New Windows 11 build makes mandatory Microsoft sign-in even more mandatory

https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2025/03/new-windows-11-build-makes-mandatory-microsoft-account-sign-in-even-more-mandatory/

by Brajeshwar • 1 year ago

74 47 1 year ago

arstechnica.com

outer_web• 1 year ago

Smart (evil) way to hustle people off Windows 10.

rolph• 1 year ago

-an into copilot, an a tighter localmachine lockdown. and subscription apps

Calavar• 1 year ago

I'm so glad my motherboard doesn’t support Windows 11. That's the one 'secret hack' that seems to work.

rikafurude21• 1 year ago

Pretty sure the TPM requirement was just an excuse to sell new PCs. They ended up allowing older platforms for 11

Ygg2• 1 year ago

You can turn off TPM on any motherboard.

cantrecallmypwd• 1 year ago

Windows continual slowdown and incompatibility is intentional to sell new hardware. This has happened since the 90's.

nobodyandproud• 1 year ago

I have notebook that supports everything (TPM 2.0). The only excuse is that the CPU is allegedly a generation too old, which only makes sense for servers.

That 100% pushed me to wipe Windows from all of my computers, except for my company-issued notebook.

I haven’t noticed a difference (if anything, everything is faster).

gnabgib• 1 year ago

Discussions (170 points, 17 hours ago, 167 comments) https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=43511073

(221 points, 13 hours ago, 227 comments) https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=43512660

arjunaaqa• 1 year ago

Gosh, they should adopt the slogan - “Run baby run”.

speed_spread2• 1 year ago

How about "Windows, getting me Started since '95"

kubb• 1 year ago

There should be an antitrust forcing Microsoft to sell Windows, at least the part of it that’s useful for gaming.

It’s shameful what the do to the people locked into their platform.

account-52• 1 year ago

No different from what any of the big tech companies do.

Not defending the behaviour, but it's definitely the pattern with every tech company.

smallmancontrov• 1 year ago

They could all use an antitrust shakeup.

_cenw5• 1 year ago

What's the big monopoly anymore? Almost everything runs on variants of Wine. Even Anticheat, if the developers care enough.

fithisux2• 1 year ago

The politicians are purchased, they may even have shares.

MYEUHD• 1 year ago

Will internet connectivity be required only when installing Windows 11, or every time you log in to the computer?

kyriakos• 1 year ago

During install

s900mhz2• 1 year ago

For gaming I usually use cachy os but occasionally need windows for certain games and FSR4, I’ve recently have been using those stripped down windows isos. Such as Optimum 11.

So far the experience has been nice, it doesn’t even come with a default browser so it’s pretty stripped down. Note that I only use it for gaming so I’m not sure if it works well as a daily os. Never had it asked me to sign in, even during installation.

https://windowsxlite.com/Optimum11Pro/

_cenw5• 1 year ago

I would not put one of those builds on my network, and I'd also expect this to have very imperfect compatibility (e.g. quite a few games need Edge WebView, and these usually rip it out). And you get maybe 1-2 extra FPS. And Windows 11 LTSC is right there.

s900mhz2• 1 year ago

Oh interesting! I will happily switch to this. I don’t keep up much with the Windows world. I’m not using the stripped windows for performance, I strongly dislike all the unnecessary items that comes bundled. My windows use case is for it to just run games. I don’t want it to do anything else.

Seems like Windows IOT fits the bill though so thanks for sharing!

blibble• 1 year ago

it's probably less hostile than the official microsoft version

my windows machine is on its own VLAN anyway

DistractionRect• 1 year ago

What I've always done is just not connect it to the internet during the install process. I imagine this has implications for Rufus and tiny11, but... It's more annoyance than anything else.

If you knew enough to use the command (or look up a tool/installer that makes use of the command), you likely already know or will be quick to find the install without internet workaround.

_cenw5• 1 year ago

Rufus has always maintained that they'll inject an answers file for as long as that works, but not patch Windows ISOs in any more hacky way.

perching_aix3• 1 year ago

Gonna be good fun when I need to reinstall and won't have any kind of internet access because no drivers ship in Windows for my specific motherboard's WiFi or Ethernet chips.

p_ing2• 1 year ago

Put the drivers on a USB drive and you can point Windows to it when prompted.

perching_aix3• 1 year ago

Or I could buy a Macbook. Or I could get a machine that's preinstalled. Or I could just not reinstall. Or...

Not the point man.

It doesn't prompt you by the way.

WalterBright2• 1 year ago

I still use Windows 7.

wrp• 1 year ago

...with VirtualBox hosting Windows XP...and airgapped. :-)

WalterBright2• 1 year ago

I do still have an XP machine, which I use now and then to read something off of a 5.25" floppy. I've also used it to run DOS programs.

On the Windows 7 box I assiduously use my password "password123" and it's been good.

Edit: dammit, now I gotta change my password again. Going for "qwerty" this time.

Frederation2• 1 year ago

Shift F10 OOBE\BYPASSNRO I don't have internet

...

.. edit.. so they are closing this? Ok, time for plan B

brookst• 1 year ago

That’s what the article says they’re removing, right?

Frederation2• 1 year ago

Niiice

Mountain_Skies• 1 year ago

Microsoft barely cares about consumer Windows anymore. Cloud is where they make their real money and is where the revenue growth comes from. The company wants consumer Windows to cover its costs so it's not a burden on the rest of the company. Beyond that, it doesn't appear senior management really cares all that much what the backwater part of the company responsible for consumer Windows does.

Doubt TPM is about selling hardware. Though Microsoft has some hardware devices, most of that market is owned by other companies. OEM licenses are not a money maker like they were decades ago. TPM likely is a combination of wanting to reduce liability, part of DRM plans to make Hollywood happy, and government desire to eventually have all code signed and attributable to the individual who compiled it. It might not accomplish any of that today but is part of the roadmap to the place where those goals can be implemented.

account-52• 1 year ago

Windows 11 LTSC is definitely the best version of win11. I have it in a VM. I really hate this push for online accounts, it's something I'll never agree to.

pluc• 1 year ago

Nothing more american than trying your hardest to drive people away!

klabb3• 1 year ago

The remaining foothold of windows for home use is games. It’s the only reason I still have a windows partition (well, app development to be fair but that’s not everyone). A lot of the previous moat like Word seems to have moved to the cloud.

So, what are the blockers for Linux for games? I know ”the linux desktop” is a meme, but IME Ubuntu (for me, but pick your choice) has been boringly reliable and easy to use for a decade now at least. (laptops are hit or miss but that’s a different story). With SteamOS, why are or aren’t we getting close to where games can run smooth and lots of home users can finally ditch Windows? DirectX? Game engine support?

halopro77• 1 year ago

Im no expert by any means (but I have been following the year of linux desktop meme for years now). SteamOS/proton has helped break new market holds tremendously for Linux gaming, but one of the bigger remaining problems across the industry is still anti cheat for large popular multiplayer games

zyx321• 1 year ago

My understanding is that 'anti-cheat' solutions are the biggest remaining issue. Proprietary drivers that are by design resistant to analysis and reverse-engineering.

ChrisArchitect• 1 year ago

Again OP?

[dupe] https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=43511073

fithisux2• 1 year ago

This opens a loophole to blackmail you. If you don't buy the Windows they can shutdown your account. And if you use the account for payments or signups e.g. to banks?

Kaboom!!!

It is a general evil plan set up step by step and not only from Microsoft.

hingusdingus• 1 year ago

Shift f10

Start ms-cxh:localonly

New Windows 11 build makes mandatory Microsoft sign-in even more mandatory

Related Stories