Microsoft is 'working on' removing the online account login requirement for new Windows 11 installs and also 'reducing unnecessary Copilot entry points'
This sounds almost too good to be true. But Microsoft has indicated that it is "working on" removing the requirement to log in to an online MS account during initial setup of a new Windows 11 installation. As if that isn't enough, Microsoft also says it is going to reduce disruption from Windows Update and even scale back on its Copilot AI assistant. Yes, really.
Most of the developments are covered in a new Windows Insider blog post by Pavan Davuluri, Windows and Devices VP at Microsoft. The blog post candidly, if indirectly, recognises what many of us have been feeling of, late, namely that the quality of Windows 11 has been on the slide.
"Over the past several months, the team and I have spent a great deal of time analyzing your feedback. What came through was the voice of people who care deeply about Windows and want it to be better," Davuluri says, before detailing a list of improvements that maps pretty well with what most PC enthusiasts would most like to see fixed.
The item that doesn't appear in the blog post, however, involves the aforementioned MS account requirement for Windows 11 installs. Another Microsoft VP, Scott Hanselman, was queried about that on X (spotted by Videocardz) and his response was unequivocal. "Ya I hate that. Working on it," Hanselman said.
The first thing to note is that the X post in question has been up for four days and remains up at time of writing, so hopefully that indicates it wasn't a rash, ill-considered quip that clashes with official policy. Indeed, it does square with the broader sentiments of what the official blog post indicates for the future of Windows 11.
The reduction of Copilot integration will see it removed from apps like Snipping Tool, Photos, Widgets and Notepad, for instance. Meanwhile, reducing the disruption from Windows Update will include, "the ability to skip updates during device setup to get to the desktop faster, restart or shut down without installing updates and pause updates for longer when needed, all while reducing update noise with fewer automatic restarts and notifications." Hallelujah.
Then there's the taskbar. "Repositioning the taskbar is one of the top asks we’ve heard from you," Davuluri's blog post says. "We are introducing the ability to reposition it to the top or sides of your screen, making it easier to personalize your workspace." Hooray.
Other fixes include a "faster and more dependable" File Explorer, "more control over widgets and feed experiences," a simpler, more transparent Windows Insider Program and an improved Feedback Hub.
It's a very welcome sounding list that implies the current Windows 11 team at Microsoft is better aligned with the needs and preferences of users. The removal of the online account at login, reduction in Windows Update hassle and scaling back of Copilot certainly tick my personal three most wanted boxes for Windows.
Of course, at this point the account login element hasn't appeared in an actual Microsoft outlet or publication, so it's probably best viewed as semi-official for now. But here's really, really hoping that it's for real.