Upcoming Windows 11 builds cannot install without internet and Microsoft Account

Bypass Status and Technical Workarounds

• The removed bypassnro.cmd script appears to have only set a registry flag; that flag reportedly still exists, so tools like Rufus/Ventoy or custom ISOs can likely keep bypassing the requirement for now.
• Other suggested workarounds: provisioning packages via Windows Configuration Designer, slipstreamed/custom ISOs, third‑party “debloated” Windows builds, or using LTSC/IoT or Server editions as desktop OSes.
• Some argue that relying on such loopholes is itself a red flag and a sign to move away from Windows.

Security, Cloud Lock‑In, and Motives

• Microsoft’s stated rationale (“security and user experience”) is widely disbelieved; many see it as cover for telemetry, advertising, and pushing users into Azure/Microsoft 365.
• Supporters of the Microsoft-account model point to BitLocker key escrow, TPM‑backed Windows Hello, and easier recovery for non‑technical users.
• Critics counter that tying local login to cloud identity expands the attack surface and makes the OS dependent on an external party’s uptime and policies.

Connectivity Requirements and Reliability

• Commenters worry about users in rural or offline environments, air‑gapped or policy‑isolated enterprise workstations, and products like Storage Spaces Direct / Azure HCI that already require cloud connectivity.
• Centralized failure (Azure/PSN outages, DDoS) is seen as an inherent risk of this direction.

Privacy, Control, and Account Dependence

• Concerns center on what data is collected at setup (IP, hardware identifiers, phone/email), and what happens if a Microsoft account is suspended or banned.
• Some report situations where online authentication seemed required in safe mode; others say cached credentials allow offline login, suggesting inconsistent behavior or unclear UX.

Alternatives and User Migration

• Many report abandoning Windows 11 pressures (ads, nags, EOL popups) for Linux desktops (Fedora, Mint, Arch/SteamOS, Pop!_OS, Xubuntu) plus a Windows VM for edge cases.
• Gaming on Linux via Steam/Proton is described as “good enough” or better for many titles, though anti‑cheat and certain peripherals still block some games.
• Others move to macOS or ARM/Apple Silicon, acknowledging Apple’s own nudging toward iCloud but finding it less coercive than Windows.

Future Direction and Overall Sentiment

• There is recurring fear that mandatory code signing and Store‑only installs will eventually arrive, enabled by TPM/Pluton and “secure boot,” though some doubt this is feasible given legacy software and enterprise needs.
• Overall sentiment is strongly negative: Windows is increasingly viewed as an ad‑ and telemetry‑driven thin client for Microsoft’s cloud, rather than a user‑controlled general‑purpose OS.