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Comment by dantondwa | Hacker News Reader

I recently discovered, while helping a family member, that to unlock Windows from S mode you now need a Microsoft account. This is really crazy: I need a stupid Microsoft account to use my PC.

Without mentioning that the only way to create a local user is to setup windows without connecting it to the internet.

And without mentioning the amount of nagging, ads and spam that Windows users have to withstand. Like, the other day Edge reappeared on my taskbar by itself and reset itself as the default browser. And how many times do I need to confirm that yes, I am not crazy, I want to use another browser?

It’s a pity, because under the crust of shit, there’s a good OS with wonderful software compatibility that spans over decades and that is, overall, quite stable. Too bad it is constantly trying to bother its users.

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Windows S mode is a tightly locked down mode that only allows Microsoft Store Apps to be used and only allows Microsoft Edge for a browser. It's basically making your computer like a Windows 10 edition of a Chromebook.

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I'm all for "you shouldn't need a Microsoft account to use your computer", but if you want to you use the locked down mode that is specifically FOR tight integration with MS's services and limiting you from everything else....needing a Microsoft account seems to make sense.

Why are you using S mode if that's not what you want?

I'm fully aware of what S mode is. A family member bought a 600€ laptop from Dell that came with Windows S. To unlock it and allow said family member to install software that is not on the Microsoft Store (which is to say, any software, really), we had to setup a Microsoft account, as otherwise it was impossible to unlock it. And by the way, I doubt it's anyone's choice to use S mode. It certainly wouldn't be mine.

> we had to setup a Microsoft account, as otherwise it was impossible to unlock it.

Why not boot from a Windows 10 ISO and install Windows Home from there? As an added bonus, it would be a lot cleaner without all of the Dell junkware as well.

It probably wouldn't be anyone's choice, but on the other hand, it's probably many people's non-choice, i.e. people who don't care about or know which OS they use

This, so much. I don't want a Microsoft account, at all, ever. So I entered a bogus email address. Now (almost) every time I log in, it tells me there's a problem with my account that I need to fix...

Free clue for Microsoft: I know you keep wanting to "leverage" your base of Windows installs into more income in other areas. But when you use leverage, your users feel forced. And we don't like it. Stop it. You're pissing off your customers.

Or like the man said, "You can't win, Gates. The more you tighten your grip, the more computer systems slip through your fingers."

(Yes, I'm calling out Gates. It started under him, decades ago.)

> Yes, I'm calling out Gates. It started under him, decades ago.

I’m sure he’s quaking in his boots, former Slashdotter.

Month ago I installed Windows 10 and created a local account while connected to the internet, if I remember correctly it was hidden by 2 or 3 steps. Professional version.

Same. No need for the Microsoft account, although it is tricky to find.

Some wonderful mid-brightness blue text on a dark blue background.

Any chance the ADA or similar legislation can be dropped on them for that?

This is correct, but it's only valid for Windows 10 Pro. For Windows 10 Home, being disconnected is the only solution, for now.

I ran into Windows S when setting up a laptop for my mother. I was hot and pissed that they force you to handover an account/data to use your system. It's clear that the Windows world is out of ideas, and is now looking to move into datamining to maintain revenues. Revenues none of which will be spent on making sure Patch Tuesday doesn't brick and BSOD people's machines.

You have to pick "Work network" or some such thing, meaning you intend to join it to a domain, in order to have the option to create a local account if you've already hooked it to network. This also means it has to be Pro version, Home doesn't have this option.

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