Win11 Microsoft Account Mandataory

[ChrisGreaves]

It doesn't take Old grumpy long to get upset.
I figured I had to power up the laptop if only to get it to the point where I could do the backup and ESP.
Powered on, hooked up to WiFi - no way around that, but I'd have rather backed up BEFORE anything changed behind my back.
I have agreed to McAfee, with regrets. No way around that but it was McAfee that objected to my password-protected utility template fifteen years ago.
Now I am being forced to open a Microsoft account (email, phone etc) which, frankly, I'd still rather not do until i have backed up the drive.

Am I too skeptical? I feel as if I am the proverbial lamb being led to the slaughter.

I know that laptops work; I'd just rather see them work BEFORE agreeing to start signing agreements irrevocably.

Thanks, Chris

[stuck]

I don't have Winn 11 but according to this page:
    https://www.askwoody.com/newsletter/fre ... indows-11/
you can set up Winn 11 with just a local account.

Ken

[ChrisGreaves]

    https://www.askwoody.com/newsletter/fre ... indows-11/
you can set up Winn 11 with just a local account.

Thank you Ken. I do recall (with the previous Win10 system) that there were options to use "local", but this lunchtime I went ahead anyway, figuring that I intend to do a factory reset which, in theory, lets me throw a six and start again.
It sure is insidious, especially for honest folks like me; I wouldn't think of providing a false email address. Although I did contemplate setting up a second email account on this Win7 laptop.

I purposely skipped any part of the setup that asked for a credit card.
I shall be living with the curent credit card for a few months now ...
Cheers, Chris