No, Microsoft, don’t require an account to arrange Windows 11
A latest preview construct of Windows 11 makes an unwelcome change: it mandates a Microsoft account when putting in even Windows 11 Professional. But not everybody needs or wants an account.
Dear Microsoft — we have to speak.
Recently, you pushed out a brand new preview model of Windows 11 and snuck in a significant change that many people in IT aren’t completely happy about. You first made this transformation in Windows 11 Home, the place you required customers to put in the working system with an Internet connection and arrange the system with a Microsoft account. (At the time, many thought requiring a Microsoft account for Home customers was a good suggestion.)
Now, you’ve launched Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 22557 that mandates a Microsoft account when putting in even Windows 11 Professional. For many, this isn’t a mandate we really feel is suitable.
First, let’s have a look at what having a Microsoft account does while you arrange your laptop. As Microsoft factors out, the account provides you an “all-access pass to Microsoft’s premier services. If you use any of these services, you should already have a Microsoft account: Outlook.com, Office, Skype, OneDrive, Xbox Live, Bing, Microsoft Store, Windows, or MSN.” If your machine has Bitlocker enabled, the Bitlocker keys are backed up in Microsoft’s cloud. And customers get a OneDrive location to retailer information and knowledge in order that they have a backup in the event that they get hit with ransomware.
All these benefits sound fantastic, proper? But even dwelling customers at instances need a local-only laptop with no web entry. Or need to arrange a digital machine. Or need a peer-to-peer community with out a connection to cloud companies. You get the concept. Users need selections. They need privateness. There are many causes somebody may not need a Microsoft account. And for individuals who argue that an iPhone or an Android telephone calls for that you just use an account to log in, understand that you’re evaluating desktop working programs to telephones. Instead, it’s best to examine Windows to Apple’s macOS, the place you possibly can nonetheless arrange a pc without having an account tied to cloud companies.
In addition to the account requirement, Preview Build 22557 additionally brings the flexibility to group pinned apps into folders within the Start menu; a Do not disturb function; and the Focus function, amongst different modifications. But it’s the account mandate when deploying Windows 11 Professional that has customers a tad bit upset. Many arrange digital machines for testing and don’t want the effort of establishing a pc with a Microsoft account. I’ve personally arrange so many digital machines with a Microsoft account that when logging into the Microsoft retailer to make use of or check some software program, I’ve needed to log into the Device itemizing to take away previous digital machines. While you possibly can have greater than 10 machines tied to a Microsoft account, the Microsoft Store nonetheless has what feels to be an arbitrary 10-device restrict.
As the Microsoft Store notes: “You can use up to 10 devices with Microsoft Store. If you can’t download apps and games, you’ve reached your Microsoft Store device limit. Unlink a device, then go to Microsoft Store and try again.” I then need to login and delete a pc from the itemizing.
While most companies will seemingly be a part of their PCs to Microsoft 365 accounts anyway, or use deployment mechanisms that keep away from the out-of-box expertise, I do know after I’m testing varied programs I typically set them up with out an account. (The out-of-box expertise course of ensures {that a} consumer offers with varied questions and points throughout set-up.) I additionally typically arrange digital machines with out an web connection — one other new mandate with this preview launch.
Despite the account requirement, there seems to already be step-by-step workarounds although they appear a bit complicated. Bottom line: there are clearly methods round this challenge for those who nonetheless individually deploy Windows PCs and digital machines. But Microsoft ought to acknowledge customers typically have to arrange machines with out mandated account settings.
Of course, for a number of Windows deployments, you ought to be utilizing instruments like Autopilot. With it, you possibly can bypass the preliminary setup of an area account and go straight to getting into area data. And while you get to the account query on-screen, (assuming you’ve Azure Active Directory or Microsoft 365) you possibly can whole Microsoft 365 credentials and bypass establishing an area account or Microsoft account utterly. Or you possibly can strive autounattend.xml and use a course of to preload the setup to Windows 11.
Finally, don’t neglect to offer suggestions to Microsoft on this challenge. Open up a brand new bug within the Windows suggestions utility or vote up an present bug. Microsoft has stated that objects that present up in these preview variations would possibly – or may not – present up within the ultimate model of Windows 11. If you are feeling strongly about it, make sure you let Microsoft know.