one. Everyone’s use case and experience is different. Don’t get me wrong, I’m all in on the FOSS train and I don’t approve of Microsoft’s direction with Windows but it’s still a consistently hassle-free experience compared to Linux for people who just don’t wanna deal with distros, terminals, repositories or compatibility layers.
Well done mate! You are not alone!
If all games start supporting Linux I will.
Removed by mod
Always online with kernel-level anti-cheat has a tendency to not work, but that is probably a red flag since there are thousands of different games you can play that don’t snoop around ring-0
If I can control my fans and my GPU in Linux the way I can in Windows I will.
Try emailing manufacturers and asking if they already have support, if they dont request that they start or you won’t consider their parts for your next build. Your wallet is a powerful tool that can cause companies to bend to your will if you know how to use it.
Removed by mod
lack of local accounting means its no longer your operating system, youre now using a perpetually required service from microsoft.
the walled garden is putting the last bricks in place. hope all you windows fans are …happy… asking
applemicrosoft for permission to use your own hardware.We would have that freedom with Android too if those stupid banking apps stopped trying to dictate what you can run on your hardware & Google giving them more features to do so.
This☝️person knows what we are talking about!
This is awfully deep. We live in a society.
<BOTTOM TEXT>
Wait, a proprietary OS is someone else’s computer?
It’s a real shame. I guess I’ll be running Linux now.
I switched to Bazzite not long after the Recall AI announcement, shrinking my Windows partition to leave it for just VR stuff which currently doesn’t work well outside of Windows, at least on my system. It’s pretty great! Not perfect, but the problems I have on Bazzite are similar enough in quantity and degree to problems I had on Windows that I’ve basically switched out one set of weird OS quirks for another. The big difference is now I don’t have to think about the OS being disrespectful corporate spyware.
That seems like a solid OS. It’s there an Ubuntu based variant?
Not that I know of; Bazzite is completely based on Fedora Atomic Desktops, which are an immutable type of distro that makes the core OS a read-only image that all gets updated separately from system apps. The Ubuntu equivalent of Fedora Atomic Desktops is Ubuntu Core, but I don’t know if Bazzite has a Ubuntu Core-based equivalent. Bazzite is released by a group called Universal Blue, which makes prepackaged OS builds based on Fedora Atomic Desktops, with particular focus areas. Bazzite focuses on including all gaming-related tweaks, apps, configs, and optimizations out of the box, Aurora focuses on general desktop PC functionality, and Bluefin focuses on productivity, but in the end they’re all Atomic/Immutable distros based on Fedora. It’s worth poking through it all and picking one that best suits your needs.
What parts of the immutable OS are read only? Like filesystem wise? I’m not sure I really get it.
The basic of immutable desktops is that every system file (what’s outside your home directory (folder) ) is readonly, you can install apps through the app store.
But I’d say Linux mint (a Non-immutable) distro is what you should try first, because it’s more user-friendly and easier to get help for.
Oh I’ve been using Linux for over 20 years. That’s not an issue.
I have a better idea now of what an immutable distro is thanks to your explanation. I don’t know if that’s what I would want after all.
I think I prefer the freedom of being able to modify my system files and configs as I need to customize my system as I see fit, even if it meansb potentially breaking something.
Same here. I’ll pirate the security updates for the next 3 years and then switch. Fuck Windows 11 and fuck Microsoft.
You can still block it easily with the command prompt (Shift+F10 during the install) as mentioned. But don’t let that stop you from switching to Linux if you feel like it.
Didn’t they block the Shift-F10 workaround in 24H2?
hope all you windows fans are …happy… asking apple microsoft for permission to use your own hardware.
It’s been this way for decades, really. Apple, Google, MS, etc. Even if they let you use it without an account, they’ll literally never stop pressuring you and annoying you into signing into an account.
Apple doesn’t actually make it at all difficult to use a Mac or iOS device without an Apple account. You’re asked once during setup and that’s it. At most there’ll be a red dot in Settings>iCloud.
They do, actually. There’s a bunch of first party software you can’t remove, perpetual notifications you can’t clear about setting up iCloud, etc.
There’s one notice, and it’s in the System Settings app. And it’s a little red dot beside the iCloud section. That’s not really the same league as what Microsoft is doing, or Even Google’s nag to use Chrome across all their Web properties.
You’re right about the first-party apps that you can’t remove, but it’s also not the same as, eg, Edge where those apps are used constantly and your preferences are reset on every update.
On my Mac I set my browser to Firefox in 2018. It’s never reverted to Safari, not once, where Windows really wants me to use Edge and goes so far as to not just reset it periodically, but also direct start menu searches and in-app web links to an ms-edge: url instead of using the http handler.
Apple has problems, but this isn’t one of them.
That’s not really the same league as what Microsoft is doing
I didn’t say it was. It is intentionally and perpetually annoying, nonetheless.
There are none of those. You’re just lying now. Google ad boy.
You can’t use a lot of apps without it
So sure you can, but it isn’t an awesome experience
Apple doesn’t require you to make an Apple ID to use a Mac lol
But apparently you DO need an Apple ID to access an Apple Notes file that was shared to your Android by your crazy ex who doesn’t know that without an iPhone you won’t be able to read their undoubtedly unhinged, rambling guilt trip. Thanks Apple!
Hate it when that happens
Something tells me that could easily change.
Sure it could, but I think Apple makes so much on overcharging for the machine itself they don’t need to be so aggressive over data collection just logically.
Sadly I think they have to aim to do both, to make the most money as a publically traded company.
Last I heard Apple was protecting it’s users from Facebook collecting their data… by being the ones who collect it instead. Maybe that not quite right as I don’t listen to news on Apple (outside of their opposition to right to repair).
its a xmas miracle
The Cask of Amontillado?
Shift+F10
oobe\bypassnro
Wouldn’t it be possible to buy a new PC, open the box, and return it right after because you cannot set it up without internet?
If enough people do it, may be PC manufacturers will force Microsoft to add offline setups.
Louis Rossman type energy. I like it let’s do it. Windows refund day 2 baby
Funny you say that, setting it up without internet is one of the few ways left to still be able to create a local account.
If I understand correctly from the article, you have to enter ‘OOBE\BYPASSNRO’ in command prompt during installation to prevent it from asking to connect to internet. If that’s the only way to set up a local account, that’s hardly an accessible option.
deleted by creator
As as I said in my other comment: you can unplug your ethernet cable, and on Win 11 Pro and above there’s an “I don’t have internet” button you can click.
“Pro and above”
FYI it’s extremely easy to upgrade windows and activate it without buying. ;)
Yeah if they’re a legitimate business they might not wanna risk that but yeah for most people, just run the activation script
Businesses would already have access to domain join and would provision accounts, so it’s not relevant to them.
There’s no clear path from getting the computer out of the box just setting it up without internet. If you call the manufacturer and they know what the hell they’re doing they’ll walk you through doing the OOBE no internet fix. It just needs to be an option in the damn operating system. The fact that they’re hiding it from you is unconscionable.
The antitrust machine hasn’t had its scheduled maintenance for a few generations. It’s gonna take a little while to spin up.
I hope they haven’t disassembled it and sold it on eBay for bribe money
Same. Lol
It was not an option one week ago when i tested it. Maybe because I was in WiFi range and Microsoft assumed you have to know the password to at least one of them to pass the wifi screen. No skip button. But could create a new account as unverified using gmail address.
Fuck Microsoft
I’m assuming one would still be able to switch to a local account after installation, but you really shouldn’t need to. What a shit show.
That would still require you to create an account, which is the part of the process people object to.
deleted by creator
Use shift f10 and edit the registry… They aren’t disabling that until they have a better solution for autopilot.
May not work for home editions…
Tried that on the last install i had to do. Doesnt always anymore. Task manager was hidden by the setup a few times when i did that :(
I ended up using rufus to patch iso pre-extraction hehe :)
Back in the day, using Windows was essentially a long series of fucking around with configurations and trying different workarounds to get things to “go”. The actual using of the computer was, in a way, secondary.
Nothing has changed. Many many years ago I bought a used Apple to try it out and was just - astounded at how little I needed to mess with things to get them to do what I wanted. It was all in settings. That’s it.
Watching Microsoft leap headfirst into full evil is just like watching the seasons change.
Previously the fucking around was drivers, HAL, compatibility etc. now it’s a goddamn delousing
The amount of time I’ve spent getting my MacOS to not be annoying… it’s such a shit experience compared to Gnome/Linux. Every single day I use MacOS, I find a new annoying inconsistency, or either poor or directly bad UX design decision or implementation.
Next time I look for a place to work, I’d consider Windows or MacOS to require at least 30% higher salary to be worth the annoyance.
So you’ve obviously never had to use
defaults write com.apple.stupidpreference.fix bool trueApple has a lot less nonsense than Microsoft, but the amount of nonsense is greater than zero. What’s really annoying (on their mobile platform specifically) is when certain problems occur on iOS that would have been completely solvable on MacOS with a command line tool, but you have to erase the phone because Apple doesn’t give you access to the OS.
MacOS is already deprecating the Keychain access tool, which will obfuscate more of the OS security from the user and make it more iOS-like in trying to fix failures.
Apple is enshittifying in absence of Jobs, they’re just behind Microsoft by one or two decades.
Mm hmm.
OOBE\BYPASSNRO and fuck Microsoft
Just burn the ISO to a USB drive with Rufus, a window full of options with check boxes will pop up, with a lot of options to turn installation bullshit.
Hm. So are we all the way there to Win 11 not being installable in fully offline machines, or…? Because niche as that application is, it does sound like the start of a use case for a natively compatible Windows alternative from a third party (say, a FreeWin to go with FreeDOS). I know there are or have been some attempts, but… yeah, long term that seems like it would prompt more focus on something like that.
I suppose it’s more likely that compatibility layers in other OSs would get there first and more practically, but still. Maybe it’s time to move Windows applications from an ecosystem to a standard.
The year of the ReactOS desktop?
On a serious note, I suspect the IOT version doesn’t have this requirement.
The IoT LTSC does not have this requirement. Or a USB made in Rufus can have it disabled.
Linux with wine/proton already works pretty good for running Windows programs and games outside of Windows.
I’m sure enterprise editions have to allow it in some capacity. There will always be businesses that will use Windows on machines not exposed to the Internet.
With that said, this is some BS. And MS I don’t want to hear the argument that smartphone vendors do it. They shouldn’t require an account either.
FreeWin
ReactOS has been around for a while but still in development and not production ready
Almost 30 years and still basically useless.
But why don’t you just turn off the internet when setting up Windows? You don’t need any hacks for that
The W11 installer sadly doesn’t allow that anymore with the current versions. If you have that older installer, keep it safely archived.
A few months back I installed home edition and this workaround did not work. The installer would not allow me to proceed until it could verify with Microsoft.
Just used this bypass 2 days ago. I’d recommend people download the current W11 installer so that the work around always works as long as you keep the device away from Internet until the OS is installed
Win11 doesn’t let you past setup if you dont have an internet connection.
Lol that’s what I did after getting my new Windows laptop. Sad it’s blocked.
