Microsoft looks to be making a big change to how you install and log in to Windows 11

Tech Radar ^ | 03-31-2025 | Darren Allan

[fireman15]

Never mind blocking workarounds to sign in with a local account, just give us a straightforward choice in the installation process.

Microsoft just blocked a popular workaround to install Windows 11 with a local account

Some people like to avoid having a Microsoft account linked to the OS due to privacy (or other) concerns

While alternative workarounds remain, it’s likely they could be cut off too – and Microsoft is very much going down the wrong path here

Microsoft appears to be moving to block Windows 11 users who want to install the operating system using a local account, meaning that they want to avoid having to use a Microsoft account (and be online) when setting up the OS.

Not everyone wants to tie their copy of Windows 11 directly to their Microsoft Account – or they may not even have such an account at all – and those are the folks who want to just use a local account (only tied to the PC itself).

While Microsoft officially removed this choice from Windows 11’s setup experience some time ago, there was a commonly-used workaround – but the software giant has just blocked this.

[Paladin2]

What fun!!!!

I only have to reboot my Linux machines when the memory leaks get bad. It’s rare.

[Bob434]

You’re welome- that fella in ghje vid is a guru- I’ve gotten a lot of tweaks and whatnot from him- he has a well known program to debloat windows, both 10 and 11- it’s quite a program. I’ve bui,t tin 10 and tiny 11 install Iso’s with it, and he does a ton of reviews too.

[Bob434]

Anytime I run across a good tip, I send the steps,and a good headline like “deactivate microsoft account requirement updated” to 2 emails that I have, then categorize them (ie windows 10 tips” “Linux tips” etc- that way I have a neat bevvy of head,Ines to quickly scan when looking to do particular things.

[Bob434]

[[To the topic of your thread, it really seems like between the behavior of companies and the behavior of pols, that they know something we don’t.... and that the party is just about over]]

That is the feeling that I have ever since ai came out beczuse what is coming with ai will I think ruin the internet and even telecommunications as it gets “intelligent” enough to scam folks at a very high level, a d will be able to infect computers much more easily with viruses and ransomware.

Already ai is mimicking people’s voices and even photos to create sophisticated scams, ie elderly folks getting calls that sound just like their children, asking for “bail money” or some such scam. That alone is gonna fool a lot of people, and it’s just gonna get worse and more sophisticated.

The day is coming where it will be hard to tell reality from fake, and the risks of just using the net and having cell phones will be pretty steep.

[Bob434]

A good idea would be to get macfium reflect znd do frequent backups of windows and store them on large external,or internal drives so that if you should get a virus, then a restore would fix the issue- the only ones it wouldn’t protect agaisnt are low level ones that apparently can bury into motherboards somehkw- then kts game over from what I read awhile back- new motherboard time.

I used to have windows 7 as my os for windows Hames and things like photoshop, but am using 10 now for that and kinjx as my main os on a seperste drive which boots first. The windows 10 is needed because some of my software won’t run on 7 anymore. I try to limit internet connections when using windows 10 to only times where I need to update a program, and when I do, I fire up a vm within windows that has Linux on it, download the program or update, if possible, and do it that way. Cuts down on the risk by a goodly amount i think

Viruses can get by virtual machines, but it’s harder to do- not sure what % using them would cut down the risk by.

[Bob434]

Not sure if it was you or someone else who mentioned that you need windows because a tax program won’t run on linux? If so, there is a Linux version called Wubuntu I bekeive which runs wine in the background so folks can run windows programs on linux- not sure if thst would fit the bill for you or not? Might be worth trying it on a USB in love mode to see if it would work or not- it also looks a lot like windows too I guess- I’m gonna try it out soon.

[MalPearce]

A family member of mine had a similar setup on Apple. Standalone accounting app and word-processing software.

The computer had an intermittent fault so she took it to the Apple Store.

Apple tech wiped the machine without asking and without attempting a backup, and installed a newer version of IOS. She tried to reinstall the apps and did a restore, but couldn’t reconnect the new version of the app to the existing data and couldn’t get the app to work.

Lost four years of business accounting data.

I’ve never known anyone with a PC have that experience. EVER.

An old printer not working after a win7-10 upgrade is trivial. If your printer is 7 years old, there’s a chance it’ll just stop working because of built-in managed obsolescence. I had a Panasonic laser printer do that - exceeded a built-in usage clock and it turned into a brick.

[minnesota_bound]

Google: F-35 fighter pilots have to reboot the computers while in flight at times

Many articles on this.

[fso301]

Ultimately, what they want is for everyone to use Chromebook style dumb terminals.

Much worse than in the USSR where every typewriter had to be registered with the government.

[sjm_888]

Bkmrk

[fella]

Linux

[catnipman]

btw, that deal for H&R Block that i mentioned for newegg is a sale price that they promote only once very early in tax season, like january or feburary; they promote the sale if one is signed up for occasional emails from newegg ...

[catnipman]

thanks ... i might pick up a junk apple or w10 PC from a local recycler if H&R Block ever quits working on W7 ...

[Taxman]

I am a long-time user of Lotus 123; I prefer 123 over Excel.

HST, my 123 was working very well in Windows 11 until the most recent update!

BOOM! 123 no longer works!

JUST DAGNABBIT!

Anybody out there have an idea as to how I might get my 123 to work in Win 11?

Thanks in advance!

[MayflowerMadam]

Lotus is/was much better than Excel.

“Anybody out there have an idea as to how I might get my 123 to work in Win 11?”

Have you gone online (beyond FR) with that question?

I have an old architectural program that wouldn’t work in Win 7. I researched online and someone had found a work-around. It was simple — copying a certain .dll file. So maybe someone already has figured it out for you.

I just got a refurbished Win 10 laptop. The seller agreed to take it back if my MS Office 2003 wasn’t compatible. (It works fine.)

[linMcHlp]

Install a Virtual Platform on your Windows OS 11 machine.

Install the latest, compatible for your Lotus 123 . . . Operating System, on that Virtual Platform

Microsoft, IIRC, offers a Virtual Platform - no charge.

[daniel1212]

Although I am a little irritated about it... There are multiple choices for dealing with the upcoming Windows 10 end of life event. The most obvious is to purchase alternative is to purchase a license for Windows 10 IoT Enterprise LTSC which will be getting security updates until 2032.

Thanks for the info, and

you can enroll those PCs in the paid Extended Security Update (ESU) program. ESUs allow you to receive critical and/or important security updates for Windows 10 PCs .. You can purchase ESU licenses for Windows 10 devices that you don't plan to upgrade to Windows 11 starting in October 2024, one year before the end of support date. The price of the ESU program will double every consecutive year, for a maximum of three years. If you decide to jump into the program in Year Two, you'll have to pay for Year One too, as ESUs are cumulative. The 5-by-5 activation subscription will establish the Year One list price of ESU for Windows 10. - https://techcommunity.microsoft.com/blog/windows-itpro-blog/when-to-use-windows-10-extended-security-updates/4102628

https://www.zdnet.com/article/cant-quit-windows-10-you-can-pay-microsoft-for-updates-after-october-or-try-these-alternatives/: Business customers will need to pay dearly to stick with Windows 10. A license for the Extended Security Updates (ESU) program is sold as a subscription. For the first year, the cost is $61. For year two, the price doubles, and it doubles again for year three. That Microsoft blog post doesn't do the math on those, probably because the total is uncomfortably high. A three-year ESU subscription will cost $61 + $122 + $244, for a total of $427 per PC. .

Consumers will be able to sign up for a one-year ESU subscription for $30. That's roughly half what businesses will pay for that first year. The deal comes with two significant restrictions, however. First, it's available only for "personal use," a move that's obviously designed to discourage business customers from trying to get security updates at a discount. Second, the subscription can't be renewed after that first year. On October 25, 2026, security updates will stop for good on those consumer PCs....Microsoft says that ESU program enrollment for consumers will be available closer to the end of support date.

First, it's available only for "personal use," a move that's obviously designed to discourage business customers from trying to get security updates at a discount. Second, the subscription can't be renewed after that first year. On October 25, 2026, security updates will stop for good on those consumer PCs.

Education customers are getting off much easier. The rules are the same, but the price for the first year is $1. It doubles to $2 in the second year and doubles again to $4 in the third and final year, for a grand total of ... $7 per PC.

Are there any alternatives to ESU subscriptions?

An ESU subscription entitles customers to receive updates delivered automatically through Windows Update. If Microsoft follows its customary practices, those updates will also be available for download individually through the Microsoft Update Catalog.

It's a tedious process, but a customer who's determined to save money could set a calendar reminder to check for new updates a day or two after those updates are delivered on the second Tuesday of the month and install them manually.

I am running Q/11 Pro which is a result of buying an upgrade from XP to W/8 for $29 (New Egg) years ago. Which was on the Retail Channel and thus legal to be removed from one PC to another without limits. And I thank God for the safe free options to regard lost functions and other aspects that "updates" removed.

[GingisK]

I will migrate to Linux and stop embedded development. Full retirement with prejudice.

[trebb]

Yep - I’m getting closer and closer to switching to Linux...it’s getting friendlier and friendlier to use....and I’m already using Libre Office and other apps that are available on Linux

[mad_as_he$$]

bkmk