data-analytics-id=”inline-link” href=”https://www.tomshardware.com/tag/microsoft” data-auto-tag-linker=”true” data-mrf-recirculation=”inline-link” data-before-rewrite-localise=”https://www.tomshardware.com/tag/microsoft”>Microsoft has been gradually making it harder to activate Windows (and other products) without an internet connection. Most recently, it data-analytics-id=”inline-link” href=”https://www.tomshardware.com/software/windows/microsoft-clamping-down-on-windows-11-local-account-setup-latest-insider-build-removes-local-only-commands-skipping-microsoft-account-sign-in-will-crash-setup-process” data-mrf-recirculation=”inline-link” data-before-rewrite-localise=”https://www.tomshardware.com/software/windows/microsoft-clamping-down-on-windows-11-local-account-setup-latest-insider-build-removes-local-only-commands-skipping-microsoft-account-sign-in-will-crash-setup-process”>started clamping down on local accounts that could bypass OOBE sign-in, and now we’re seeing reports that another legacy method has been retired. Phone activation, where you could call Microsoft to activate Windows & Office, no longer works, as data-analytics-id=”inline-link” href=”https://www.youtube.com/@benkleinberg97″ data-url=”https://www.youtube.com/@benkleinberg97″ target=”_blank” referrerpolicy=”no-referrer-when-downgrade” data-hl-processed=”none” data-mrf-recirculation=”inline-link”>Ben Kleinberg demonstrates in a new YouTube video.
Now, it’d be reasonable to assume that something as archaic as calling to…
