6 ms·

> Forced me to make a Microsoft online account They actually don’t quite force this. They just make it very difficult to find the option to use a local account

> Forced me to make a Microsoft online account They actually don’t quite force this. They just make it very difficult to find the option to use a local account instead. (Unless they’ve changed things for the worse since last time I installed windows. Very possible!)

hot_gril 3y ago
I remember it being hard before but still having the button hidden somewhere. This time I looked for it and didn't see it. Maybe if I didn't connect it to wifi at all, it would've let me do it. I originally connected cause I figured there'd be OTA updates and wasn't about to restart the whole process. Also, the entire reason I was even doing 10 instead of 7 is this laptop came with 10.
tredre3 3y ago
On W10 you only get the option to create a local account if your network is disconnected, and only after multiple screens of insistence. A normal person being asked to connect to wifi during setup will do so and never have the option to not create a MS account. So it may not be impossible to create an offline account, but for all intents and purposes they do force your hand. On W11 you have to resort to more esoteric tricks, you can't actually complete setup normally without network and a ms account.
- Strom 3y ago
  > On W11 you have to resort to more esoteric tricks, you can't actually complete setup normally without network and a ms account. Maybe with the latest images, but I have an original W11 RTM image that installs just fine without network and a MS account.
  - LeoPanthera 3y ago
    Probably you have the "Pro" version, which allows this. The Home version does not.
  - star-glider 3y ago
    Correct: with the latest images, W11 will not under any circumstances allow you to avoid creating an MS account. It will insist you go online and halt the installer until you do. Rufus (https://rufus.ie/en/ https://rufus.ie/en/) offers an option to revert fix this, but you still have to ensure that you keep wifi disconnected and ethernet unplugged during install.
    - mentalpiracy 3y ago
      Actually yes it will - at least as of last weekend. During OOBE setup, after connecting to Ethernet or Wi-Fi, you must select “join a work or school domain.” I got tripped up by this too because I was insistent on not connecting it to the internet during setup, but the local account only switch had moved since I last checked up on it. It will still ask you three or four times ARE YOU SURE you don’t want to sign in to a Microsoft account. But at least you can still avoid it for the moment.
      - kup0 3y ago
        Probably only for Pro edition, not Home
        hypercube33 3y ago
        I'm fairly sure if you try to login with f@you.com it'll try to log you in and fail a few times and let you make an account.
    - hot_gril 3y ago
      > Correct: with the latest images, W11 will not under any circumstances allow you to avoid creating an MS account. It will insist you go online and halt the installer until you do. Huh. Aside from the ethics, this creates a chicken-and-egg problem for anyone who needs a PC to set up their home internet.
      - account42 3y ago
        Most people would just get a pre-configured router from their ISP that you can just plug in.
- jiveturkey 3y ago
  > On W10 you only get the option to create a local account if your network is disconnected, and only after multiple screens of insistence. This isn't correct. Even with network connected, it's 2 "no thanks" clicks to continue with a local account. If you don't have network connected, you go straight to local account as the only option. At least this is the case with the last 3 versions of W10, and a normal single-user product key, or if you skip the product key. I guess if you use an enterprise or volume key it might be different.
hospitalJail 3y ago
Isnt this a dark pattern. I think you are apologizing for them if you say it wasnt forced. It sure feels forced.
- NotYourLawyer 3y ago
  Oh it’s a dark pattern for sure, and it’s really shitty. I’m not apologizing at all, just putting a comment out there to let people know that it’s actually possible to do what you’re trying to do.
Liquidor 3y ago
It's changed for the worse :( I had to help my grandma get her new laptop up and running for the first time, with Windows 11, and it got to the account screen and there were no hidden/vague options to skip or go local. I assume this is because they detected an internet connection. She literally had to get an MS account which apparently didn't work because she already had one from the last laptop. MS wanted to send her a recovery code to her email... Which she couldn't access because no computer. Oh and the amount of opt-in screens after that? 10+ screens. No joke. It's insane. There's no way she would be able to use her new laptop if she didn't get 2 hours of help.
- omniglottal 3y ago
  Correction: those were opt-out screens.

hot_gril 3y ago

I remember it being hard before but still having the button hidden somewhere. This time I looked for it and didn't see it. Maybe if I didn't connect it to wifi at all, it would've let me do it. I originally connected cause I figured there'd be OTA updates and wasn't about to restart the whole process. Also, the entire reason I was even doing 10 instead of 7 is this laptop came with 10.

tredre3 3y ago

On W10 you only get the option to create a local account if your network is disconnected, and only after multiple screens of insistence. A normal person being asked to connect to wifi during setup will do so and never have the option to not create a MS account. So it may not be impossible to create an offline account, but for all intents and purposes they do force your hand. On W11 you have to resort to more esoteric tricks, you can't actually complete setup normally without network and a ms account.

Strom 3y ago
> On W11 you have to resort to more esoteric tricks, you can't actually complete setup normally without network and a ms account. Maybe with the latest images, but I have an original W11 RTM image that installs just fine without network and a MS account.
- LeoPanthera 3y ago
  Probably you have the "Pro" version, which allows this. The Home version does not.
- star-glider 3y ago
  Correct: with the latest images, W11 will not under any circumstances allow you to avoid creating an MS account. It will insist you go online and halt the installer until you do. Rufus (https://rufus.ie/en/ https://rufus.ie/en/) offers an option to revert fix this, but you still have to ensure that you keep wifi disconnected and ethernet unplugged during install.
  - mentalpiracy 3y ago
    Actually yes it will - at least as of last weekend. During OOBE setup, after connecting to Ethernet or Wi-Fi, you must select “join a work or school domain.” I got tripped up by this too because I was insistent on not connecting it to the internet during setup, but the local account only switch had moved since I last checked up on it. It will still ask you three or four times ARE YOU SURE you don’t want to sign in to a Microsoft account. But at least you can still avoid it for the moment.
    - kup0 3y ago
      Probably only for Pro edition, not Home
      - hypercube33 3y ago
        I'm fairly sure if you try to login with f@you.com it'll try to log you in and fail a few times and let you make an account.
  - hot_gril 3y ago
    > Correct: with the latest images, W11 will not under any circumstances allow you to avoid creating an MS account. It will insist you go online and halt the installer until you do. Huh. Aside from the ethics, this creates a chicken-and-egg problem for anyone who needs a PC to set up their home internet.
    - account42 3y ago
      Most people would just get a pre-configured router from their ISP that you can just plug in.
jiveturkey 3y ago
> On W10 you only get the option to create a local account if your network is disconnected, and only after multiple screens of insistence. This isn't correct. Even with network connected, it's 2 "no thanks" clicks to continue with a local account. If you don't have network connected, you go straight to local account as the only option. At least this is the case with the last 3 versions of W10, and a normal single-user product key, or if you skip the product key. I guess if you use an enterprise or volume key it might be different.

hospitalJail 3y ago

Isnt this a dark pattern. I think you are apologizing for them if you say it wasnt forced. It sure feels forced.

NotYourLawyer 3y ago
Oh it’s a dark pattern for sure, and it’s really shitty. I’m not apologizing at all, just putting a comment out there to let people know that it’s actually possible to do what you’re trying to do.

Liquidor 3y ago

It's changed for the worse :( I had to help my grandma get her new laptop up and running for the first time, with Windows 11, and it got to the account screen and there were no hidden/vague options to skip or go local. I assume this is because they detected an internet connection. She literally had to get an MS account which apparently didn't work because she already had one from the last laptop. MS wanted to send her a recovery code to her email... Which she couldn't access because no computer. Oh and the amount of opt-in screens after that? 10+ screens. No joke. It's insane. There's no way she would be able to use her new laptop if she didn't get 2 hours of help.

omniglottal 3y ago
Correction: those were opt-out screens.