2 ms·

I really hope this is not mandatory as the article is suggesting. Does MS really think every device on earth has an active internet connection and force people

I really hope this is not mandatory as the article is suggesting. Does MS really think every device on earth has an active internet connection and force people to consent to data collection? I wonder if the OS will refuse to setup if you genuinely do not have a working connection (which many people may not do, making Windows now inaccessible?) Imagine buying a new laptop and the inability to set it up because no network is available, seems extremely nieve and short-sighted. A bypass surely is possible in such circumstances? Hopefully a regulator can step in and allow users to consent whether they want a MS account or not (and indeed, to be able to use the OS without ever connecting it online)

hutzlibu 5y ago
"Hopefully a regulator can step in and allow users to consent whether they want a MS account or not " Or enough people realise, that at some point, they do need to make the effort to switch away from that abusive relationship, they have with windows.
frankjr 5y ago
Unless something has changed, in the Home edition you are indeed no longer officially able to finish the OS installation process without an internet connection and signing into a MS account. There are however ways you can still do that (Shift+F10 and killing oobenetworkconnectionflow.exe). I expect the Pro version to behave the same.