This might be relevant to those who wish / have to use Windows 11:
This week, Microsoft made it very clear that it wants to block the popular BYPASSNRO workaround, used to skip the internet and Microsoft Account requirement checks during the Windows 11 installation OOBE (initial setup), although thankfully, the script can still be created using Registry edits.
A 7 step guide.
I work at an MSP 99% of all machines we deploy for our clients are windows based. The oobe /bypassnro is just mandatory for initial setup. Yes, there are ways around it post setup but it’s just that much extra to do.
Having a local admin account for domain or azure/entra joined is still very useful. I don’t get why MS refuses to accept this. (Money/data harvesting aside, we all know the real reason, just wish they’d just admit to it).
This. When the user hasn’t even showed up yet, setting up a local account out of the box saves a bunch of time.
Thanks. Handy to know.
(Just checking if this federates. Edit: it did immediately.)
It did!
Yeah, it’s called wipe the drive and install linux.
This guy fucks!
That’s right. Even if you have to use a windows app that Linux compatibility layers don’t support, you can banish Windows 11 to a virtual machine.
Oh, weird, even in a virtual machine it wants an account. Anyone know where I can find a bypass method? :-)
The number of Windows applications that don’t run via compatibility layers is small and shrinking. Unless everyone is a video editor who steams professional Valorant then they can find software to do what they need done.
video editor who steams professional Valorant
What about Kdenlive or OBS Studio for that?
It was more than kernel anticheat from Valorant that I was aiming at.
OBS works great (though it did have issues with Wayland) and kdenlive as well, but in these arguments the person is always going to insist that they can only use Adobe products, because they don’t work and they’re trying to prove that you can’t use Linux.
It was more than kernel anticheat from Valorant that I was aiming at.
There’s an easy solution to that too: Don’t buy games with kernel anticheat.
Thankfully valorant is free
Just put Linux on the VM.
People like to complain that Linux is complicated to setup and use. In recent years, it’s increasingly the opposite. Basic windows settings locations are shuffled around and hidden and you have to use the Windows Commandline/Powershell to get things done. And installing Linux is also much faster and most of all doesn’t ask you a hundred questions how to best steal your data.
Agree. The installation isn’t a barrier. Basic OS navigation probably isn’t either anymore. Its still having to use alternative software and work arounds that I think is the frustrating part for the average user attempting to switch. Also, it’s that they can’t use Linux at work in many cases and it’s uncomfortable to switch environments on a daily basis from home computing to workplace computing. You’d think with nonsense like the crowds trike crash more businesses would force the switch, but unfortunately I don’t get the sense that is happening.
uncomfortable to switch environments on a daily basis from home computing to workplace computing
How so? Most people just use a browser and edit basic documents. Once those apps are started the OS itself matters little, basic things like copy/paste or alt/tab work exactly the same. Chances are at work they don’t even have the right to admin their machine so for “complex” things it’s out of their reach there.
You are right. From what I saw Linux-based OSs have come a long way. The issue with Linux is when it comes to professional environments, that are not IT-related: There are niche programs that are used in certain professions that were written to work on Windows computers exclusively. They are not availiable for other OSs, because they are not wide spread or popular with non-professionals. Also, Microsoft Office (especially Outlook and Excel) is very dominant within the professional field - up to a point that it can’t be changed easily. All this does not apply to users who use Linux computers outside a professional enviroment, as there are alternatives for popular programs and services already.
Just turned a Win10 machine into Ubuntu not too long ago. It took all day, broke several times, and still has issues booting remotely. It is getting easier, but a 30 minute Windows install with a few button presses is still easier, unfortunately
That’s not a Linux problem, that’s a PEBKAC or hardware problem.
This is great. Most other comments only talking about how the solution is to “install Linux”. But thats not a viable solution for us Admins setting up PC’s for users in a company who barely understand how to use a Windows machine, never mind them ever even hearing of the word Linux.
I would love to install Linux on some users machines that dont use the PC for anything other than Internet Access. But I know they would still have a cow.
Since I saw they were getting rid of Bypassnro ive been panicking, wondering if I’m going to start having to set up a Microsoft account for all my users. I’ll test this on Monday and hopefully breath easy. That is until they decide to strip us of this solution as well.
If someone doesn’t understand how to use Windows, they’ll probably find Linux easier. Probably all they need is Firefox and Libre office.
I think libre office is even a maybe in this case. Give them a browser and they’ll be fine.
Don’t say Linux then. If they already barely know windows, that’s an ideal situation, it’s going to be similarly confusing either way.
If your concern is that you think they would run into more stability issues when using a linux-based OS vs Windows, that’s a reasonable concern. But if we’re comparing against a sufficiently stable distro release, I don’t think it’s well founded.
I agree. Lemmy is like. “Use Linux…”
“Oh you still want to use Windows? Why do you still drown puppies and club baby seals?”
Deep down in places you don’t talk about at parties, you want me clubbing seals and installing windows.
Oh, yeah… Linux. I think I saw one of those at the zoo
Iirc they aren’t getting rid of the method, they’re just making it less obvious.
The just install Linux crowd gets really old. How’s that gonna help on a work machine where I HAVE to use Office to collaborate? Oh right, it’s not! Totally unhelpful.
Because they aren’t trying to help, they are just trying to feel superior about something by fixating on their survivor bias and ignoring whatever context people might have for still using Windows or having a dual-boot instead of just getting rid of it.
I don’t think this is it. Many Linux users who evangelize were Windows users once, they have a pretty good understanding of the context and the challenges that exist in that migration for both them and less tech-savy others.
Inching closer snd closer to the Year of the Linux Desktop, to the point where Windows-focused media like LTT started talking about it, didn’t happen because people said “both are good”.
It’s like politics, change for the better in a capatilist system happens with noise.
I’m a huge FOSS advocate and recommend Linux over Windows. I understand the challenges it repsents for users in a work environment. And those users will get Windows, for now, but they will continue to hear about its problems and the benefits of Linux whenever they ask me or complain. Because that’s what opens the doors, even if it’s annoying in the moment.
Just like politics, repetition of the problems they are making worse, repetition, and more repetition, until the ignorant learn the better path forward.
Edit: you know what? It doesn’t matter, not like you would believe my words anyway, just enjoy your life and I’ll… Not enjoy mine.
100% of my office relies on at least WSL.
All our servers are Linux.
Tons of huge multi-national companies are already using Google Docs which run great in Linux.
It’s coming.
Its a cybersecurity issue so it is inevitable, browser apps are the future because corporations don’t want files sitting on a filesystem, they want to keep them in their enterprise storage. ChromeOS is the future, or something like it.
Eh, depending on what’s being done office.com is fine for most.
That aside, if this is a business and you’re using office apps, you have an account that should be getting used during setup. Thats not who this workaround is for, and not who the “just install Linux” comment is for.
Edit: if you’re an admin with O365 and not using AAD on your devices, its your own problem.
If you’re using a personal device for work wanting to avoid AAD, you’ve made a mistake.
If this is somehow confusing to you, step back, re-read, and try again.
Eh, depending on what’s being done office.com is fine for most.
I want to live in your fantasy land.
if you’re an admin with O365 and not using AAD on your devices, its your own problem.
Why do I want even more shit in the cloud? Some stuff I want on-prem and don’t need it in the cloud.
Plus, it’s now Entra ID.
I want to live in your fantasy land.
Its not hard. Just have a production Linux desktop and a production windows laptop, and it becomes pretty clear what you can do. Basic memos and emails are no problem through the web, and thats a huge number of people.
Why do I want even more shit in the cloud? Some stuff I want on-prem and don’t need it in the cloud.
Why buy cloud shit and then not use cloud shit?
Just don’t buy cloud shit and join to a local domain.
Plus, it’s now Entra ID.
Let me know when I need to type that at the CLI and I’ll stop calling it aad.
They are never going to totally kill local only accounts… Because corporate networks, automation, embedded systems, air gaped networks… all exist in abundance in the enterprise and government worlds.
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XBut that’s only 5 steps!
Honestly, guys, gals and others, Microsoft is making it crystal clear they don’t want you to use their OS. It’s not your OS, it’s theirs. Stop trying mangle it into something it is not. If you need registry edits just to make the OS usable, it’s not worth it. It’s not for you. Please, please, please look at alternatives that respect you, your intelligence, your privacy and your data. One day Microsoft will push an update that will lock you out of your machine unless you create an account. Jumping through these hoops is just delaying the inevitable. Using an OS is not worth all this effort and stress.
fun fact Rufus already has all of this automated and even has steps to have the local account of your choice already as part of the image
Lemmy is the 1.45% user base on steam hardware surveys os section. https://store.steampowered.com/hwsurvey/Steam-Hardware-Software-Survey-Welcome-to-Steam
By far most people want to use windows. The people that are loud on here about Linux are the only ones that don’t so thank you for a solution that’s not the constant post saying just install Linux. Its not intuitive for almost all users aside IT people and enthusiasts.
If installing something like Linux Mint is not intuitive enough for someone, they probably don’t even know what they’re doing on Windows either.
I had a family member call me because they were having difficulty with a light switch. They’re not dumb, just set in their ways and can’t be bothered to learn something else. Plenty of these people don’t like change just because it’s different. They got confused when windows started doing the rotating desktop pictures because they didn’t realize it was still their desktop. Do I think they could eventually use Linux? Probably. Do I want to deal with even more questions? No. Could they install it themselves? Absolutely not without help.
Honestly a lot of people just don’t realize how easy it actually is. They think it’s something arcane and strange
You click a button, it’s as difficult as installing Windows since XP.
But more intuitive than constantly working against Windows.
It’s not even viable for me. I simply cannot use Linux daily because all my jobs require software that doesn’t have a Linux version, or it does but it’s lacking necessary features, or there’s an alternative but I have to burn extra hours making it work with their systems/setup - hours I don’t have.
Or I have to use internally configured Remote Desktop profiles over a VPN (not to be confused with RDP), and you can’t do that specific use case on Linux because it requires using the company’s internal Windows Store with specific Remote Desktop installation.
Or I have to use a specific Outlook instance, locally installed, because somehow they’ve blocked web access (I still haven’t figured out exactly how they set this up).
After a 12 hour day, sure, I can switch back to my dual boot Linux instance and spend 1-2 hours for personal use. But the ratio is still Windows-leaning no matter how you slice it.
Install. Linux. Mint.
My sarcasm has less steps than this workaround. A linux install has less steps than that.
Well, it’s only gonna be a matter of time before they remove this. I can almost guarantee that.
As a civilization, we need to accept that we can no longer continue to depend on Microsoft Windows to use our computers. Hopefully the transition will go through without Microsoft having the opportunity to try to save themselves.
Question: what is the downside of making a throwaway ms account upon install and never touching that account again?
The unacceptable thing for me is that it requires internet access to use the operating system. That seems completely unnecessary.
Ah so after install and throwaway account is set up, you can’t log in to the computer if your internet is down or turned off?
Who actually uses Microsoft Windows?
Mostly companies who have platform specific software that would cost to much to replace or take to long to replace. There’s still companies that run ancient versions of OSs like Pre Mac OS X and Windows 95 because there’s simply no newer OS that can run a specific software besides that OS.
