One “simple trick” and your next Windows install will be blissfully free of bloatware.

Basically, install Windows as you normally would, but when asked for Time and Currency format, select English (World) instead of your country.

Then let the installer do its thing. Eventually, you will see a window with an ice cream cone on the floor with the words “Something went wrong” and the error message “OOBEREGION.” This cryptic message means that the “out of box experience” (OOBE) didn’t launch because it didn’t know which region to launch.

Click Skip, though, and Windows will install just fine. You won’t be prompted to buy Microsoft 365, you won’t be prompted to pay for a OneDrive subscription, and your Start menu won’t be cluttered with apps.

  • @eee@lemm.eeEnglish
    155•1 year ago

    “The only downside is that the Windows Store appears not to work out of the box.”

    This is a feature, not a bug.

    • naticusEnglish
      21•1 year ago

      Can be a major deal breaker though for anyone using GamePass.

      • deweydecibelEnglish
        28•1 year ago

        If you’re gonna buy into the Microsoft ecosystem with a subscription service and a Microsoft Account, you’ll be stuck with their trash. Should maybe consider what else might “break Gamepass” in the future (purely by accident of course).

        Like how if you don’t want OneDrive, whoops, now your Office documents can’t autosave. Better put OneDrive back like a good consumer and here’s some ads about increasing storage, you’re welcome.

        • @glad_catEnglish
          1•1 year ago

          I don’t have the Store at work and I still installed WSL2 (from the command line IIRC).