Install Windows 11 Without a Microsoft Account

Thank you ‘Tom’ for the article on How To: “Maintain only a local account on your Windows 11 PC“.

By default, you must log in with a Microsoft account in order to install Windows 11 and go through the box (OOBE) setup process that triggers either as part of installation or the first time you turn on a new Windows PC. It seems like Microsoft really wants you to log in to Windows 11 using its account system, both so it can track you, …and so you can get benefits such as synchronizing your wallpaper and preferences across different computers.

However, there are many reasons why you would want to install Windows 11 using a local account only. Maybe you want to install Windows 11 with a local (non-Microsoft) account because you are installing the OS on a child’s PC or on a PC that you plan to sell, give to a friend or donate to a charity (without giving other people access to personal data). Or perhaps you just like your privacy and don’t want to create an account with Microsoft in the first place.

Whatever your reason for doing so, it’s easy to install or set up Windows 11 without using a Microsoft account. Below, we’ll show you the method: which involves issuing some commands during the install / OOBE process. We’ve tested the method on the latest major Windows 11 version, 24H2, and they work.

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Acrobat Reader All Tools

Also annoyed that it’s always opened and you have to close the ‘All Tools’ tab on the left in your window when you wish to read your PDF on a bit wider screen?
Well… Adobe actually has a setting for that.

Go to:
– menu – preferences
– tab ‘Documents’
– check ‘Remember last state of All tools pane when opening documents

Next, if you close the ‘All Tools’ tab, it will be remembered the next time you open a PDF again.
Have a nice day!

HP Scan and Capture

Love it when people try to get around barriers and find ways to still download removed apps. Just read this article.

The question:
“How to Get HP Scan and Capture Software/App”
I see that HP has retired the HP Scan and Capture app.  This was a fantastic app to use.  I cannot find it on the HP site or in the Microsoft Store.  In the Microsoft Store there is a link to download, but when you click it you get sent to a description of the app.
Does anyone either have a working link to this app or know how to get this app?  I know it is not supported but to me it works much better and easier then the scan software that comes with the drivers of the HP MFP units.

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OceanWP v4.0 loses Google Fonts

Check this! All my OceanWP websites lost their default font and fell back to something Roman, so everything looked ugly! Basically all websites using OceanWP did no longer load their Google fonts after the update to version 4.0.

Solution: I had to manually enable the fonts again! How?
Go to WP Dashboard > Appearance > Customizer > Typography > Google Font Settings and enable Google Fonts – hit “publish” and done!

Looks like someone at OceanWP forgot to check backwards compatibility…

Have a nice day!

KB5043145 update breaks USB

DO NOT INSTALL THAT UPDATE!
(updated 12/10/2024 see at bottom of article)

At least on two of my computers, it completely disabled the USB ports, leaving me without mouse, keyboard, bluetooth and any way of giving any input to the computer to do anything.
Luckily I had Google Remote Desktop installed previously so I could take over the screen and fix the issue.

Not everyone, but others do have the same issue, see:
https://techcommunity.microsoft.com/t5/windows-insider-program/major-problem-with-version-23h2-for-x64-based-systems-kb5043145/m-p/4256541
I also posted my issue here:
https://www.elevenforum.com/t/kb5043145-windows-11-cumulative-update-preview-build-22621-4249-22h2-and-22631-4249-23h2-sept-26.28865/

So what happened:

Continue reading KB5043145 update breaks USB