MS Account mandatory for setting up Windows 11 Home/Pro, missing what? Misconfigured?

Question

I read this article from WindowsLatest.com about how Microsoft's enforcement of Microsoft Account only during OOBE.

I highly recommend Windows users that installing Windows 11 Home/Pro in the future to just make up a fake Microsoft account to allow you install it and never use the account again. Once Windows 11 is set up, go in to Control Panel - Users Accounts, create a new local account, then delete the previously created account with the Microsoft Account. I created hundrds of accounts just to remove "S mode" in Windows 10/11 computers and never used them again.

I still do not understand Microsoft's statement of "... they also inadvertently skip critical setup screens, potentially causing users to exit OOBE with a device that is not fully configured for use."

When go through a Windows 11 Home/Pro new install, all there is many useless windows of wanting you to subscribe to Microsoft 365, set up OneDrive, and then more OneDrive backups. That is no experience that no one is missing.

This Microsoft account mandatory enforcement has many people wanting to leave the Microsoft eco-system completely, some are starting to try other choices, but I know some of them will not or cannot move to MacOS and/or Linux.

Microsoft forceful use of the Microsoft account will not accomplish much of nothing because you can just create a local account still and remove the previous one. Microsoft is just frustrating the average Windows users and wasting their time. Windows users that do not have all this time to waste will either still bypass it (create an unattended instalation xml file) or other new ways to bypass it.

In all those OOBE window there is nothing there that is that important to waste the users time and confuse them to where they do subscribe to 365 because they felt compelled they had to do it. There are many Windows users I have made them or helped them cancel these deceiptive subscriptions because they do not need it at all.

Microsoft is killing and hurting their own market of Windows users from scaring them in to trying something else. Chromebooks have been popular along with Apple iPads for these users so far. These users have been terrorified from Microsoft's forcefulness and invasion of privacy that these users are starting to go elsewhere.

Answer 1

In additional to what I wrote before:

I installed Fedora Linux and Linux Mint on some computer users systems after they were fed up with Windows. I installed these Linux version from an ISO image, after installation the updates installed to update everything on the system, and had a few programs installed all within 15 to 20 minutes. There are no hassling/nagging windows to subscribe, create online accounts, backup this or that, etc. I even installed other programs needed for what they wanted to do in Linux.

After these users watched me install and setup their systems within 15-20 minutes, they were happy. Although the OS is very different (Windows vs Linux), they found Linux easy to use. Some of these users understood the basics to install/uninstall programs, they did it on their own.

This is not about Windows vs Linux is better or not. This is about the end user experience. I support these users in Linux and I barely hear from them. These now Linux users are using their computers without needing to always have to fix something. Although Linux has their share of problems, but these basic users went from Windows 10/11 to Fedora or Linux Mint without really no problems.

If Microsoft would think more about the end users experience rather than their AI-privacy-invasion tactics, then maybe more Windows users may be adapable to their changes.

As for the Chromebook users, they are satisified with these Chromebooks and like what they are using. Some of the iPad users have ran into some limitations because it is a tablet and not a computer, they are working around those limitations in way they can to avoid Windows at this time.

Microsoft has lost the user experience in Windows.

Answer 2

I would like to make some comments -

1. If it is OOEB for Pro, you do have the option to create a local account right off the bet. Simply choose setting up for work/school > sign in options, then the local user option is right there.
2. If it is home, then yes, it is a bit of an issue. By design, it wants you to use Msft account. You can use the Shift +F10 and command method to bypass. However, I cannot stress the importance of this if you were to use a dummy Msft account. Windows 11 Home now also has bitlocker encryption enabled automatically. If you just abandon your dummy Msft account down the road, you risk losing your bitlocker key. If a trigger event happens down the road, such as BIOS update, hardware change, TPM chip driver update, repeatedly wrong password/pin entries, it will want to ask bitlocker, which is stored in the Msft account. So you might want to add an extra step to disable bitlocker right away using command method right away after OOBE set up.