Microsoft hides option to use Windows 10 with a local account - GDPR violation?

[Delicieuxz]

4 hours ago, VegetableStu said:

does it still work now? just for reference (in the inevitable time I have to clean install) o_o

(i mean the worsT is i have an old installer, so there's that, although I have to wait my butt off to update after installing (or pre-download all the update packs))

The article is dated October 1st. So, I expect that it does work. Also, not every computer is connected to the internet, so I think there has to be a way for those PCs to continue to use Windows without an online account.

 

6 hours ago, Captain Chaos said:

Apparently the next version will not be available for download anymore.  A Microsoft employee will come over with a USB stick and guide you through the install.

 

I managed to get a photo of that, courtesy of a friend who's in the Windows Insider program.

  Reveal hidden contents

 

I would sad face that if there were an button for it, coz it's pretty close to the actuality.

 

2 hours ago, paddy-stone said:

Just an FYI, but anyone concerned about their privacy when using windows and what data they collect, can try This - Not sure how effective it is, but better than nothing.

 

[edit] Just noticed this

So guess they'll have a new version roll out soon for users on 1903.

O&O Shut Up 10 is a great tool, and I think it works very well. The last time I checked the site, I thought it was wanting payment to download, which was a change from it previously being free. When I checked it now through your link, I notice that it says it's free. So, I wonder if they tried charging for it but then backtracked, or if I'm thinking of another program that does a similar thing.

[paddy-stone]

3 minutes ago, Delicieuxz said:

I would sad face that if there were an button for it, coz it's pretty close to the actuality.

 

 

O&O Shut Up 10 is a great tool, and I think it works very well. The last time I checked the site, I thought it was wanting payment to download, which was a change from it previously being free. When I checked it now through your link, I notice that it says it's free. So, I wonder if they tried charging for it but then backtracked, or if I'm thinking of another program that does a similar thing.

 I can't remember it being like that, it's always been free when I've checked... but I don't check that often of course as I mainly DL it when I've got a new install.

[steelo]

3 hours ago, LAwLz said:

I would say that most people do not count Skype and Teamviewer as their everyday tasks.

 

But here is how to do it in Windows.

1) Open the Microsoft Store

2) Search for Skype

3) Click on Skype

4) Click "Install".

 

On Ubuntu it's:

1) Open "Ubuntu Software"

2) Search for Skype

3) Click on Skype

4) Click "Install"

 

Wow it's so much different, right!?

Geez... GNU/Linux sure is sooo much more complicated than Windows. (sarcasm).

 

 

Here is how to install Teamviewer on Windows:
1) Go to teamviewer.com in your browser.

2) Download the installer (or choose run to skip step 3).

3) Double click on the installer.

4) Run the installation wizard, mostly clicking next and avoiding to install some unwanted bundleware.

 

Here is how to install Teamviewer on Ubuntu:

1) Go to teamviewer.com in your browser.

2) Download the installer (or choose run to skip step 3).

3) Double click the installer.

4) Click "Install" when Ubuntu Software has popped up asking if you want to install Teamviewer.

 

WOW, it's so much more difficult you guys!!!

 

 

What extra step(s) did I do with the GNU/Linux instructions?

 

 

Now you're moving the goalpost. Your original argument was that GNU/Linux required the terminal to use for everyday tasks. That is not true.

Now you're arguing that some university might ask you to use Word or whatever, which is a completely separate argument, one that I might not even agree with. I guess it depends on which class you took, but for my networking education we were actually pushed to use GNU/Linux quite a bit but most stuff was OS agnostic. The only requirements were that things like essays and reports were submitted as PDFs. In fact, we were not allowed to submit things as something else such as word documents. I would be surprised if it was different at other schools.

I used Ubuntu years ago and there is a learning curve, especially if you're used to Windows. You are correct, you usually don't have to use terminal at all. However, I find it easier than searching the GUI for buttons. Also, hardware doesn't always play nice with Linux...I recall a wifi card that would intermittently work and a AMD gpu that simply refused to display any resolution over 640x480 with Ubuntu. 

[NunoLava1998]

It sucks since Windows 10 sucks a lot now and Linux is not for most people.

[goodtofufriday]

I saw this last week when setting up a new pc for a friend. if you connect to a wifi network during the setup process the only way to go offline is to disconnect your wifi. windows setup will remember the wifi network even if you restart mid-setup. 

 

Pretty damn shady, and no normal user will be able to reason this out like tech literate people.

[Zodiark1593]

9 hours ago, ckinfos said:

The problem is that although there is the MacOS and linux alternatives, MS is dominating a long time the market and brands stick with it too. The problem is not MS spying activities or disabling some of their options.

The problem is that :

1. Macs are too expensive so alot of people cant buy them so they cant use the MacOS (which it has its flaws too)

2. Linux have so many branches and have YET a non-terminal everyday usage for many tasks (that means the user HAS to do everyday tasks the hard way, even install programs)

3. Game companies dont like LINUX...ING! Even though Steam, Google, lutris and so is trying to change that but still due to the fact 2 there are unpassable problems.

 

So i think we have to live with what the monopoly....goes us too.

 

 

This is a bit of a concern of mine with heavy reliance on large companies, in that said companies have leverage to threaten to pull out of the market instead of paying large fines. Granted, this will cause a substantial loss of revenue, however, the repercussions on both the business and individual level could be quite severe until an acceptable alternative can be scraped together.

[vanished]

There are some advantages to having an online account, including easy/automatic sign in to other apps and services, as well as having an uncrackable password, but there's no reason to hide the option.  Recommended one over the other sure but it should be easy to choose local if that's what you want.

[Anomnomnomaly]

Don't have a windows account, will never have a windows account... If MS try to force the issue... I'll find a way around it.  I already use software to disable all of the telemetry, cortana and so forth... I set my connection to metered so that it can't update on when it feels like it.

 

It's my system and my OS... I decide what is installed, and what data is allowed to leave my system... not them.

[MrFixitBlankFace]

Sounds awful.

Luckily I fresh installed Windows BEFORE they decided to do this.

But this sucks for new installers.

[samcool55]

16 minutes ago, Ryan_Vickers said:

There are some advantages to having an online account, including easy/automatic sign in to other apps and services, as well as having an uncrackable password, but there's no reason to hide the option.  Recommended one over the other sure but it should be easy to choose local if that's what you want.

Yea exactly, them hiding with was annoying, but acceptable.

But this, this is one step too far. Explaining someone to click on certain things to make a local account on their new system is much easier than trying to explain how to unplug the ethernet cable. Not everyone knows how it looks and it can be a much bigger hassle than is really necessary.

 

And talking about automatic sign-in, in my limited experience it's broken AF tho.

I have a local account and I had a work account linked to that.

Work account got terminated and I can't remove the damn thing and it keeps telling me "hey you need to login again" WTF does it want me to do?! The account no longer exists! It's gone like, deleted, permanently, and I can't remove it because it wants me to login before I can delete it which is clearly not an option!

[imreloadin]

10 hours ago, LAwLz said:

We should all lick Microsoft's shoes because they are so kind to continue to give us a way to use local accounts!

How else would they get clean when MS stepped in mud?

[MrFixitBlankFace]

2 minutes ago, Anomnomnomaly said:

I'll find a way around it.  

Just disconnect WiFi when they ask for the account, and then they will allow you to use a local account.

[Ashley MLP Fangirl]

can microsoft stop being the most horrible company on the planet for a minute? please?

[Roschlynn Dsouza]

10 hours ago, Master Disaster said:

My tablet died on me last week so i bought a fairly cheap laptop to replace it (£360) which arrived yesterday. Literally the first thing I did was to install Ubuntu.

 

Unfortunately it looks as though I'm gonna have to go back to Windows as it turns out Linux has no support for the WiFi card and even though a third party driver exists it really sucks.

10 hours ago, WereCatf said:

You can most likely just replace the WiFi-card with another one, they're

not expensive. E.g. the Intel WiFi-card I've got is well supported and works fine (though I'll have to check the exact model in a bit. I'm waiting for a delivery atm)

Yes. I have an Intel Wireless AC-9560 with 802.11n and 5GHz support in my Asus Vivobook 15 X512FL and it seems that Intel Wireless Cards are more suited for Linux with out of the box support. I am currently using Ubuntu LTS 18.04 and this wireless card works great!

[dfsdfgfkjsefoiqzemnd]

35 minutes ago, samcool55 said:

But this, this is one step too far.

Nah, that was nothing compared to this :

Spoiler

 

This whole account thing is Microsoft deciding that the peasants should make it easier for Microsoft to personally identify them. 

[samcool55]

7 minutes ago, Captain Chaos said:

Nah, that was nothing compared to this :

  Hide contents

 

This is merely Microsoft deciding that the peasants should make it easier to personally identify them. 

Well that one was indeed a lot worse but that's not an excuse for what they are doing now.

Just imagine a company saying "yea this is bad, but hey what we did last year was MUCH worse than this so this is really not that bad".

 

 

[jagdtigger]

MS just keep on getting lower and lower, when you think there is no way this can get any worse they always prove you wrong.....

[Brooksie359]

11 hours ago, Delicieuxz said:

 

You can get around it by unplugging your ethernet cable before installing Windows 10, or by unplugging it when at the account screen and then letting the process fail to find or make the new account due to lack of an internet connection. Then it will let a person make a normal local / offline account.

Honestly I usually wait until I have installed windows before I plug in my ethernet so I have coincidentally had this happen to me recently when I was reinstalling windows on one of my computers. 

[Jito463]

We noticed this at work at least a month ago.  Then again, we install/reinstall Windows pretty regularly, so it's not unexpected that we'd run into it sooner.  MS needs to stop pushing their Live accounts on people.  They're not Apple and never will be, and even Apple doesn't force people to connect an Apple ID to their Mac.  Thankfully - apart from one laptop - I only use Professional, so this doesn't affect me personally.

[PlayStation 2]

Reinstalled Windows 10 1903 on someone's laptop literally yesterday and noticed that. Fuck off Microsoft, I have no reason to use an email to create a fucking user profile.

[Zando_]

13 minutes ago, Dan Castellaneta said:

Reinstalled Windows 10 1903 on someone's laptop literally yesterday and noticed that. Fuck off Microsoft, I have no reason to use an email to create a fucking user profile.

It's especially shitty at work, I don't want to create a microsoft account every time I set up a new computer for an employee, we use local accounts. It's bad enough having to do the "don't put in a password and then set up the PC and then go to settings and set a password" workaround for the stupid fucking security questions. 

[Jito463]

8 minutes ago, Zando Bob said:

I don't want to create a microsoft account every time I set up a new computer for an employee, we use local accounts.

Unless you're running Home edition on your work computers, it won't be an issue for you.  This is strictly limited to the Home edition (though if you ask me, it should have been restricted to S mode, only).

[yolosnail]

Am I the only one who prefers signing in to new installs with my Microsoft Account so that everything gets synced over automatically?

 

The way I see it is, Microsoft is going to spy on you whether you sign in with a local account or not, so you might as well reap the benefits of being spied on!

[TheVillageIdiot]

6 hours ago, Crowbar said:

Another day, another windows 10 controversy...

 

Won't be long until a credit card is required for install by non OEM's at this rate.

One should always nuke an oem install. Unless you do not know how to grab drivers.

[TheVillageIdiot]

42 minutes ago, yolosnail said:

Am I the only one who prefers signing in to new installs with my Microsoft Account so that everything gets synced over automatically?

 

The way I see it is, Microsoft is going to spy on you whether you sign in with a local account or not, so you might as well reap the benefits of being spied on!

Has its place in non private info and work. For everything else... No do not use MS