THE STATE OF WINDOWS 11 22H2 OOBE, TOO OBNOXIOUS PUFFY EXPERIENCE

If you plan to upgrade to Windows 11 22H2, you may want to prepare yourself for the OOBE or overly unpleasant and bloated experience. This is the term I use to describe the setup process that Microsoft forces you to go through before you can use their new operating system. In this blog post, I'll explain why I think OOBE is a terrible design choice and how it negatively affects the user experience.

The OOBE starts as soon as you boot your Windows 11 22H2 device for the first time. A bright blue screen will appear asking you to select your region and keyboard layout. So far, so good. But then, things start to go downhill. You'll be asked to sign in with a Microsoft account or create one if you don't have one. You can't skip this step unless you disconnect from the Internet or use some obscure workaround. Why does Microsoft force you to use their online services when you just want to use your own device? This is a blatant attempt to collect your personal data and lock you into their ecosystem.

You are then presented with a series of screens asking you to customize your settings. Sounds reasonable, right? Mistaken. Most of these settings are enabled by default and are not best for you. They include things like sending diagnostic data to Microsoft, allowing apps to use your advertising ID, syncing your activity history between devices, and enabling Cortana. If you do not want these features, you must manually disable them one by one. And some of them are hidden in “More options” or “More information” links that are easy to miss. This is a sneaky way to trick you into giving up your privacy and control of your device.

Finally, you are asked to wait while Windows 11 22H2 prepares everything for you. This can take anywhere from a few minutes to an hour, depending on your hardware and Internet speed. During this time, you are shown some generic messages such as “Hello,” “We are glad you are here,” and “This won't take long.” You won't be able to do anything else on your device until you've done it. This is a waste of time and patience.

The OOBE is supposed to be a welcome introduction to Windows 11 22H2, but instead it's a frustrating ordeal that makes you regret your decision to upgrade. It's too unpleasant because it forces you to do things you don't want to do, and it's bloated because it takes too much time and consumes too many resources. It's a bad design that hurts the user experience and erodes trust in Microsoft.

I hope Microsoft reconsiders its approach to OOBE and makes it more friendly and respectful in the future. Until then, I advise you to avoid Windows 11 22H2 if you can, or at least prepare for OOBE before installing it.

Your concerns are valid, and many users share similar feelings about the evolution of the Windows setup process and the inclusion of additional offerings and apps.

1. **Required sign in with a Microsoft account:** While Microsoft often recommends users sign in with a Microsoft account for better integration of services, ideally it should be optional. Some users prefer to use a local account for privacy reasons and should have the option to do so without facing obstacles.

2. **Telemetry and data collection settings:** Transparency in data collection is essential and users should be able to easily understand and customize these settings during setup.

3. **Promotions and Offers:** Some users may find the inclusion of promotional offers such as the Microsoft 365 trial, OneDrive offers, and PC Game Pass offers intrusive. Ideally, these offers should be clearly presented as optional and users should be able to easily skip them.

4. **Pre-installed applications:** The presence of pre-installed applications, especially those that users may not want, can be frustrating. It is important that users can uninstall or deactivate these applications without problems. Frequent reinstallation of apps removed with updates can be particularly annoying.

5. **Compatibility Issues:** Automatically installing apps like OneDrive and Teams that may not work with certain business accounts or setups can cause confusion and complications.

It is essential that operating systems provide a user-friendly setup experience that respects user preferences and privacy. Microsoft is known to iterate on its operating systems, so some of these concerns may be addressed in future updates or versions of Windows. In the meantime, users can follow online guides to perform a more optimized and customized Windows installation or seek help from IT professionals to configure Windows in a way that best suits their needs.