Even the required Microsoft account sign-in, one of the most commonly complained about aspects of Windows 11, was a Windows 10 innovation—it was easier to get around than it is now, and it was only for the home version of the software, but in hindsight, it was clearly a step forward on the path Windows 11 is currently on.
However, Windows 11 has made the situation worse
A desktop with an additional informational wallpaper icon, a Start menu full of apps you may or may not use, and a loaded taskbar will greet you when you first log into Windows 11.
Andrew Cunningham
A desktop with an additional informational wallpaper icon, a Start menu full of apps you may or may not use, and a loaded taskbar will greet you when you first log into Windows 11.
Andrew Cunningham
A cleaner desktop, taskbar, and Start menu with many extraneous items removed. With the exception of Edge, most Windows apps can be kept or deleted at your discretion.
Andrew Cunningham
A cleaner desktop, taskbar, and Start menu with many extraneous items removed. With the exception of Edge, most Windows apps can be kept or deleted at your discretion.
Andrew Cunningham
A desktop with an additional informational wallpaper icon, a Start menu full of apps you may or may not use, and a loaded taskbar will greet you when you first log into Windows 11.
Andrew Cunningham
A cleaner desktop, taskbar, and Start menu with many extraneous items removed. With the exception of Edge, most Windows apps can be kept or deleted at your discretion.
Andrew Cunningham
But many disadvantages of Windows 11 are new. And the big problem is that these annoyances pile on top of the annoying things Windows 10 already did, gradually accumulating, causing the process of setting up a new PC to go from “easy” to “extremely” annoying.
The Microsoft account sign-in requirement is largely zero-sum, as logging in with an account opens up a lot of additional ads for Microsoft 365, Game Pass, and other services you may or may not need. Internet connection and login became mandatory for new installations of both the Home and Professional versions of Windows 11 starting with version 22H2, and while workarounds existed then and continue to exist now, you should be aware of them in advance or look for them yourself—the OS doesn't offer you an option to skip. Microsoft will also apparently close some of these loopholes in future updates, making it even more difficult to bypass.
And if viewing those screens when setting up a new PC doesn't bore you, Windows 11 will regularly remind you about other Microsoft services. again via the Second Chance Out of the Box screen or SCOOBE. This default enabled “feature” offered to help me “complete customization” of Windows 11 installations that were several years old. enough thoroughly determined. It can be turned off via a hidden flag in Notifications settings, but removing it or making it easier to permanently close the SCOOBE screen itself would be a more user-friendly change, especially since Microsoft already bombards users with “helpful reminders” about many of these same services via system notifications.
