Windows is really pushing people to sign into a microsoft account

[nzoomed]

With the recent updates, im seeing more and more instances of windows asking to sign into a Microsoft without any apparent way to skip the process.
Ive found in the past you can just click on skip, but now im seeing that those options are unavailable. One workaround is alt+f4 or alt+ctrl+del and close the prompt, but as usual people are inadvertently registering a Microsoft account and forgetting their passwords, sigh...

Would be great if there was some way to block this from happening by means of the registry or potentially blocking through the hosts file, etc

[Wainuitech]

Assuming its new installs, you can make up a basically throw away account, use that to setup as many computers as you want ( there may be a limit ? Not to sure), then once up and running ( after updates) create a New Local account ( with or without passwords) You select I dont have user details. Change that account to Administrator, then log out of Temp account, log into new local account, remove temp account. If you want to get really deep, dive into the registry and change the temp settings to the new local.

Only thing you have to be careful of is when signing in it asks if you want to restore from ????? You select the Other option New Install (similar wording).

Using the above method, its really obvious many have done that, as some obvious temp accounts are already taken

[king1]

I use the OOBE\BYPASSNRO method for new installs

For existing installs I think its because there are now so many ways and places where you can be prompted to set up the account ie via onedrive, the "start backup" button in file explorer, in the settings app, periodic notifications, when file associations suddenly get changed back to MS etc - and the workarounds are not so obvious so folks just setup/sign into an account to make it go away.

Ultimately all about getting you hooked into the MS ecosystem and possibly a subscription or two...

What irks me is the nags to sign up to an office 365 subscription even when you have a brand new version of standalone Office

[Oh_hunnihunni]

I have one. Years old. Never use it. Just as well, I have no idea what the password is.

[nzoomed]

Yeah i use OOBE\BYPASSNRO all the time on new installs. Seems to work a treat.
As far as existing installs go, most of the issues are with win11 from what I can tell, and your right, it's all about trying to lock people into their ecosystem.
What I'm also seeing is the option to ask the user to select Microsoft recommended settings changes all the defaults over to edge and causes no end of complaints because it's so vague to the average user in what it's asking.