I just set up an HP Laptop for someone and Windows setup is horrendous. Fuck you Microsoft.
There’s no way around using a Microsoft account, but when you enter an invalid login, you can proceed setting up a local account anyway. Then all the shit is set up to my disliking. And of course, Microsoft installs its own services adware and additional third-party adware you can’t uninstall, and then, HP does the same, installing more scamware. Disgusting.
Dunno if this still works: when setup your local account, while NOT CONNECTED to the internet login and edit the Start Menu tiles. Delete any blank or empty ones. Those are for the ads!
This laptop has no way to disable wifi. I at least did not find anything - no such function key. And the Windows setup required you to connect to a wiki, with no way to proceed otherwise. Like, wtf?
If you actually just set it up, this is the perfect time to reset it, and then press shift + F10 then enter “oobe\bypassnro”
It will reboot and you will be able to say that you don’t have access to the Internet and set up a local account. That /might/ remove some bloat as well, without needing to reinstall from a flash drive. Which would require reinstalling drivers also.
Use no@thankyou.com as the email anything as the password and it’ll let you setup a local account.
a
worked - apparently doesn’t even need to be a valid/web email address
Before using any potentially valid domain name I try to use example.com, which is guaranteed to not be in use or claimable.
Not nearly as fun a dankfartlord@dope.af