😂 Elon Musk just crawled from under a rock and discovered something that has been bothering people for years. It is just too funny not to share this one.

Image description: Elon Musk & X @elonmusk • 42m Just bought a new PC laptop and it won't let me use it unless I create a Microsoft account, which also means giving their Al access to my computer! This is messed up. There used to be an option to skip signing into or creating a Microsoft account. Are you seeing this too? This is not cool of Microsoft.

(Originally published on mastodon.social: 2024-02-25)

155 comments

Just buy the company and change it yourself Elon!
Whats the matter, are you too poor to buy a widdle software company?
- Elon proceeds to buy Microsoft. One month later an account for a paying subscription with Microsoft is required to set up the laptop.
  
  Microsoft is valued at 3 trillion dollars. Even if we go back to just under a single trillion during covid, elon couldnt afford it. I dont think theres anyone on this planet who could buy half of microsoft, none the less the whole company.
  
  The best part is I think it replaced the user libraries folder with OneDrive without asking. If you disable OneDrive it could delete the files off your computer or dump it into the root home folder for that user. It did that when I used it last at least.
  
  The sad thing is… Microsoft is actually trying to do this.
You used to be able to look at twitter with out an acount but who killed that?
- EAT SHIT ELONGATED MC MUSK!
Someone didn’t buy the pro or above version.
- Even on the Pro edition, on the most recent version it doesn’t have an option up front for a local account.
  Apparently the workaround, for now at least, is to try signing in with a@a.com and a random password. It then tells you the account is locked due to incorrect sign in attempts, and gives you an option for a local account.
  
  If you set it up wothout an internet connection you will not be forced to log in. That workaround has worked for like a decade.
  
  Good luck if it comes with S mode enabled though
  
  I would assume it was for work and he would have it connected to a domain. With group policy you can set to use local accounts as default if I remember correctly.
- Hit shift + f10 and then enter oobeypassnro
  From here howtogeek.com/…/how-to-use-windows-11-with-a-loca…
  
  Its hacky and annoying that its even nessecary but still easier than installing Linux.
This dude is just a meme now a 44$ billion meme
- I went to go tell him so, but Twitter is forcing me to make an account. Ugh.
  
  So we’re safe from his stupidity on the federverse whew wait a min…
Just tried to post to Xwitter. It won’t let me use it unless I create a Xwitter account. Which also means letting twitter cookes and algorithms track me across their site and push media at me.
Hypocrite. Doesn’t matter if it’s AI or algorithms, the end result is the same.
- Forget posting, you cant even search or view the replies to a single post without logging in like you could before Musk’s takeover
- While valid criticism of Twitter, this is not hypocritical. There is a difference between a website that doesn’t owe you anything not letting you in, and a device you own and paid money for, not letting you in. A comparable scenario would be Twitter deciding that paying users can no longer access the website (because it’s now mobile app-only or whatever).
- What’s Xwitter
  
  My made up name for twitter. It’s unimportant.
  “eX” twitter. The X also looks like a fallen over “t”, the state of twitter, IMO. Falling apart.
There used to be a way to browse Twitter without signing in.
- Yup. Then they killed it.
  Then I switched to using the Nitter front-end. Then they killed that too.
  Any suggestions on how to convince content creators to move to Mastodon?
It doesn’t give AI access to your computer, I really hope Lemmy users aren’t taking Elon’s comments at face value now.
- Excellent work
- allegedly
  There are people out there that still believe your phone isn’t listening to everything you say and targeting ads based on that, as well.
  
  Phones aren’t listening, that uses too much data.
  Reality is a lot more creepy. They don’t need to wiretap you.
  If you talk to someone about a subject. Google knows you 2 have encountered each other, because Google knows both your locations, even if the GPS is disabled.
  And if the other person do a quick search on the subject after you left. Then google can associate you with that user and gives you similar ad results. So it looks like you only thought about it.
  But it goes further. Because Google has so much data on everyone, they can predict what you want before you even thought about it. Because like it or not, in a population of 8 billion, you aren’t really that unique. There will be at least 10 000 similar people that all react to things the same way. So if they all have this brilliant idea about a subject, then you are bound to have the same idea. So they serve you ads.
  
  I’m one of those. If it were true you’d get targeted ads for everything your phone hears from TV too.
  
  I just have my phone as my designated privacy nightmare because I’m cheap and whatsapp lets me make free phonecalls. My computer and browser on the other hand are so loaded up with privacy measures that if I don’t log into youtube it literally breaks and shows no videos because the algorithm has no data to workt with.
  
  More disturbingly, there are people who believe a thing isn’t happening, until they see proof that it is.
  
  I would hope so. People believing more conspiracy theories based on anecdotes is the last thing we need.
- Your right, it collects data on files/usage habits and organizes it under a profile tied to you while adding nothing of worth. I wouldn’t be surprised if there was a keylogger built into windows at this point.
  
  No it doesn’t, cut the crap fear mongering. show your source.
- I was JUST about to ask. I wouldnt put it past Micro$oft at this point to force access to peoples desktops
  
  If using one drive, it backs up your desktop and docs
It’s sad that I can’t tell if fake or not fake
- I couldn’t believe it either, but this shit is real from less than 8 hours ago 😬
- I’m sure musk has some unpaid intern to do this stuff for him. No way he sets his own IT up.
  
  Maybe, if he wants a person computer for his CP or whatever.
Crazy fact: when someone bought a car from you second-hand, they didn’t have to register with the car maker and have an account…
- Yet.
You’d think a tech “genius” would know how to install Linux. I don’t even use Linux and I know there’s plenty of resources to help you do it.
- He’s too busy for that! He’s got to shit post on exTwitter for twelve hours each day.
  
  I really wish Xitter would catch on. Posts would be zits.
- Why would he do that? He’s had a hate boner for Linux since at least the PayPal days
  
  Bet there is a load of Linux in Telsa. In cars and servers and chargers.
local man who wants to own the internet experiences what that would be like for users, doesn’t like it, learns nothing. more at 11
You definitely can still do it without a Microsoft account, it’s just not as obvious as before.
- If you turn off wifi or don’t connect the computer to the internet, it will let you create a local account.
  
  And a quick search would explain this to Elon.
  
  Also let’s you name it something other than your first initial followed by part of your last name. Which is so disgusting.
- shift + F10 to open a command prompt during the out-of-box-experience setup bit.
  Type OOBE\BYPASSNRO and press enter.
  Think it stands for something like Out Of Box Experience / Bypass Network Requirement O-something.
  Your computer will restart, and you will have the "I dont have Internet option" allowing you to create a local account
  
  This needs to be at the top or stickied.
- Wait really?
  
  “Setup for an organization” and “domain-join instead”, but you aren’t forced to domain-join later. At least that’s how it’s done on Windows Pro. No idea about Home/Standard/whatever it’s called now.
  
  Yup… still need to create an account to use but if you’re not online…no bueno for Microsoft bueno for local account. Just beware, you won’t be able to take advantage of all of Microsoft…cloud services or the telemetry you can’t opt out of…
  
  Yes really. People have just been conditioned to not pay attention to everything on the screen
  
  Also if you try and log in with a random email and gibberish password, it will fail to log in and show you the “Use local account instead” button
lol, this fella could fart and someone would post it up on the Internet
- That would be more interesting than whatever shit he regularly pours from his fingers.
  
  And yet, if Lemmy didn’t fall all over themselves to post every single negative thing even vaguely related to him, I’d never have to hear about Musk. Maybe I should finally start using keyword filters for Lemmy.
I just want to thank you for sharing twitter as an image, instead of linking to it. It’s amusing how much more usable an image is.
Does he not know how to do a quick search online?
- To be fair he’s not very tech inclined
- He has peons for that
  
  Then he/him should pay them better.
- If you read the thread he tried the solution, but it didn’t work. The culprit turned out to be that the laptop automatically connected to nearby unsecured Wi-fi, thus forcing online mode. Turning off Wi-fi made the usual solution work.
  
  Still could’ve done a quick search to solve the problem.
You’re allowed to use Linux without setting up an account
- I keep trying but it keeps asking me to set up an account. eventually it accepts that I set up an account named root, but it won’t let me continue without an account.
  
  You can always chroot into a filesystem.
How could one of the very tech gods of the planet Earth not have noticed this until now?
seriously he must be an alien who climbed out from under a rock.
Oh wait. It’s probably not even him.
- There’s a simple work around.
  
  Which doesn’t excuse Microsoft at all.
Don't connect the computer to the Internet before you complete setup. If you did already...
Shift F8 during setup OOBE\BYPASSNRO
If that doesn't work, use IPCONFIG /RELEASE to break your Internet connection, then it will relent and let you setup without a Microsoft account.
- Way too much work. Just connect it to the internet and use as an account: no@thankyou.com and a random password, it will let u use local
  
  Doug@aol.com
- On my last vm install (was for a tutorial) it let me install without access but on first boot I couldn’t get past set up steps without it
  However that was using home instead of pro which I have no idea why someone would do
- Elon isn’t reading this.
Guy who bought corporations and took credit for their ideas doesn’t know how to tool around with Windows on a laptop
Why is giving AI access to your computer a problem, Elon?
Just enter “admin” in the textbox for the Microsoft account. You’re welcome. If Elon pass by, thanks to mention it cames from Lemmy.
- wait, does this really work? i was forced to go through a win10 install recently and the frustration over creating a microsoft account damn near made me combust
  
  It works with Windows 11 while setting up a new device. Follow the setup and enter “admin” when asked for a Microsoft account. It will give an error and the possibility to create a local account.
  
  Just skip connecting to wifi during the initial setup and it will make a local account.
  
  Last time I tested Win11 I put in nothanks@gmail.com and a random password. It gave me an error and let me set up a local account.
Oh lord don’t let him discover linux. Quick, somebody send him a macbook, pronto!
Yeah! Not cool Microsoft!
It’s not like I can’t watch anything on Twitter without an account so I can get tracked and now also Nitter is dead!Shame on you Microsoft! Shame on you!
Imagine if the account thing were true, a normal person might think hiding Twitter behind an account would also be obnoxious.
i only just found out this was a thing a few weeks ago, when my partner got a new laptop. i haven’t been living under a rock, but i have been using linux exclusively for around a decade, which may have similar effects.
says the man who sells cars with software-gimped features of the people who gave him the idea
I actually agree with him for once.
Because this is the stupid timeline, how long before Elon Musk becomes a huge and vocal open-source nerd and moves all Teslas onto GNU Hurd?
- There might in fact be potential to manipulate this idiot into becoming a floss advocate
  
  Gum health is important.
  
  Do we want him? On the one hand, he’s rich and loud. On the other, he’s loud and dumb. Hmm.
- It would be a matter of time before he then deduces FOSS is communism and tries (and fails) to buy Microsoft
Elon is a fucking moron who can’t use Google to find the simple work around.
- How’s he supposed to get on the Internet without a PC? What, does he live in some techbro future where everyone has a handheld computer?
He should use a Chromebook instead. 😂😂
- Gentoo noises
I can’t decide if I’m more shocked that this implies he isn’t upgrading his PC every year, or that he’s setting them up himself.
OOBE\BYPASSNRO
Windows 11 has this co-pilot thing which seems to be an AI although it doesn’t appear to have access to the laptop. Although this is a work computer so I don’t know if that’s just due to security restrictions.
No@thankyou.com then for the password anything you want then it lets you make a local account

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