It appears that similar to Windows 11 Home, Windows 11 Pro will require an Internet connection and a Microsoft account during the first setup step in the near future. A Microsoft Account will now be required for Insiders who wish to perform a new installation of Windows 11 Pro, according to the company. The change was first included in the latest Insider version published earlier this week, and the firm has begun testing it.
Despite the fact that the announcement was buried deep inside the extremely lengthy release notes for build 22557 (thanks to Michael for the heads-up), here’s what the Windows Insider team had to say: According to Microsoft, “Windows 11 Pro version now requires internet access only during the initial device setup (OOBE), similar to Windows 11 Home edition.” If you opt to set up the device for personal use, you will also need to have MSA installed on your computer. It is reasonable to anticipate that a Microsoft Account will be required in subsequent WIP flights,” the blog post states.
It remains to be seen how the update will be received by Windows Insiders, although Microsoft may be treading water at this point. Many Windows users still prefer to log into the operating system using a local account, and eliminating the option to do so during the Windows 11 Pro setup may appear to be Microsoft going too far in its efforts to push people to use a Microsoft account instead. Once the installation of Windows 11 Pro is complete, it will still be possible to switch to a local account, although many users may not appreciate having to go through this additional process every time they log on to their computer.
As you may be aware, the Windows Insider team has said repeatedly with every Windows 11 flight that nothing is truly set in stone. This is not new information. ‘The features featured may change over time, may be deleted or replaced in Insider releases, and it is possible that they will never be made available to anybody other than Windows Insiders,’ the team said this week. We’ll have to wait and see if this adjustment is permanent, but we’d love to hear your opinions on it in the comments section.
