7 ms·

How to install Windows 11 without a Microsoft account

26 points by whoitwas 3y ago

whoitwas 3y ago
We all know you can use Windows without an account, but how do you do basic things? I'm an engineer who uses mostly unix systems which leaves me as a but of a PC newb nowadays. I use Windows for gaming, but refuse to create a Microsoft account. As of yesterday I can no longer open the calendar app as it points to Outlook. Obviously, the MS Store requires an account. Anyone know a safe repo of freeware Windows apps (that doesn't require an MS account)?
- whoitwas 3y ago
  Seems like filehippo.com has some freewares.
- fuzzfactor 3y ago
  If you're not using it you can uninstall Outlook. I uninstall Calendar too, I don't think Windows is ideal for things like this, I like "webmail" and I don't use any calendar software anyway. >repo of freeware Windows apps Almost all freeware has always been for Windows, "safe" has always been the elusive thing you can only gather from experience. I have a tendency to trust majorgeeks.com but I would still think some malware could occasionally be lurking in some downloads if you are not careful. For the longest time there were only what is now called Windows "desktop" applications, still seems like the real thing compared to the Apple-inspired "Store" apps, which have that amateurish feel. So far I have no need for the MS Store but I don't uninstall it "just in case". Still haven't used it though, it's not easy finding software or even hardware that's "worth money". Edit: Also give an idea of some basic things that you need addressed!
  - whoitwas 3y ago
    I actually like to look at a calendar occasionally and never use it for scheduling events. I have no use for Outlook. It's kind of absurd that viewing a calendar is gated behind an MS account.
    - fuzzfactor 3y ago
      In that case you might just want to bookmark something like this ;) https://www.houseofblues.com/dallas/concert-events https://www.houseofblues.com/dallas/concert-events You get one month per page, complete with some events already scheduled. Whether they are your events or not is up to you. I especially recommend Eric Johnson on April 4.
- alexcg1 3y ago
  Chocolatey [1] is a command line package manager for Windows that has a boatload of FOSS and freeware [1] https://community.chocolatey.org/ https://community.chocolatey.org/
- dudul 3y ago
  I also only use Windows on my gaming PC, why do you need the calendar app on your gaming PC?
wlll 3y ago
I simply don't trust Microsoft not to push an update later that forces people with local only accounts to convert them to Microsoft accounts.
- dudul 3y ago
  They try that once in a while on my local insta of Windws 10. I just unplug the RJ45 and click next. It spins for 10 seconds and then say "you're done". It happens maybe 2 or 3 times a year, they try to force an online account and an upgrade to W11. Maybe one day they'll be more forceful, but even these bozos have to allow for offline mode right? Right? ...
- add-sub-mul-div 3y ago
  Sadly I think you're right. It's inevitable that everything continues to move in this direction. A generation of Steam and Netflix popularity have trained people away from thinking of software or media as something they can own and control. Every year the idea gets further normalized and the end result will be low enough objection to an online-only OS that it becomes the only option.
  - cma 3y ago
    Still shocked that the Steam client had to be running to use the trackpads on the Steam Deck when in desktop mode (since fixed). Not sure how great it is for desktop Linux to win with a fixed system image and Steam Client acting as Google Play Services, that's getting back to an Android model. But at least you can flash whatever you want on it and it doesn't have a locked bootloader, though they make it WAY harder to dual boot SteamOS than Microsoft does.
- rchaud 3y ago
  That's literally what happened in 2015 when I said OK to the Windows prompt to upgrade the OS from Win8 to Win10. After it downloaded and installed, I coupd not log into machine with the local admin account I had. I had to create a Microsoft account, and only then could I re-enable local accounts. I was done with Windows after that. Crap like this was unthinkable before the "everything should be a SaaS" cargo cult era arrived.
LinuxBender 3y ago
For some reason I can not view that page but I will add recent experiences. I burnt an image of Windows 11 from their ISO using Rufus [1a][1b] which is recommended by Microsoft and several Linux distributions for people moving from Windows to Linux. Rufus has check boxes to disable the requirement for a Microsoft Account upon installation from the ISO. [1a] - https://rufus.ie/en/ https://rufus.ie/en/ [1b] - https://github.com/pbatard/rufus/wiki/FAQ https://github.com/pbatard/rufus/wiki/FAQ
- rchaud 3y ago
  If you have JS turned off, the site won't load. Don't turn it on though, because this domain loads autoplaying video ads and other JS-dependent cruft that slows everything down.
- aspenmayer 3y ago
  The content of OP appears to be sourced from this page[0]; perhaps OP should be updated to point at the original(?)/canonical link? [0] https://www.laptopmag.com/laptops/windows-laptops/how-to-install-windows-11-without-a-microsoft-account https://www.laptopmag.com/laptops/windows-laptops/how-to-ins...
  - mthoms 3y ago
    I kinda love the fact that it's on a Microsoft website even though the author takes some (not so subtle) digs at them. It took me a minute to realize this was a syndicated article from another site.
    - aspenmayer 3y ago
      I can appreciate the chagrin, and share it to a point, but it almost feels like agitprop/misinformation in that it misrepresents the authoritativeness or lack thereof of the source of the information. Like, part of me wonders if the post would have hit the front page under the Laptop Mag url. Also, the MSN syndicated article/url version likely is contrary to HN guidelines.
vdm 3y ago
https://github.com/quickemu-project/quickemu/blob/0c8e1a5205c5706f63b2921e50d4c8fa9f60c774/quickget#L2415 https://github.com/quickemu-project/quickemu/blob/0c8e1a5205...
SunlitCat 3y ago
Theoretically if there would be any (real) value of connecting a Microsoft account with windows, I would probably do it (Though paying a hefty sum for Windows and being expected to tie it to some online account is a bit too much. And yeah, I always bought my Windows versions, like 95 (came with new computer at that time)/ME/7/10). But really? There is not really any value in it (and I don't mean artificially created ones, like "Oh noes! You need an account do that thing you were able to do without one just moments ago! Bad luck, eh?!" or "Yeah, we know although saving your data offline in that App, we offer for free, would be fine, we still expect you do that one online, with our awesome Microsoft account!").
- briHass 3y ago
  * Sync of windows settings and apps (store apps) between machines * Online password reset * Online backup of Bitlocker keys Those aren't that valuable to power users, but I can see why MS pushes it for regular users.
ElFitz 3y ago
Funny thing; I recently realised even iOS can be used without any Apple ID. You will lose many features, including the App Store, Activation Lock and FindMy, but it works, and well.
- rchaud 3y ago
  With all the recent talk of web apps on Safari, I'd be interested to see a blog post about using iOS without the App Store , relying fully on browser-based apps. I have an Android, and do not use a Google sign in for secondary devices, as the F-droid app store (plus web apps) have everything I need, except messaging, which appears to be the final boss of vendor lock-in.
  - sebtron 3y ago
    What kind of messaging do you need? There are open source sms and Telegram clients on F-Droid, and you can download WhatsApp's apk from their website: https://www.whatsapp.com/android https://www.whatsapp.com/android
    - rchaud 3y ago
      Didn't know about Whatsapp having an APK, that is one I was sure would require Google Play Services. SMS I believe has always worked without requiring a login. Telegram I know about as well, but nobody in my network uses it.
      - sebtron 3y ago
        Whatsapp works fine without play services, I have been using it for a couple of years. Happy surprise for me to :)
- chrisandchris 3y ago
  I never understood why one can't use the AppStore for free (as in $0) apps without an account. There's IMHO no single reason as a user zo have an account to fetch free apps.
eimrine 3y ago
It needed Elon Musk to have this article there.
xiekomb 3y ago
I thought it was clever not to create a Microsoft account on my laptop. Turned out bitlocker was active (by an update, I don’t know, I never activated it manually). Motherboard fails, no key backup on the Microsoft account I did not have. Backup were corrupted, some data loss occurred…
kevincox 3y ago
I recently got a new laptop and wanted to get Windows set up to do any firmware updates before I flashed Linux. I found a guide that said to put `a@a.com` into the username field and any password. I don't know if this account is specially flagged or something but after just putting in a random password once it put me right through to the local account creation option. I don't know if this will continue working forever but it is definitely more user-friendly than needing to enter hard-to-remember commands into the command prompt multiple times.
- Grazester 3y ago
  Am I missing something here because all I have to select is "This computer will be used on a Domain"
  - II2II 3y ago
    The Home version of Windows doesn't have that option. I don't know if the advice in the article will work on the Home version for the same reason, but the flagged account option does work. The other amusement with the Home version is that you cannot complete the installation without a network connection. My computer requires the installation of a device driver before it recognizes the network adapter ...
- prmoustache 3y ago
  no need for hard to remembers commands. You just have to wait to complete account creation before connecting it to the internet for the first time.
ChrisArchitect 3y ago
Source site: https://www.laptopmag.com/laptops/windows-laptops/how-to-install-windows-11-without-a-microsoft-account https://www.laptopmag.com/laptops/windows-laptops/how-to-ins... Can we stop posting MSN syndicated articles. This one particularly aludes to MSN <--> Microsoft, like this was some official response to the Musk complaint
- aspenmayer 3y ago
  Thanks for posting this as a top level comment. Posting syndicated links when canonical/original links are available is against HN guidelines, and in this case, really muddies the waters as to the authoritativeness of the information.
Razengan 3y ago
Windows is still a joke in 2024. I cannot fathom for the life of me how it could have ever gotten the market share it did without Microsoft's scummy tactics in the 1980s-2000s.
- musicale 3y ago
  In the 1990s, Windows PCs provided a cheaper alternative to Macs, and could run the most of the popular desktop applications, such as Microsoft Office, Photoshop, etc. In the 2020s, Windows is still the de facto PC gaming platform, so much so that Linux game systems like the Steam Deck use a Windows emulation layer (Proton) to run PC games. Arguably Microsoft has done a decent job with developer tools and platforms (Visual Studio, DirectX, etc.) over the years, making Windows a somewhat attractive development platform. You might consider it "scummy tactics" but Microsoft did a pretty good job becoming a one-stop shop for corporate desktop software, including servers to manage them (Exchange) as well as cloud integration (OneDrive, Office 365, etc.) They also produced a groupware application (Teams) that provides a somewhat credible alternative to Zoom/Slack/etc. and is integrated with the rest of Microsoft's software. All this stuff can also work (sort of) on macOS and Linux, or even on the web, but it has better integration with Windows.
  - Razengan 3y ago
    > but Microsoft did a pretty good job becoming a one-stop shop By eliminating the competition through scummy tactics, after shamelessly copying them.
- ankurdhama 3y ago
  This is because of the business model of Windows. Any company that wants to build and sell computers (aka OEM) can license Windows and use that as the OS of their computer. Apple on the other hand is a company that sell computers with their own OS. The OEM approach means that computers companies across the world can cater to the target market in terms of price and availability whereas Apple can never reach that scale across the globe. The end result is more people have access to and can afford computers that run Windows.
deleted 3y ago
[deleted]

26 points by whoitwas 3y ago

We all know you can use Windows without an account, but how do you do basic things? I'm an engineer who uses mostly unix systems which leaves me as a but of a PC newb nowadays. I use Windows for gaming, but refuse to create a Microsoft account. As of yesterday I can no longer open the calendar app as it points to Outlook. Obviously, the MS Store requires an account. Anyone know a safe repo of freeware Windows apps (that doesn't require an MS account)?

whoitwas 3y ago
Seems like filehippo.com has some freewares.
fuzzfactor 3y ago
If you're not using it you can uninstall Outlook. I uninstall Calendar too, I don't think Windows is ideal for things like this, I like "webmail" and I don't use any calendar software anyway. >repo of freeware Windows apps Almost all freeware has always been for Windows, "safe" has always been the elusive thing you can only gather from experience. I have a tendency to trust majorgeeks.com but I would still think some malware could occasionally be lurking in some downloads if you are not careful. For the longest time there were only what is now called Windows "desktop" applications, still seems like the real thing compared to the Apple-inspired "Store" apps, which have that amateurish feel. So far I have no need for the MS Store but I don't uninstall it "just in case". Still haven't used it though, it's not easy finding software or even hardware that's "worth money". Edit: Also give an idea of some basic things that you need addressed!
- whoitwas 3y ago
  I actually like to look at a calendar occasionally and never use it for scheduling events. I have no use for Outlook. It's kind of absurd that viewing a calendar is gated behind an MS account.
  - fuzzfactor 3y ago
    In that case you might just want to bookmark something like this ;) https://www.houseofblues.com/dallas/concert-events https://www.houseofblues.com/dallas/concert-events You get one month per page, complete with some events already scheduled. Whether they are your events or not is up to you. I especially recommend Eric Johnson on April 4.
alexcg1 3y ago
Chocolatey [1] is a command line package manager for Windows that has a boatload of FOSS and freeware [1] https://community.chocolatey.org/ https://community.chocolatey.org/
dudul 3y ago
I also only use Windows on my gaming PC, why do you need the calendar app on your gaming PC?

wlll 3y ago

I simply don't trust Microsoft not to push an update later that forces people with local only accounts to convert them to Microsoft accounts.

dudul 3y ago
They try that once in a while on my local insta of Windws 10. I just unplug the RJ45 and click next. It spins for 10 seconds and then say "you're done". It happens maybe 2 or 3 times a year, they try to force an online account and an upgrade to W11. Maybe one day they'll be more forceful, but even these bozos have to allow for offline mode right? Right? ...
add-sub-mul-div 3y ago
Sadly I think you're right. It's inevitable that everything continues to move in this direction. A generation of Steam and Netflix popularity have trained people away from thinking of software or media as something they can own and control. Every year the idea gets further normalized and the end result will be low enough objection to an online-only OS that it becomes the only option.
- cma 3y ago
  Still shocked that the Steam client had to be running to use the trackpads on the Steam Deck when in desktop mode (since fixed). Not sure how great it is for desktop Linux to win with a fixed system image and Steam Client acting as Google Play Services, that's getting back to an Android model. But at least you can flash whatever you want on it and it doesn't have a locked bootloader, though they make it WAY harder to dual boot SteamOS than Microsoft does.
rchaud 3y ago
That's literally what happened in 2015 when I said OK to the Windows prompt to upgrade the OS from Win8 to Win10. After it downloaded and installed, I coupd not log into machine with the local admin account I had. I had to create a Microsoft account, and only then could I re-enable local accounts. I was done with Windows after that. Crap like this was unthinkable before the "everything should be a SaaS" cargo cult era arrived.

LinuxBender 3y ago

For some reason I can not view that page but I will add recent experiences. I burnt an image of Windows 11 from their ISO using Rufus [1a][1b] which is recommended by Microsoft and several Linux distributions for people moving from Windows to Linux. Rufus has check boxes to disable the requirement for a Microsoft Account upon installation from the ISO. [1a] - https://rufus.ie/en/ https://rufus.ie/en/ [1b] - https://github.com/pbatard/rufus/wiki/FAQ https://github.com/pbatard/rufus/wiki/FAQ

rchaud 3y ago
If you have JS turned off, the site won't load. Don't turn it on though, because this domain loads autoplaying video ads and other JS-dependent cruft that slows everything down.
aspenmayer 3y ago
The content of OP appears to be sourced from this page[0]; perhaps OP should be updated to point at the original(?)/canonical link? [0] https://www.laptopmag.com/laptops/windows-laptops/how-to-install-windows-11-without-a-microsoft-account https://www.laptopmag.com/laptops/windows-laptops/how-to-ins...
- mthoms 3y ago
  I kinda love the fact that it's on a Microsoft website even though the author takes some (not so subtle) digs at them. It took me a minute to realize this was a syndicated article from another site.
  - aspenmayer 3y ago
    I can appreciate the chagrin, and share it to a point, but it almost feels like agitprop/misinformation in that it misrepresents the authoritativeness or lack thereof of the source of the information. Like, part of me wonders if the post would have hit the front page under the Laptop Mag url. Also, the MSN syndicated article/url version likely is contrary to HN guidelines.

vdm 3y ago

https://github.com/quickemu-project/quickemu/blob/0c8e1a5205c5706f63b2921e50d4c8fa9f60c774/quickget#L2415 https://github.com/quickemu-project/quickemu/blob/0c8e1a5205...

SunlitCat 3y ago

Theoretically if there would be any (real) value of connecting a Microsoft account with windows, I would probably do it (Though paying a hefty sum for Windows and being expected to tie it to some online account is a bit too much. And yeah, I always bought my Windows versions, like 95 (came with new computer at that time)/ME/7/10). But really? There is not really any value in it (and I don't mean artificially created ones, like "Oh noes! You need an account do that thing you were able to do without one just moments ago! Bad luck, eh?!" or "Yeah, we know although saving your data offline in that App, we offer for free, would be fine, we still expect you do that one online, with our awesome Microsoft account!").

briHass 3y ago
* Sync of windows settings and apps (store apps) between machines * Online password reset * Online backup of Bitlocker keys Those aren't that valuable to power users, but I can see why MS pushes it for regular users.

ElFitz 3y ago

Funny thing; I recently realised even iOS can be used without any Apple ID. You will lose many features, including the App Store, Activation Lock and FindMy, but it works, and well.

rchaud 3y ago
With all the recent talk of web apps on Safari, I'd be interested to see a blog post about using iOS without the App Store , relying fully on browser-based apps. I have an Android, and do not use a Google sign in for secondary devices, as the F-droid app store (plus web apps) have everything I need, except messaging, which appears to be the final boss of vendor lock-in.
- sebtron 3y ago
  What kind of messaging do you need? There are open source sms and Telegram clients on F-Droid, and you can download WhatsApp's apk from their website: https://www.whatsapp.com/android https://www.whatsapp.com/android
  - rchaud 3y ago
    Didn't know about Whatsapp having an APK, that is one I was sure would require Google Play Services. SMS I believe has always worked without requiring a login. Telegram I know about as well, but nobody in my network uses it.
    - sebtron 3y ago
      Whatsapp works fine without play services, I have been using it for a couple of years. Happy surprise for me to :)
chrisandchris 3y ago
I never understood why one can't use the AppStore for free (as in $0) apps without an account. There's IMHO no single reason as a user zo have an account to fetch free apps.

eimrine 3y ago

It needed Elon Musk to have this article there.

xiekomb 3y ago

I thought it was clever not to create a Microsoft account on my laptop. Turned out bitlocker was active (by an update, I don’t know, I never activated it manually). Motherboard fails, no key backup on the Microsoft account I did not have. Backup were corrupted, some data loss occurred…

kevincox 3y ago

I recently got a new laptop and wanted to get Windows set up to do any firmware updates before I flashed Linux. I found a guide that said to put `a@a.com` into the username field and any password. I don't know if this account is specially flagged or something but after just putting in a random password once it put me right through to the local account creation option. I don't know if this will continue working forever but it is definitely more user-friendly than needing to enter hard-to-remember commands into the command prompt multiple times.

Grazester 3y ago
Am I missing something here because all I have to select is "This computer will be used on a Domain"
- II2II 3y ago
  The Home version of Windows doesn't have that option. I don't know if the advice in the article will work on the Home version for the same reason, but the flagged account option does work. The other amusement with the Home version is that you cannot complete the installation without a network connection. My computer requires the installation of a device driver before it recognizes the network adapter ...
prmoustache 3y ago
no need for hard to remembers commands. You just have to wait to complete account creation before connecting it to the internet for the first time.

ChrisArchitect 3y ago

Source site: https://www.laptopmag.com/laptops/windows-laptops/how-to-install-windows-11-without-a-microsoft-account https://www.laptopmag.com/laptops/windows-laptops/how-to-ins... Can we stop posting MSN syndicated articles. This one particularly aludes to MSN <--> Microsoft, like this was some official response to the Musk complaint

aspenmayer 3y ago
Thanks for posting this as a top level comment. Posting syndicated links when canonical/original links are available is against HN guidelines, and in this case, really muddies the waters as to the authoritativeness of the information.

Razengan 3y ago

Windows is still a joke in 2024. I cannot fathom for the life of me how it could have ever gotten the market share it did without Microsoft's scummy tactics in the 1980s-2000s.

musicale 3y ago
In the 1990s, Windows PCs provided a cheaper alternative to Macs, and could run the most of the popular desktop applications, such as Microsoft Office, Photoshop, etc. In the 2020s, Windows is still the de facto PC gaming platform, so much so that Linux game systems like the Steam Deck use a Windows emulation layer (Proton) to run PC games. Arguably Microsoft has done a decent job with developer tools and platforms (Visual Studio, DirectX, etc.) over the years, making Windows a somewhat attractive development platform. You might consider it "scummy tactics" but Microsoft did a pretty good job becoming a one-stop shop for corporate desktop software, including servers to manage them (Exchange) as well as cloud integration (OneDrive, Office 365, etc.) They also produced a groupware application (Teams) that provides a somewhat credible alternative to Zoom/Slack/etc. and is integrated with the rest of Microsoft's software. All this stuff can also work (sort of) on macOS and Linux, or even on the web, but it has better integration with Windows.
- Razengan 3y ago
  > but Microsoft did a pretty good job becoming a one-stop shop By eliminating the competition through scummy tactics, after shamelessly copying them.
ankurdhama 3y ago
This is because of the business model of Windows. Any company that wants to build and sell computers (aka OEM) can license Windows and use that as the OS of their computer. Apple on the other hand is a company that sell computers with their own OS. The OEM approach means that computers companies across the world can cater to the target market in terms of price and availability whereas Apple can never reach that scale across the globe. The end result is more people have access to and can afford computers that run Windows.

deleted 3y ago

[deleted]