It’s not an asinine requirement when you think of how users would otherwise have to store Bitlocker recovery keys. Microsoft would have to give up device encryption for the masses if there was no automatic off-device key storage.
For those that truly care to use a local account, there’s a SKU for that.
FWIW, your Enterprise key for Win10 should also work to install Win11 enterprise (the MAK keys for the two versions are identical, even), so you can test this fairly easily if you're inclined. That said, I can aver that domain-joining in Win11 doesn't require an MS account - corporations would flip out if that requirement was extended to them.
> The problem with a lot of the other SKUs is the lack of a good way to buy a single license legitimately from Microsoft
because the higher ups at microsoft deems these SKUs not suitable for the average pleb on a home computer. They're intended for a fleet of commercial computers (like schools, libraries, offices etc), and priced to match the expected sale.
For home use, microsoft wants the user to be an obedient sheep, and gobble up whatever that is fed through the pipe. Soon enough, this will make the computer more of an appliance, than a computer - like a washing machine or TV, instead of a general machine capable of doing whatever the user commands.
Again: preferring a default is not a reason to take away an important choice.
I can see the argument for bitlocker for laptops, due to easier theft, but for desktops the tradeoff against being able to swap disks is one to consider.
(I'm in an odd position: I tried to avoid using my Microsoft account for a new PC, gave up and logged in, then it decided the account was somehow unsuitable and gave me the local account I wanted anyway.)
> For those that truly care to use a local account, there’s a SKU for that.
Curious if you mean LTSC or Enterprise or something else? https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/dotnet/api/microsoft.power...
The problem with a lot of the other SKUs is the lack of a good way to buy a single license legitimately from Microsoft: https://old.reddit.com/r/Windows10LTSC/wiki/acquisition
I have used grey-market sellers in the past and had a great experience buying working individual licenses of Visual Studio, Office, Windows Server (I set up a domain so I could get my Group Policy on and kill the crap that way), and Windows 10 Enterprise (minimum SKU where the Telemetry-disabling GPO does anything). I only ever had one code that didn't work, and the seller immediately replaced it with one that did. Yes I know they're probably all bought with stolen credit cards, but once you activate it they don't take it back so I don't care lol
I haven't attempted to use Windows 11 at all though so I dunno if Windows 11 Enterprise would let me join my domain without Microsoft Account like 10 Enterprise does. I have zero desire to find out even once the 10 “““EOL””” date comes :(