microsoft account

Microsoft has quietly moved another step toward an account-first Out‑of‑Box Experience (OOBE) for Windows 11 by removing several low-friction workarounds that let people create a local account during setup, effectively forcing an internet connection and a Microsoft Account (MSA) on the default...

Microsoft’s latest Insider preview pushes Windows 11 further into an account‑first model by closing the last widely used, in‑OOBE shortcuts that let people create classic local accounts during setup — a move that effectively makes a Microsoft account and an active internet connection the default...

Microsoft’s latest Insider preview builds close the last widely used shortcuts that let people finish Windows 11 setup without a Microsoft account, forcing the Out‑Of‑Box Experience (OOBE) down an account‑first, online‑connected path and introducing a modest concession for personalization — a...

Microsoft’s latest Insider previews effectively close the low-friction loopholes that let enthusiasts set up Windows 11 without signing into a Microsoft account, while simultaneously exposing a small, command-line consolation prize that still doesn’t address the larger privacy and deployment...

Microsoft’s latest Insider flight quietly concedes one of the most persistent first‑run annoyances — the opaque, email‑derived C:\Users\<name> folder — but the fix is buried behind a command‑line detour in OOBE that will please enthusiasts while frustrating the average consumer. Background...

Microsoft has confirmed a deliberate change in recent Insider Preview builds that prevents the familiar OOBE (out‑of‑box experience) shortcuts from letting users skip online sign‑in — Windows 11 setup now requires an internet connection and a Microsoft account on the default path in those test...

Zorin OS 18 Beta arrives as a clear, user-focused attempt to make switching from Windows to Linux less painful — and after a thorough hands‑on with the beta, it’s easy to see why this release may be the project’s most convincing offering yet. The desktop looks and behaves more polished, cloud...

Below is a full-length, deeply sourced feature-style explainer you can use as an article. It explains what the Fox56-style headline (“How to extend Windows 10 support for free instantly”) is summarizing, how the consumer Extended Security Updates (ESU) path actually works, step‑by‑step...

Microsoft’s deadline is now unavoidable: Windows 10 will stop receiving regular security updates on October 14, 2025, and the immediate fallout in India—where millions of machines still run Windows 10—has forced consumers, small businesses, and large organisations into a compressed set of...

Signing out of a Microsoft account is a simple click for many users, but the consequences for privacy, cloud sync, device recovery, and enterprise access can be significant — this guide unpacks the quick steps, the technical differences between signing out and removing an account, and the best...

Logging in to a Microsoft account gives you single‑sign‑on access to Outlook, OneDrive, Teams, Xbox, Microsoft 365 apps and a raft of cloud conveniences — but doing it securely and predictably across Windows PCs, consoles and mobile devices requires a clear, step‑by‑step approach and awareness...

Microsoft will stop delivering regular security updates for Windows 10 on October 14, 2025, but a relatively simple consumer option called Extended Security Updates (ESU) lets most home users extend critical and important security patches for one more year — and in many cases you can get that...

Microsoft’s calendar stop for Windows 10 is now a hard security and compliance deadline for British organisations: support ends on October 14, 2025, the UK is not included in Microsoft’s announced no-cost Extended Security Updates concession for the European Economic Area, and new research from...

Microsoft’s last-minute accommodation for Windows 10 users in the European Economic Area (EEA) has softened one of the most controversial aspects of its consumer Extended Security Updates (ESU) plan — but the relief comes with a notable caveat: you still need a Microsoft Account (MSA) and you...

Microsoft’s latest clarification about the Windows 10 Extended Security Updates (ESU) program makes one thing uncomfortably clear: if you use the free ESU path tied to a Microsoft account, you must sign into that account on the PC at least once every 60 days — or the ESU entitlement will lapse...

I started my new Windows PC with a local account to avoid “big‑tech” tracking and keep everything on the machine — but within a week I switched back to a Microsoft account because the conveniences I’d taken for granted simply stopped working, and that trade‑off is now the clearest practical...

Microsoft has confirmed that Windows 10 Extended Security Updates (ESU) granted through a Microsoft Account (MSA) will stop arriving on a device if that account isn’t used to sign in at least once within a rolling 60‑day window, and that users who lose ESU access this way must re‑enroll using...

Canceling Xbox Game Pass Ultimate is quick and straightforward: you can stop recurring billing from your Microsoft account, directly from an Xbox console, or from a Windows PC, and you’ll keep access to the service until the end of your current paid period. Background Xbox Game Pass Ultimate is...

Microsoft’s last‑minute adjustment to the Windows 10 Extended Security Updates (ESU) program gives European users a free, one‑year security lifeline — but it’s a tightly scoped concession with mandatory account ties, looming deadlines, and real trade‑offs that should shape how consumers and...

Microsoft's reversal on Windows 10 support hands European consumers another year of critical security updates — but the fix comes with strings attached, geographic limits, and lingering privacy and operational trade-offs that every Windows user should evaluate before deciding whether to stay put...