Elon Musk conveyed his discomfort with the obligatory Microsoft account setup for Windows PCs.
Tech mogul Elon Musk recently reached out to Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella, expressing his reservations about the mandatory Microsoft account requirement on his newly purchased Windows laptop PC. Mr Musk shared this interaction on his platform, X, formerly Twitter, after a user suggested seeking “technical support” from Mr Nadella. “I just sent him a text,” he responded.
I just sent him a text
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) February 25, 2024
In a direct text message to Mr Nadella, Mr Musk conveyed his discomfort with the obligatory Microsoft account setup for Windows PCs. This exchange unfolded after Nadella’s post announcing Microsoft’s collaboration with Mistral AI. Mr Musk, however, steered the conversation towards a more everyday concern, stating, “Satya, I don’t mean to be a pest, but please allow people setting up a new Windows PC to skip creating a Microsoft account.”
He added that “this option disappears if the computer is connected to WiFi” and complained that “even if you do want to sign up, it won’t allow you use a work email address and I only *have* work email addresses!”
Satya, I don’t mean to be a pest, but please allow people setting up a new Windows PC to skip creating a Microsoft account.
This option disappears if the computer is connected to WiFi.
Also, even if you do want to sign up, it won’t allow you use a work email address and I…
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) February 26, 2024
This line of conversation left many users amused.
One user commented, “This will go down in history as the most famous tech support X post of all time.”
This will go down in history as the most famous tech support X post of all time.
— Min Choi (@minchoi) February 26, 2024
Another wrote, “Be so rich that you can treat the CEO of MS as a consumer service representative.”
Be so rich that you can treat the CEO of MS as a consumer service representative.
— The Social Scientist (@socially321) February 26, 2024
“Complaints from customers from the richest man in the world,” read another comment.
Complaints from customers from the richest man in the world.????
— Beast_ETH_ (@X_Beast_ETH) February 26, 2024
While someone stated, “You know you’re getting old when you ask Microsoft for troubleshooting rather than Googling.”
You know you’re getting old when you ask Microsoft for troubleshooting rather than Googling
— Chand (@chandtailor) February 26, 2024
Elon Musk later disclosed that he successfully accessed his Windows laptop PC without having to create a Microsoft account. A user offered a workaround suggestion, which Mr Musk tried and subsequently shared on X.
He posted, “Finally got through it, thanks. The laptop automatically connected to a local WiFi without a password prompt. Was able to skip once I deselected that.”
Finally got through it, thanks.
Laptop automatically connected to a local WiFi that didn’t have a password without asking. Was able to skip once I deselected that.
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) February 25, 2024
Satya Nadella took over as the CEO of Microsoft in 2014.
