Bloody Microsoft, Eh?

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This afternoon, for no very good reason except to fill up an idle hour or so, I decided to install Windows 10 to an external hard drive. You can do this by using a very impressive piece of software called 'Win to usb'.

I don't normally use Windows 10, and haven't installed it anywhere for years, but on this occasion I was surprised to find that Microsoft wouldn't allow me to proceed with the installation until I had set up an account with them. Couldn't you previously set up something called a 'Local Account', bypassing the Microsoft spying machine completely? They also demanded that I supply them with my email address or telephone number.

Wasn't very happy at all about this, and made use of a 'fake email address' service, which I've never done before. I fully expected Microsoft to see through this, detect the fake address, and reject the application, but it all went without a hitch and the system is now up and running.

I'm wondering though whether MS will rumble me before very long and block the system or interfere with it. Can they do this? Does everyone who runs Windows 10 here have a Microsoft account?

I don't recall ever setting up an account.
That the system sometimes asks if I want to is good evidence that I haven't.
This computer came new with Windows 10 on it which is a different ballgame from an install like you are doing.

Fitbit is the same way. I neither need nor want my biometrics being stored and analyzed by a subscription “service”, but if I want the watch to work at all, I need the connection.

best decision ever: get a win10 ltsb version.
no store, no xbox app, no nothing. just an operating system that runs your software. Basically windows 7.

obviously, there's no legal way for an end-user to get this.

^ You got my heart racing for a minute or two there with your mention of an alternative version of Windows 10, but on investigation it turned out to be something other than what I was expecting.

Clue: I have a considerable interest in customized Windows operating systems, 'customized' being something of a euphemism here. I'll say no more.......

^ I now wonder what you were expecting/ in how far my characterisation gave the wrong picture.

there's ltsb installed on some computers - and surface tablets - and it works well...

Apple does the same thing - in fact I think they started it … I have to say two-factor authentication does add security - i was doing support one place and the boss had given me her password - I tried to access things on off hours and it wanted to verify with her cell phone - which from a security standpoint is just what they should have done though as the tech I found it inconvenient. I don’t like it that so many people have my email address and cell phone connected but I also figure that cat is really out of the bag. I could go all Linux and dark web but is is just not worth it for me to go off grid like that. Even ibm wanted me to “create my ibm Id” to get support.

There is Wine and ReactOS if you don’t like Microsoft and there self-serving ways -

Life is full of comprises

Yes, sorry about that! It was your 'no legal way...' comment that set me thinking along the wrong path - 'unofficial' versions of Windows and all that. I've no doubt that everything you said in your earlier post is entirely valid and on the mark.

In the meantime I've come across one or two online articles which suggest that it should be possible to migrate my Microsoft account to a 'local' version, so I'll be giving that a go next time I log into my new Win 10 setup:

https://www.techadvisor.com/how-to/wind ... t-3630929/

https://www.howtogeek.com/442609/confir ... -creation/

oh, I see. nono, LTSB versions are perfectly fine, published and for sale versions - just not to pesky end-users who want a no-clutter OS that isn't focussed on harvesting data.
They're intended for medical equipment and such, where the users can't have windows just unannouncedly start an update.
(by now, win10 will ask you - but I've had students presenting their bachelor thesis, and suddenly their laptop would start updating)...

Apparently there are other workarounds depending on the Windows 10 version

https://www.softwareok.com/?seite=faq-Windows-10&faq=2

Disconnecting from the network works in any version of Windows 10 installation to bypass signing into the Microsoft account.