We asked our readers what they think of Windows 11's forced Microsoft account requirement, and the answer is clear. Too bad it's not on the official list of improvements coming to the OS in 2026.
correct me if My memory is wrong but I seem to remember something like this happening with Windows 10 and then someone came up with a way to install without logging in first but I’ve never seen a Windows 10 installation that didn’t have a Microsoft user logged into it
I have never used a Windows machine with a Microsoft account. I just keep it disconnected from the internet during setup and it eventually gives me the option to not use it with a Microsoft account.
I mostly use GNU/Linux for my own use but on the rare occasion I setup Windows for someone else or need to use it, I just disconnect it / don’t connect it to the internet before setup.
I think there’s generally always been some hackish way around, and the hackish way frequently changes between releases of installation media.
Also, when Windows Update deploys certain things, if you have a system that did this, you may get a full screen thing telling you to set up a microsoft account roughly “for your own good”. Even when you bypass that, the start menu and notification area generally are eager to suggest hooking your system up to a microsoft account.
They decided that since Android can so aggressively push Google accounts, they should get the same scheme going, but Microsoft has this pesky pre-always-online history of being an offline capable OS.
At the moment if you create your installation media with Rufus it can just do it. A simple checkbox before you write to your USB drive overrides the Microsoft account requirement and even allows you to create a local account with a specific name in advance. Yes, even for the current versions of Windows which are full of the latest bullshit, and in which Microsoft claim they have “removed” the workarounds. It’s always been the easiest way.
Well, to be fair you still want to do that to remove/disable some of the other bullshit aspects. Don’t worry, you’ll still have regedit on speed dial if you want to retain any type of sanity.
correct me if My memory is wrong but I seem to remember something like this happening with Windows 10 and then someone came up with a way to install without logging in first but I’ve never seen a Windows 10 installation that didn’t have a Microsoft user logged into it
I have never used a Windows machine with a Microsoft account. I just keep it disconnected from the internet during setup and it eventually gives me the option to not use it with a Microsoft account.
I mostly use GNU/Linux for my own use but on the rare occasion I setup Windows for someone else or need to use it, I just disconnect it / don’t connect it to the internet before setup.
Pretty sure they blocked that no internet option too, though Rufus has a checkbox to re-enable it.
I think there’s generally always been some hackish way around, and the hackish way frequently changes between releases of installation media.
Also, when Windows Update deploys certain things, if you have a system that did this, you may get a full screen thing telling you to set up a microsoft account roughly “for your own good”. Even when you bypass that, the start menu and notification area generally are eager to suggest hooking your system up to a microsoft account.
They decided that since Android can so aggressively push Google accounts, they should get the same scheme going, but Microsoft has this pesky pre-always-online history of being an offline capable OS.
At the moment if you create your installation media with Rufus it can just do it. A simple checkbox before you write to your USB drive overrides the Microsoft account requirement and even allows you to create a local account with a specific name in advance. Yes, even for the current versions of Windows which are full of the latest bullshit, and in which Microsoft claim they have “removed” the workarounds. It’s always been the easiest way.
silly me making registry entries and edits to remove their bullshit from the OS.
Well, to be fair you still want to do that to remove/disable some of the other bullshit aspects. Don’t worry, you’ll still have regedit on speed dial if you want to retain any type of sanity.
To this day, you can still create local accounts at setup