It's annoying, but ultimately, it's just another step to add to the install checklist. I like to install Windows 10 connected to the Internet so that it can get the majority of its updates during the installation process, so I just add the updated procedure to my setup guides. My checklist now includes doing pretty much everything in triplicate because of all of the stupid steps that Microsoft adds into the process, such as doing an offline account, or disabling your advertising ID, or adding a new user to the machine.
It's an extremely deceptive approach because it fools users into thinking they need a Microsoft Online account in order to use the computer, when that is absolutely not the case, and creates additional hassles when you're not connected to the Internet, as well as if you ever run into a problem with your locally-logged-in online account & don't have an admin account to access for emergency purposes. Here are the updated procedures based on the screenshots of the latest Windows 10 installer release:
Windows 10 Home procedure:
1. Install Windows 10 Home edition & get to the account setup portion
2. Disconnect from the Internet
3. Try creating a Microsoft account
4. At this point, because it is unable to connect to the Internet, it will give you a "Something went wrong" page
5. Click on the "Skip" button
6. Now create your local Windows account
7. Skip & uncheck all of the unnecessary crap
Windows 10 Pro procedure:
1. Install Windows 10 Pro edition & get to the account setup portion
2. Select "Set up for an organization"
3. "Offline account" has been renamed to "Domain join instead", so click that link in the lower left-hand corner of the screen
4. Now create your local Windows account
5. Skip & uncheck all of the unnecessary crap
Super shady! My basic procedure for home-user computers is to setup the PC with an offline admin account per the Win10 Home procedure above, then add an additional offline admin account for the user, that way they have a fall-back account in case of problems with their primary user account:
1. Click on the Start Menu button (flag icon)
2. Click on the Settings button (gear icon
3. Click on the Accounts button
4. Click on the "Family & other users" link
5. Click on the "+ Add someone to this PC" area
6. Click on the "I don't have this person's sign-on information" link
7. Click on the "Add a user without a Microsoft account" link
8. Now add the user's account name & optionally a password
If the user doesn't require a password & it's OK to have them automatically sign into the computer upon boot, then do this as well:
1. Click on the Start Menu button
2. Type in "netplwiz" (without the quotes) & click on the "run command' button
3. Click on the user's account name
4. Click to uncheck "this user must enter a user name and password to use this computer"
5. Click apply
6. If they have a password, enter it now (twice)
7. Reboot & the account will auto-login
It's a far cry from just adding a username & password during setup, and then adding an additional user from the control panel. Pretty annoying!
wooow, this is why we need the internet - so we can't be tricked into signing up for things we don't want. This ploy might have fooled me, though I'm the suspicious sort.
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