Windows Update to 23H2 Tries to Force Having a Microsoft Account. Did I Do the Right Thing?

I was configuring my brand new laptop today and once I got near to the end of doing that I was offered an update to Windows 11. I allowed the update rebooted the system and found the following was happening.

Windows Version Before the Update:
Edition Windows 11 Pro
Version 22H2
Installed on 29/02/2024
OS build 22621.3155
Serial number ********
Experience Windows Feature Experience Pack 1000.22684.1000.0

Windows Version After the Update:
Edition Windows 11 Pro
Version 23H2
Installed on 29/02/2024
OS build 22631.3296
Serial number ********
Experience Windows Feature Experience Pack 1000.22687.1000.0

On reboot to complete the install of the new update damned Microsoft was gaving me a loop of screens trying to force me to enter a Microsoft Account for the system. The system I had, 22H2, was setup by me not to use a Microsoft Account I definitely do not want one, I definitely want to just use a Local Account. I tried for several minutes to get out of the loop of Microsoft trying to force an account creation — I did not succeed in that effort. In the end I took the risk of just forcing a cold-shutdown of the laptop. Then I rebooted and was booted into my already existing Local account (phew!) no Microsoft trying to force a Microsoft Account on me (at least so far).

So my questions are:

(1) Has anyone else run into this problem with updating to 23H2?

(2) For future reference for me was there a way to get out of the forced Microsoft Account creation without risking a cold-shutdown?

(3) Lastly, on a slightly different note: From information given in System Settings it says that the 22H2 system was installed on 29/02/2024. Fine, that would have been when the laptop was manufactured. However, if I look at the information for the now updated system 23H2 it says that it was installed on 29/02/2024 — which is the same date as the 22H2 system. Can anyone explain why this is happening? I would have expected the two dates to be different and the 23H2 update dated as today's date (01 April 2024).

@BuddahNature


You could have avoided Windows Update entirely, and just used the 23H2 Enablement Package...



23H2 was installed around July 2023, but wasn't "turned on".
The Enablement Package... just switches 23H2... ON.

When you use Windows Update for Feature Upgrades, like 23H2... all you're doing is giving Microsoft the opportunity to tweak Windows the way "they" want. It also allows them to try to "sell" you things.

Sometime around October 2024, there will be another Feature Upgrade called: 24H2.
When that shows up... look for the 24H2 Enablement Package. ^^



@Brink posts all that stuff (as soon as possible), here...

BuddhaNature said:

So my questions are:

(1) Has anyone else run into this problem with updating to 23H2?

(2) For future reference for me was there a way to get out of the forced Microsoft Account creation without risking a cold-shutdown?

Click to expand...

Yes, it's common to see "Let's finish setting up your device" occasionally, particularly after a feature update. Turn it off here:

I'm totally new to Windows 11 so I didn't know any better than to install what was offered.

Ghot said:

When you use Windows Update for Feature Upgrades, like 23H2... all you're doing is giving Microsoft the opportunity to tweak Windows the way "they" want. It also allows them to try to "sell" you things.

Click to expand...

Oh damn! I suppose I need to go through all my newly made configuration settings and check they are still okay. I've spent hours on it too. Thanks very much for the alert. :0)

Ghot said:

Sometime around October 2024, there will be another Feature Upgrade called: 24H2.
When that shows up... look for the 24H2 Enablement Package. ^^

Click to expand...

Thank you for that too – I will watch out for that fun hurdle.

If you created a MS account and want to convert to local

Ghot said:

Sometime around October 2024, there will be another Feature Upgrade called: 24H2.
When that shows up... look for the 24H2 Enablement Package. ^^

Click to expand...

BuddhaNature said:

Thank you for that too – I will watch out for that fun hurdle.

Click to expand...

There will be no such thing as a 24H2 enablement package. 24H2 will be a full in-place upgrade, same as the 21H2 > 22H2 feature update was.

The 22H2 > 23H2 update was by means of an enablement package, whether you let Windows Update install it or did so manually yourself. This was possible because 22H2 and 23H2 share a common set of system files, those for 22621. The build number only goes up from 22621 to 22631.

This is not the case for 24H2, which is already in the Insider Dev/Canary channels. There will be a completely new set of system files. The build for 24H2 is currently 26090.

@Bree

Thank you. I downloaded and merged the relevant reg tweak for "Let's finish setting up your device" and hope that is the last I'll see of that nonsense from Microsoft.

Megahertz said:

If you created a MS account and want to convert to local

Switch to Local Account from Microsoft Account in Windows 11 Tutorial

This tutorial will show you how to switch to a local account from a Microsoft account to sign in to Windows 11 with instead. You can sign in to Windows 11 with a local account or a Microsoft account. However, you can easily switch between using a local account or a Microsoft account to sign in...

www.elevenforum.com

Click to expand...

My cold-shutdown, as far as I can tell, allowed me to avoid creating a Microsoft Account. But thank you so much for the information anyway – I have it under my hat now. :0)