Technology

This with Windows 11 LTSC IoT edition?

Just one more reason to skip Windows 11…

We’re removing the bypassnro.cmd script from the build to enhance security and user experience of Windows 11. This change ensures that all users exit setup with internet connectivity and a Microsoft Account.

Any windows fanboy cares to explain how this supposedly enhances a user's security?

The spin on requiring an internet connection being phrased as 'ensures all users exit setup with internet connectivity' is amazing too.

I've got my first son or daughter on the way, I'm thinking they might be learning Linux as their first OS

I just bypass the requirement by installing Linux Mint instead

The command (C:\Windows\System32\) OOBE\bypassnro (.cmd) one types into the command prompt (after opening it with Shift+F10) for the bypass is the location of a batch file they will be removing (the parenthesized parts are optional, implied by the command interpreter, and so is any capitalization). You can still do whatever it's doing (adding a registry key and restarting) by typing the command manually or providing a copy of the file on a USB drive. After a restart, the OS will check for the registry key AND lack of internet connection to provide the local account option.

For the record, the contents of the file are

@echo off
reg add HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\OOBE /v BypassNRO /t REG_DWORD /d 1 /f
shutdown /r /t 0

The first line is optional, and so is the third if you're OK with restarting manually. If creating the file on Unix-based systems, make sure the newline sequence is CRLF (DOS/Windows standard).

Obligatory shoutout to literally any Linux distro, which does not need this workaround, and is usually easier to install and set up than debloating a fresh Windows 11 install.

This will be the year of the Linux desktop.

bypassw11.exe

Microsoft it the best ad for linux.

ive been on windows all my life but as of last week it's the first time that ive had zero windows machines in my life since i installed linux mint on them. ive never been happier.

How the hell are we supposed to install it without a Internet connection? I worked in a company that was so hard on security that only certified machines were allowed access to the net, so virtual machines were not allowed to access the LAN and therefore the Internet. Generally not a problem as we just used them to test software on different OS versions, so no Internet required.

This change disallows all offline installs. What is their gain? Are they that keen on our data or are they planning to use the connection to a Microsoft account for something even worse than just selling personal information? I could think of a few reasons and none are nice...

Great even more reasons to avoid it

I'M OKAY WITH MAKING A WINDOWS ACCOUNT. I'M JUST NOT OKAY WITH MY ~/ PATH BEING C:/Users/Jacobuedhbcuycbdhh55674c4bhdncy6448774/

THIS CAN ONLY BE FIXED BY CREATING A LOCAL USER AND THEN SIGNING IN

I feel like this won't stop anyone who was already refusing to use a Microsoft account for windows. Anyone who was already bypassing the account requirement will still do so, it just will be more difficult. They've accomplished nothing except further pissing off some of their most competent user base.

windows is not user friendly

Didn't Microsoft do the same thing with Windows 10 and EU prevented that?

Just another reason to switch to Linux