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Some Microsoft Insiders Fight to Drop Windows 11's Microsoft Account Requirements (windowscentral.com) 114

Posted by EditorDavid from the lose-or-Windows dept.
Yes, Microsoft announced it's fixing common Windows 11 complaints. But what about getting rid of that requirement to have a Microsoft account before installing Windows 11? While Microsoft didn't mention that at all, the senior editor at the blog Windows Central reports there's "a number of people" internally pushing at Microsoft to relax that requirement: Microsoft Vice President and overall developer legend Scott Hanselman has posted on X in response to someone asking him about possibly relaxing the Microsoft account requirements, saying "Ya I hate that. Working on it...." [Hanselman made that remark Friday, to his 328,200 followers.]
The blog notes "It would be very easy for Microsoft to remove this requirement from a technical perspective, it's just whether or not the company can agree to make the change that needs to be decided."

Elsewhere on X someone told Hanselman they wanted to see Windows "cut out the borderline malware tactics we've seen in recent years to push things like Edge, Bing, ads into the start menu, etc." Hanselman's reply? "Yes a calmer and more chill OS with fewer upsells is a goal."

Q: When will we see first changes? for now it's just words...

Hanselman: This month and every month this year.
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Some Microsoft Insiders Fight to Drop Windows 11's Microsoft Account Requirements More

Some Microsoft Insiders Fight to Drop Windows 11's Microsoft Account Requirements

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  • Microsoft accounts are ransomware (Score:5, Insightful)

    by Z00L00K ( 682162 ) on Monday March 23, 2026 @12:44AM (#66055388) Homepage Journal

    With the Microsoft accounts they can hold every company and person and demand ransom to release them.

    An US government directive can also lock out a whole country.

    This is the way to make themselves 'Too important to fail'

    • Re: (Score:3, Insightful)

      by gweihir ( 88907 )

      This is the way to make themselves 'Too important to fail'

      For the moment, maybe. What they are setting themselves up for is catastrophic failure at some time in the future though.

      • The catch with that is that every corporation that has transited into the MS accounts no linger have any internal competence left.

        • Re: Microsoft accounts are ransomware (Score:5, Interesting)

          by gweihir ( 88907 ) on Monday March 23, 2026 @01:47AM (#66055434)

          Yes. The inevitable collapse of Microsoft will come with a global crisis, unfortunately. There is no way around that. Strategic stupidity tends to have that effect. It will take some time to rebuild things and not everybody will survive. But in the end, people work with documents and data, not with software from a specific vendor. And alternatives are available. The real bottleneck will probably be a lack of Linux experts for a while.

          The funny thing is that countries like China and Russia already have alternatives in place and might be the ones lest affected. Yes, that is not good at all.

          • North Korea had some kind of Red Star Linux, from what I remember. But what interests me now is the digital sovereignty movement in Europe. Hopefully the regime in the US can push them to abandon Microsoft, where the technical problems apparently couldn't.

            It could spur development and marketshare for Linux, but it could also spur a terrorism designation from the US government.

      • No, they're setting YOU up for a catastrophic failure. When (not if) it fails, it won't hurt Microsoft at all, regardless of what happens to you. Since it's applied equally to all installs of Windows, there's no prejudice against any one group, company, faction so it must be equally fair to all.

        • No, they're setting YOU up for a catastrophic failure. When (not if) it fails, it won't hurt Microsoft at all, regardless of what happens to you. Since it's applied equally to all installs of Windows, there's no prejudice against any one group, company, faction so it must be equally fair to all.

          âoeMustâ?

          You've made a grave error in reasoning, mon ami. (First of all, your logic is faulty.) I'm not sure whether you've made an isâ"ought conflation or if you're actually that naÃve, but I

    • With the Microsoft accounts they can hold every company and person and demand ransom to release them.

      They could. And this would result in the worlds largest collective legal ass-fuck orgy of a tech company in history.

      People "could" do a lot of things in life. At some point we need to rely on the fact that some things are just way too stupid to happen meaning the actual risk of them happening is Infinitesimal. But who knows, maybe Trump will become CEO of Microslop after his 3rd term finishes.

      • Re: (Score:2)

        by gweihir ( 88907 )

        With the Microsoft accounts they can hold every company and person and demand ransom to release them.

        They could. And this would result in the worlds largest collective legal ass-fuck orgy of a tech company in history.

        Maybe. Maybe not. A look at the sheer dysfunctionality of the US legal system does not inspire confidence. On the other hand, other countries and regions may make use of Windows for anything important flat-out illegal (with a transition period), if MS goes off the rails. I think the greater danger is that MS breaks Windows (or Office, Azure, etc.) and finds they cannot fix it.

        • I think the greater danger is that MS breaks Windows (or Office, Azure, etc.) and finds they cannot fix it.

          Isn't that already the case?

          • Re: (Score:2)

            by gweihir ( 88907 )

            In an early stage, yes. But people can still get work done with only tolerably much wasted time. That will get worse.

    • "An US government directive can also lock out a whole country."

      Yeah! This is why a lot of countries and companies are moving away from MS. In the long term it will mean MS's doom, but it will take a while. Nobody talks about it but some things need to be trusted, even if its just a tiny amount of trust, and MS lost that last year. You can't really get it back either.

    • Re: (Score:2)

      by taustin ( 171655 )

      Fear mongering at its finest.

      At worst, you set up Windows with a Microsoft account, then create a local admin account for actual use, and never touch the Microsoft account again.

      And that assumes you use Windows Home, since it's fairly trivial to install Pro and Enterprise without a Microsoft account, in at least three different ways.

      • One has to know what's going on - your disk is being encrypted by default, and all your data is getting sucked up to Microsoft's server by default. Your medical information, tax information, etc (i.e. PII and PHI).

        Then, one has to research how to disable all that stuff.

        Out of the box, by default, for the average user, all of the data theft and forced-encryption is going to happen because they don't know what's going on. The encryption is secret and the data theft is not advertised - just that one needs a Mi

    • Re: (Score:2)

      by allo ( 1728082 )

      They also demand a lot of personal data of you upfront and can for any reason demand phone verification (you're using your laptop in another Wifi? That's suspicious, give us your phone number!)

  • What they don't show is Hanselman's nose getting longer with each reply.

    • It's a classic trial balloon, where the official corporate line is unchanged and one or more persons in leadership 'off the cuff' mention something to gauge the response of the trial balloon.

      Windows 10 was released over 10 years ago.
      Windows 11 was released 5 years ago.

      Microsoft has been releasing a new version of Windows about every 5 years and has not announced Windows 12.

      A guess is that the "shift everyone to Azure cloud, OneDrive, Office 365 + add on subscriptions" has run its course both for home users

      • Also, while this is all happening, the resistance needed to cross over to Linux is decreasing for non-corporate users. I realize that something like this prediction has been hanging around for years, but the gap seems to be narrowing and it seems to be less painful.

        1) Mint and similar distros are making the user experience less traumatic to new users from Windows.
        2) Steam and Wine have made most major games play well on Linux (admittedly, the api bridges are eating some performance but most casual gamers

  • Blah blah blah ... blah blah blah (Score:5, Insightful)

    by Uldis Segliņš ( 4468089 ) on Monday March 23, 2026 @01:03AM (#66055396)
    I have no trust in such vague statements and from anyone at MS. Show me the works, not just talks. Is he the one making the decisions? No. Can he speak what he wants? No. Can he be pressed to say something he does not like? Yes. Maybe he is crying in pillow, maybe he is laughing about believers, I don't know. So this is basically as saying - Someone said, there is hope. Well, cool for you, cool for you. So why is this anything newsworthy?

    • So this is basically as saying - Someone said, there is hope. Well, cool for you, cool for you. So why is this anything newsworthy?

      You have answered your own question: Hope. Hope will let you suffer longer without any changes to behavior by Microsoft.

  • I have hope that they will turn it around, much like they turned around the atrocious VS developer experience back in 2010 or so (maybe not completely turned around, but it is a lot better than it used to be).

    But anyway... it feels filthy that this desire to improve the OS has to be driven by the abused and pissed off customer base. Why does it have to get to the point of everyone losing faith in the product before it gets better?

  • No internet, or shared computers issues! (Score:4, Interesting)

    by brebisson ( 4004735 ) on Monday March 23, 2026 @02:30AM (#66055462)

    Hello,

    I never understood this requirements. Plenty of computers can NOT work that way.

    Some computers do not have internet access.
    Others are used as control devices for machinery. At that point you do not log in as yourself but as "the operator".

    Plus, if a computer is used to control heavy machinery, you DEFINITELY do NOT want it connected to the internet!

    One example, I am an amateur astronomer and use a >100K$ telescope (controled by a windows 11 computer). There is no way I want to let anyone potentially get access to this computer, so no internet connection!

    Cyrille

    • Re:No internet, or shared computers issues! (Score:5, Funny)

      by haruchai ( 17472 ) on Monday March 23, 2026 @03:32AM (#66055520)

      "I am an amateur astronomer and use a >100K$ telescope (controled by a windows 11 computer)"
      and here i thought being an amateur photographer was expensive!

    • ... that don't require this for obvious reasons. Though naturally they cost more. Never forget MS exists to make money first, providing software and services is merely a means to an end. If they could make the same amount of profit with the least amount of effort selling plastic widgets they would.

      • Re: (Score:2)

        by taustin ( 171655 )

        ... that don't require this for obvious reasons.

        Yeah, they're called "Windows Professional" and "Windows Enterprise," and they aren't all that special. In fact, if you're dealing with a manufacturer that does mostly business sales, like Dell, it's actually hard to find Windows Home. Yeah, you need to know the trick, but it's trivial.

        Though naturally they cost more.

        Marginally, and well worth it to avoid all the crappy shovelware that comes with Home.

    • Re: (Score:2)

      by gweihir ( 88907 )

      One example, I am an amateur astronomer and use a >100K$ telescope (controled by a windows 11 computer). There is no way I want to let anyone potentially get access to this computer, so no internet connection!

      Cyrille

      That is some serious investment. While this probably should not be controlled by anything Microsoft makes, the very least is to run it isolated.

      • Re: (Score:2)

        by taustin ( 171655 )

        Personally, I find it appalling that one can spend six figured on a telescope, and it's not completely self contained and functional without additional hardware.

    • Re: (Score:2)

      by ledow ( 319597 )

      Newsflash - you're not an amateur with that kind of kit running around.

    • a >100K$ telescope (controled by a windows 11 computer)

      Well that strikes me a huge mistake. I would 100% move to a *nix setup if only for reliability purposes.

      • Hello,

        The scope is not mine :-) I use it, but it's not mine (which is more in the 1000$ range).

        However, moving to Linux is not an option as these rigs require anywhere from 4 to 7 software to work together, and there is always at least one of them that does not have linux support (like drivers for the sub-part that does the focus or camera mechanical rotation)

        Cyrille

        • *sigh* I really dislike that a lot of important/expensive equipment is built using platform-specific parts. I mean, if one is going to build something important/expensive, don't give it an Achilles' heel. This is the Death Star all over again!

    • There is absolutely nothing stopping someone from installing Windows 11 with a local account. If you don't know how to do that, you probably should be in charge of doing it.

    • Re: (Score:2)

      by AmiMoJo ( 196126 )

      Microsoft can see how lucrative app stores and other services are for Google and Apple with their operating systems, and wants a slice of it. Nobody wants their shitty account or store though, so they have to force them to sign up for it.

      It's classic enshittification. Someone at Microsoft sees a way to make money by forcing people to do something they don't want to do.

    • I think windows EULA mentions something about not to be used in sensitive / medical environments.

      Or they want you to pay for the enterprise version (do they even sell to individuals?), assuming that can be installed and run without internet access.

    • A good idea would be to convert such computers to Tiny11, where you determine each and every utility that stays, including things like OneDrive and Edge

    • Re: (Score:2)

      by Junta ( 36770 )

      It's plainly stated, this is a business direction. Microsoft wants to use your Windows interaction as an upsell and subscription opportunity. The revenue associated with the license itself barely matters.

  • What will really happen (Score:3)

    by paul_engr ( 6280294 ) on Monday March 23, 2026 @02:34AM (#66055464)
    That dolt who said AI will rebase and write all new windows code this year or whatever will get a raise and this guy promising sane concessions from M$ will get fired
  • If you have a domain you can join during installation, no Microsoft account required. Also, no stupid AI stuff such as Recall even available to enable. This is one nig reason why I still keep a decade old domain controller at home. Once installed, the PC doesn't ever need to see the controller again.

    • How about Tiny11? The stripped down edition of Windows 11? I read that that edition gets rid of TPM 2, UEFI as well as the need to use a Microsoft account. One can start w/ that, and just install the applications one actually needs! Oh, did I mention - even Edge, Internet Explorer and a whole bunch of other things can be kept out

    • Re: (Score:3)

      by taustin ( 171655 )

      If you have a domain you can join during installation, no Microsoft account required.

      Not quite. If you tell it you have a domain during initial setup, no Microsoft account required. No actual domain join required, and I've never seen a nag on it afterwards.

      So far as I know, Enterprise is the same way.

      And Dell, at least, eliminates most of the shovelware that comes with Home.

  • hidden gotcha for people who avoid using a Microso (Score:5, Interesting)

    by throwaway18 ( 521472 ) on Monday March 23, 2026 @02:53AM (#66055482) Journal

    There is a hidden gotcha for people who avoid using a Microsoft account to log in to a personal Windows machine.

    It has become common for a new laptop to be supplied with bitlocker disk encryption enabled, without the user being aware.

    If you log on using a Microsoft Account then the bitlocker key gets stored in the account. Microsoft can give the key to police or feds when they seize a laptop. If Windows stops booting for some reason, or the key gets erased from the TPM which is not uncommon, then to take the drive out of the computer and retrieve your files you need the key and you can get it from the Microsoft account.

    If someone jumps through the hoops to avoid using a Microsoft account then later they can find they can't take the disk/ssd out and read it by connecting it to another computer. If the computer stops booting, they did not save the bitlocker key because they did not know the drive was encrypted and did not have an up to date backup then, oh no, they have permanently lost their files.

    If Windows gets as far as reading the bitlocker key from the TPM chip (which happens before user log in), then sometimes it is possible to solder wires to the I2C bus, record the data with a hardware logic analyzer and spend a week customizing some software from github to extract the bitlocker key. If someone takes their personal windows laptop to a local computer shop or IT department then they almost certainly are not capable of that. Some models of laptop, intended for business, have a BIOS option to erase the TPM if opening of the laptop case is detected.

    There is a security choice between:

    1) Bitocker encryption and MS account: If my laptop gets lost or stolen then whoever has it will find it very difficult to access my files but Microsoft can prevent me logging in to my own computer, if I don't have access to the email I used for the Microsoft account or the Microsoft account password then I may loose my files later.

    2) No disk encryption. Someone who steals or finds my laptop can access my files.

    3) Bitlocker and windows login with an MS account. If you don't have backups and you didn't save the bitlocker key then you may be screwed later.

    I hate Microsoft trying to force me to use a Microsoft account on a personal Windows laptop and I hate the boobytrap of bitlocker that you did not know was in use even more.

    • Re: (Score:2, Informative)

      by thegarbz ( 1787294 )

      There is a hidden gotcha ... If you log on using a Microsoft Account then the bitlocker key gets stored in the account.

      False. On first start Microsoft ask you what you the user want to do with the bitlocker keys. Having an account does not mean they are backup automatically. You're given the option to print them out or write them down too if you so choose.

      This isn't a choice between bitlocker and no bitlocker.

      Also 99.9% of use cases for BitLocker are to prevent data theft, not to stop nation state actors attacking. This isn't the "gotchya" you think it is Mr Secret Service man.

      • 99.9% of use cases for BitLocker are to prevent data theft, not to stop nation state actors attacking.

        They're the same picture.

        • They're the same picture.

          No they aren't. If you think they are I suggest getting mental help or attempting to sneak out of North Korea.

          • No they aren't. If you think they are I suggest getting mental help or attempting to sneak out of North Korea.

            I see you forgot everything we learned from whistleblowers like Snowden. Maybe go back and brush up.

      • False.

        You persist in repeatedly making this false claim even after being repeatedly corrected.

        On first start Microsoft ask you what you the user want to do with the bitlocker keys. Having an account does not mean they are backup automatically. You're given the option to print them out or write them down too if you so choose.

        This isn't true for the vast majority of users where bitlocker (e.g. "device encryption") automatically uploads their keys without any prompting.

        • There's nothing to be corrected. Having gone through this very setup process only 3 weeks ago I remember it quite clearly. On boot you're given the option what to do with your recovery keys. You not reading or understanding what you're clicking on doesn't make me wrong.

          This isn't true for the vast majority of users where bitlocker (e.g. "device encryption") automatically uploads their keys without any prompting.

          FALSE. There is literally zero unprompted uploading of keys, EVER. The only users who have their keys automatically uploaded are those who have their keys managed by corporate IT. They are the only ones not prompted what to do with the keys.

          Y

    • Next week on Amatuer IT hour....

    • Re: (Score:2)

      by Zarhan ( 415465 )

      4) Just ignore Bitlocker completely and use NTFS's built-in encryption (EFS). No reliance on TPM. Yes, it's per file (or directory), but works just fine. And you can export the key and protect it with your passphrase, so moving to a new PC is also not a problem.

  • For them to make it less annoying, Such is the current state of Windows. For the most part is simply means them stopping doing something.

  • That won't happen (Score:3)

    by thegarbz ( 1787294 ) on Monday March 23, 2026 @04:26AM (#66055574)

    Too many Windows "features" are advertised by Microsoft depending on the existence of an account. Syncing experience across devices, backup of full disk encryption keys, device location, remote locking, all these depend on a Microsoft account. Even security features like anti-ransomware protection depend on OneDrive, and OneDrive is an advertised feature of Windows, which depends on a Microsoft account.

    You may not like it, but they are part of what they consider their product features, and they won't simply gimp them.

    • "Even security features like anti-ransomware protection depend on OneDrive"

      Where do you expect the recovery data would come from if you don't have onedrive, I wonder?

      • "Even security features like anti-ransomware protection depend on OneDrive"

        Where do you expect the recovery data would come from if you don't have onedrive, I wonder?

        No where, which is why this feature depends on a Microsoft account. Welcome to my point.

        • You're complaining about "too many features needing a Microsoft Account". Features that require cloud storage and authentication at a fundamental level and your "point" is that... obviously you need to login to a Microsoft account to use them?

    • You may not like it, but they are part of what they consider their product features, and they won't simply gimp them.

      The request isn't to "gimp" the product features, it's to GIVE USERS THE ABILITY TO OPT-OUT. Users should have the ability to say "no thanks", and Microsoft should allow Windows to behave accordingly. If the argument is that an opt-out control is "gimping product features", then it implies that Microsoft believes users MUST have them, which is a faulty premise that should be corrected...because a $599 Macbook doesn't require iCloud.

      • The request isn't to "gimp" the product features, it's to GIVE USERS THE ABILITY TO OPT-OUT.

        You can opt out of individual features, but breaking a core OS component (one that most users have come to expect to be part of the experience of using tech - yeah Sorry Slashdotters but you're a dying breed in a world of online convenience) that explicitly disables features is a big usability problem to the common user.

        Users have a long history of demonstrating that they take really careful aim when they shoot themselves in the foot unknowingly. The same arguement was made about security updates. There are

  • I thought we already established that microslop wanted to fix Windows 11, why do they have to fix it with a fight?

  • Well, I like to think that I'm a tiny part of the reason for this sudden change of "heart" (yeah, right).

    Because Windows stopped being an OS and started becoming a walking advertisement for products I have zero intention to ever use, or even entertain the idea of their use, tying me into Bing, into Copilot, into Microsoft accounts, etc. etc. etc.

    So I ditched my last MS OS before Christmas.

    So far, after a tiny period of adjustment to "modern" Linux, the impact has been:

    - Utter boredom.

    Things "just work". T

    • So far, after a tiny period of adjustment to "modern" Linux, the impact has been:

      - Utter boredom.

      Things "just work". They work fast. They do what I ask. They don't argue. They don't pressure me. They don't get in my way. Updates sit quietly and wait for me, then install with the smallest impact possible, and in extremis require a maximum of 1 reboot, on my schedule, with my permission, no forcing of it.

      The OS... is basically invisible to me.

      Which is how it should always have been and how it used to be in the past. It shouldn't be any more than a glorified application launcher.

      This has been my experience as well. It used to be pretty garbage, but now things seem fine. Most apps I wanted were even available, no need to search for alternatives.

      What's baffling are the "people" like the person who replied to you saying your story is "made up." To who's benefit could it be to make up "I'm using a free operating system for free and it works" be?

  • It isn't even worth the hassle. Everyone at home (myself/wife/kids) are all using Ubuntu as our daily driver and I've switched to a Macbook Pro for the obligatory work laptop. Even my 80 year old parents are using Ubuntu now.

    Seeya MSFT....

  • With Windows 10 being phased out and Windows 11 getting even more creepy, rent-seeking, and intrusive, I've finally been asked a key question I never expected from any "normies" in my small BFE community.

    "Is switching to Linux worth it?"

    I have a feeling I'll be hearing this more often with time. And that makes me uncomfortable because I don't want to be "Linux Guy" as I value my free time.

    • Re: (Score:2)

      by PPH ( 736903 )

      "Is switching to Linux worth it?"

      Always has been. (Oblig. meme available upon request.)

  • There is absolutely nothing stopping someone from installing Windows 11 with a local account. If you don't know how to do that, you probably should not be complaining about it.

    • Re: (Score:2)

      by PPH ( 736903 )

      There is absolutely nothing stopping someone from installing Windows 11 with a local account.

      Skill. Your aunt probably couldn't do it. And with a large enough market of such users, that's all that Microsoft needs to maintain it's revenue stream. And with a few techies, they can also escape bundling charges.

    • ... not fully removed yet ... but Microsoft is removing the Local Account workarounds with each update https://redmondmag.com/article... [redmondmag.com].

    • There is absolutely nothing stopping someone from installing Windows 11 with a local account. If you don't know how to do that, you probably should not be complaining about it.

      I hope everyone who thinks this way knows everything and never relies on anyone else's expertise in any other domain.

    • It's hard to "know" how to do something when the company keeps changing their policies on a regular basis.

      Remember, we live in an era of "living" standards, which is to say, standards that constantly change all the time. You can't rely on anything, not even one's own smug superiority complex.

  • If a war really came to America, nearly every computer that requires a connection with Microsoft wouldn't be able to login if something happened to Microsoft. That should not stand. Even where I have made gains using a local login, there are login errors, something that Windows 10 never did.

    • Re: (Score:2)

      by PPH ( 736903 )

      A war? All it wil take is some meth addict with cutters harvesting the local wiring for copper. (They're too stupid to bypass the fiber optic cables. Just cut it all down and get in a pissing match with the scrap yard.)

  • Funny, I have a Windows 11 install that doesn't require a Microsoft account.

    Even with their latest ISO you can throw it onto a USB stick and patch it to not require that bullshit [syscute.com].

    And if they send an update that makes me have to sign in using a Microsoft account, I'll reload the pre-update VM snapshot to back that shit out, and figure out how to block the update using GPOs.

    • Seems to match whatever you're describing

    • Re: (Score:2)

      by Junta ( 36770 )

      For simplicity, we say it "requires" a Microsoft account because the UI does not give you an option unless you keep track of today's "trick" to skip the Microsoft account. And this "magic" has evolved over time, so it's not even that "an advanced user is given a clear supported way to bypass", it's that the loopholes shift to make sure this remains a pain to make people give up and just make the damn account already.

  • What changed? Money (Score:3)

    by bdh ( 96224 ) on Monday March 23, 2026 @02:04PM (#66056742)

    There's nothing recent in terms of user complaints about Windows 11 to warrant Microsoft taking this action. People have been screaming for years about Windows 11's problems, and been answered with silence. It's not like forced Outlook accounts, bloatware, advertisements, telemetry and invasion of privacy, or buggy update after buggy update after buggy update that crashes computers, or destroys files, are new.

    So why is Microsoft concerned in 2026 when they weren't in 2025, or 2024, or 2023, etc.?

    They're concerned because Dell, and Lenovo, and Asus have all started selling, and advertising, laptops without Windows. Major suppliers are no longer mandating Windows with every PC they sell. It's now an option rather than a requirement. Users can buy a PC without an OS from them now, or even one with, horrors, Linux (specifically Ubuntu).

    That's a huge blow to Microsoft's sales pipeline, one that the accountants at Microsoft were quite to notice. They don't care about Youtube videos lambasting the poor quality of Windows 11. They care very much when their retail outlets start defecting to competitors. And they raise questions about it to the board of directors, who have to give them an answer on how Microsoft is going to address it.

    This is how they're addressing it. Hanselman wasn't given authority/orders to improve Windows 11 because of consumer complaints. He was given it because the board at Microsoft wants to appease their accountants.

  • ...gets a fake new email address.

    Just like all the websites, only my bank needs my real one and the government, if I want money from them.:-)

    My ISP, VPN, Amazon are happy to deal with my cat, and she has never complained about any spam either.

  • Having a Microsoft account at install time goes hand-in-hand with Microsoft enabling drive encryption by default. You'll want to have a place where you can retrieve the BitLocker key that you didn't know you had.

  • He's the VP. Why can't he simply say "We're no longer going to do that." Why was it done in the first place if he didn't think it would be good? If he can't do things like that, there's something seriously wrong with how Microsoft is organized.

  • Why do people tolerate these things from both Google and Apple? Do you use your Macbook Pro without an Apple ID? You can't even functionally use an iPhone without an Apple ID.

    Why do you tolerate this from these companies?

    Why do you tolerate upsells on web properties from Google to get you to move to Chrome? Or why do you tolerate Chrome's incessant fucking nagging to login to your browser/Google Account while using the browser or visiting any Google websites?

    Do you completely use your Google items without a

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