Musk complains about being forced to have a Microsoft account

Fear of artificial intelligence surveillance

Musk described that he bought a new laptop, and after turning it on, he discovered that he needed a Microsoft account to be able to use the device. He wasn't entirely happy about it, as he expressed on his social media platform.

“I just bought a new laptop and the only way I can use it is to set up a Microsoft account, which also means the AI ​​can access my computer! This is unbelievable,” he explained. Later, in his responses to the feedback, he complained that this wasn't exactly cool on Microsoft's part.

However, his own platform also shows him ways in which he can avoid the supposed obligation of having a Microsoft account. Shortly after the article was published, a reference to the relevant instructions was automatically added to it. Advice about installing Windows 11 without a Microsoft account has been circulating for years — because Microsoft isn't really consistent at this point.

False “coercion”.

For example, it is possible to simply enter an email address that does not exist. Although this results in error messages, it does not prevent the Windows installation from continuing. Another option is to disconnect from the Internet at the appropriate point during setup, which has the same effect.

However, Windows can now only be used on a relatively limited scale without a Microsoft account, since many important services barely function properly without cloud access. Microsoft Office now also requires a Microsoft account.

However, Windows experts are probably wondering why Musk, of all people, stumbled upon the described issue. Because the “mandatory” account is only present in versions of Windows that are sold as individual licenses. It can be assumed that the various legal requirements alone should ensure that Musk uses a laptop embedded in one of his company's infrastructure via enterprise licenses.

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