Maybe someone more in the know could comment on this guys opinion, regarding increasingly pushy Microsoft account enrolment: I Will Never Use a Microsoft Account to Log Into My Own PC - ExtremeTech downloaded the win11 compatibility tool/app, told me no chance, wouldn’t even install on our 2011 purchased 32 bit systems. No big deal though, 2025 ETA is a whiles.
No expert here BUT spent countless hours on a PIWIS 3 clone (Porsche equivalent to Techstream clone) trying to fix Windows 8 Pro whole boot partitions just vanishing in an instant (on an SSD). I guess the vendor realized all the trouble I had and actually discontinued their PIWIS 3 packages! Bought Windows 8 Pro Licenses and even one Windows 10 Pro license. I am beginning to hate SSDs and liking HDD where recovery software has a chance to work. Having studied some EE in college those solid state memories use NAND circuits/logic. Over time they tend to fail "holding the memory" and need to be recopied. (Wonder if they've figured out a fix for this by now). If I need a long term storage it would be on HDD with platters.... If a service provider wants to give me free email space I don't mind signing up personally. (I guess you don't have a kid with an X-Box nor have one yourself, but creating a Microsoft account to play makes X-Box life more entertaining I guess is a way to put it).... On one tech support call regarding that machine I guess the unhappy helper of mine actually deleted my Hotmail account, and used my @yahoo.com account as my new Microsoft account! One trying to avoid creating a Microsoft account may want to try using a current email address "as a loophole" when signing up. (Not sure how that works exactly but I believe Apple has similar where you can use a current email address as your "Apple account" login.) moto g(7) power ?
I bailed out of Windows after they came out with that Fischer-Price interface with 8. Once I put my beloved CFO into a Chrome/IOS environment I HAVE NOT LOOKED BACK. As much as I loathe the apples for their planned obsolescence with their hardware, at least their software is at least "statistically" free and runs on most of their hardware…for at least 5 years or so....and they make more noise about privacy than winders. Officially, I’m still a “Windows Insider” but I only have a few hours stick time driving a non-corporate managed 10.x box and I couldn’t tell you the first thing about 11 - except that it comes after 10 and they’ve already determined an end-of-life date for it.
