Is there still Windows without a Microsoft account requirement?

If not, I'll switch to Linux at some point, even if it's exhausting.

But right now I'm upset because I hardly have any other choice (lack of knowledge about Linux)

The laptop I bought has Windows 10 Home S on it and Mediamarkt doesn't seem to have a product key for it, except for the one with S, i.e. The "safe mode Windows". It seems like you can't get the full version without an account.

Yes, I use Windows 10 Pro without an MS account, i.e. Completely local. I have one, but prefer to use GMail for cloud, mail, etc.

There's still no account / product key requirement in Windows.
Windows likes to ask you very often, but as long as you don't use Microsoft products (which nobody does). You are not forced to do anything.

I'm not aware of the need to have a Microsoft account to switch from S to Home. How to do it is described here: https://support.microsoft.com/...um%20Store.

These instructions are from Microsoft and assume that you are already signed in with the Microsoft account. If you follow the instructions, you will be asked to log in.

How much does Windows 10 Pro cost, what can Windows 10 Pro do more than Windows Home and do you have any idea whether this works on Windows 10 Home without an account?

But I can't get out of S mode without a key or account!

Windows 10 costs € 249, on hardwarerat.de it's available for € 17.99.
Windows 10 Home also works without an MS account, i.e. Only with a local account.
Here are the differences between Home and Pro: https://www.pcwelt.de/...50716.html

Why so cheap at hardwarerat?! Is that legal? I can't afford the original.

Yes, how does that work with the local account? I have a local user, but as soon as I want to get out of the S version, it asks for one! Even without an internet connection!

Then just reinstall Windows, you can't get into S mode as a private person without using some strange ISO's.

How should I reinstall that? This is the pre-installed from Mediamarkt. I called and they said all they do with people with the problem is to create an MS account themselves (secretly?).

You reinstall Windows via ISO like any other person. Either via USB stick / Media Creation Tool / extracted directly from the ISO.

I will probably get back to where I'm right now - in the S version.

If you set up Windows 10 again, you can only connect it to the Internet after creating a local user account, otherwise you will be forced to the online account.

To switch from S mode, you can create a disposable account and immediately log off and deactivate the account after switching. Unfortunately, Microsoft is very inconvenient in that regard.

And if I deactivate the account, will my Windows still work?

And then I still gave my consent anyway - the contract may not expire because of that.

In addition, the deletion of an MS account takes over a month and the mere deactivation probably doesn't do much, does it?

Which contract do you mean exactly? All you really have to do is log in to use the tool in the Microsoft Store that you use to exit S mode

No, not if you download the correct ISO.

The key is permanently integrated in the BIOS of the laptop. You can also deactivate S mode without a Microsoft account. If you have done this, you can no longer return to S-mode. You can reinstall Windows 10 at any time, the integrated key in the BIOS is automatically adopted when it is activated.

And one more thing: As a Linux beginner, I would recommend Linux Mint Xfce. This is easy to use even for newbies and is based on Ubuntu. It is 100% compatible with it. Here is the download of the ISO: http://mirrors.evowise.com/linuxmint/stable/20.1/linuxmint-20.1-xfce-64bit.iso Then write the ISO with this tool https://rufus.ie/de/ or this https://www.balena.io/...io/etcher/ on an empty formatted stick. Then boot the stick created. I recommend doing a full installation. You should also select the "Third-party software" option. In the installation options choose "Erase hard drive and install Linux Mint". Then everything is deleted and Linux Mint is installed. The latest Firefox, LibreOffice, multimedia components and tools are installed at the same time. The WLAN is also set up at the same time. A dialog box then appears where you only have to enter the WLAN key.

This is what the Linux Mint Xfce desktop looks like:

As you can see, the start menu is divided into categories. That makes the whole thing clearer. The taskbar with the clock, volume, network / WLAN also looks familiar. For example, if you plug in an external hard drive, an icon appears on the desktop and you can then access it. The Home folder corresponds to the Windows My Documents folder.

A central update manager automatically keeps the system and the installed programs up to date. This can also be set so that it runs automatically in the background. If a restart is required, an "Updates installed. Restart required" dialog box appears.

Under Linux Mint, programs are installed via application management. It's like a kind of app store and is served that way. Most of it can be found there.

In rare cases you have to install programs that are not included in the package sources. This is available for Linux Mint as a so-called DEB file. These are installation packages that you simply install with a double click. Examples:

Discord: https://discord.com/download

Skype: https://www.skype.com/...get-skype/

Microsoft Teams: https://www.microsoft.com/...loadregion

Minecraft Java: https://www.minecraft.net/...ternative/ If Java is not yet installed, it will be installed automatically.

Spotify is also available for Linux. Installation is a little tricky for newbies. I explain the procedure:

To do this, start the terminal first. This is similar to the command prompt in Windows. There you have to enter the following commands. Or with copy & paste (identical to Windows):

curl -sS https://download.spotify.com/debian/pubkey_0D811D58.gpg | sudo apt-key add -
echo "deb http://repository.spotify.com stable non-free" | sudo tee /etc/apt/sources.list.d/spotify.list
sudo apt update -y
sudo apt install spotify-client -y

It is also possible to download from YouTube under Linux. To do this, simply install this Firefox add-on: https://addons.mozilla.org/...-download/ This displays a download button at the bottom of YouTube videos. Then you can download it as either MP3 or MP4 video.

And this is how you set up a printer: To do this, connect the printer and go to the Start menu> Settings> Printer. This wizard will then automatically detect and set up the printer. Finally, the test page is then printed out.

Linux Mint only needs about 1/3 of the system resources that Windows would otherwise need. I still have a laptop that is over 10 years old with a first-generation i3 and 4GB of RAM. I also installed Linux Mint Xfce there. It comes down like a rocket. Windows, on the other hand, is a lame duck.

Thank you, thank you, thank you for the great effort! Meanwhile, I've also watched Linux Mint tutorials! However, the video type recommends Cinnamon, what's the difference?

He also recommends using partitions to keep both operating systems - I have a 250GB SSD, is that enough? And does it have any disadvantages to keep Windows?

These app stores are the new sh * t what? Is everyone so turned on by spyware, malware, and adware? Why do standard private users care so much? I've never had a virus that ate me or my files.

What about antivirus programs on Linux? Otherwise I always use Avira + Malwarebytes. Does that also work on Linux?

Regarding the BIOS Windows reinstallation, are there any instructions? Or could you describe that in more detail? Where can you find the key exactly and how? Heard that the S mode maintains itself like a virus and re-implants when reinstalled. I think more details about Windows would be great too!

And thank you again!

And where can you download it for free?

The contractual conditions that are automatically entered into by creating and using an MS account.

The Xfce Desktop requires much less system resources. This frees up more resources for applications that start much faster.

If you reinstall Windows 10 cleanly with the stick, the installation wizard automatically fetches the key integrated in the BIOS. Finally, the system is activated automatically without having to enter the key.

S-mode will then come back, but you can remove S-mode at any time. The key integrated in the BIOS is also valid without S mode.

And how do I get Windows on my stick?

The Linux Mint app store is virus and malware free. There are only applications that are maintained by the Linux Mint Community.

Are there any disadvantages to keeping Windows as a partition? And can both operating systems access the same files or is it completely separate from each other?

Under Windows this is easy with the Media Creation Tool https://www.microsoft.com/...ndows10%20 which you can download here.

As I said, when installing Linux Mint I would select the option "Erase hard drive and install Linux Mint". Then all partitions are deleted and new ones created for Linux Mint. Then you have the whole SSD for Linux Mint.

If you want to reinstall Windows now, the Windows installation wizard will delete the Linux partitions and repartition the system again for Windows 10.

Where can I get Windows back then? This is pre-installed by Mediamarkt. I have neither a boot stick nor a license key for it.

Before installing Linux Mint on Windows 10, you should download the Media Creation Tool https://www.microsoft.com/...ndows10%20. You can use it to create a Windows 10 USB boot stick.

If you then boot this stick you can reinstall Windows 10. The license key is permanently integrated in the laptop's BIOS. It is automatically adopted during installation. Finally, Windows 10 activates itself again automatically. You don't have to enter this license key. It is never lost.

But I want to enter it as an alternative to the Microsoft account…