Does Win 11 Need Internet?

I am currently using win 8.1 Pro but thinking of changing to Win 11. I live in a rural area, 55 miles to the nearest Starbucks. Because of this my internet connection is not very good or speedy.

My question is do you need the internet to enable and/or run Win 11. Are third party programs run in the cloud? Can my data files be on my machine?

Thank you in advance for any suggestions or help.

 

You don't specifically need internet to install/run Win 11. There are third party programs that run in the cloud (which would require internet). But Win 11 can also run apps loaded in your computer. And yes, your data can be in your machine... and optionally in the cloud too. IOW, subject to Win 11's various hardware requirements... once installed... You have the option of making Win 11 fundamentally different from your Win 8.1 and requiring lots of internet connection by opting (for example) to use tons of apps from the Windows Store... or you can make Win 11 essentially the same as your current setup by still relying on local apps ('legacy' apps that you download and install onto your computer yourself).

 

Basic question: Can mdietz39 buy a new Windows 11 machine, get it home, plug it in, and then work on it with no internet connection?

 

Yes. While Microsoft designed Win 11 to really, really, really get you to connect and set up a Microsoft account... there are easy workarounds to finish setup without internet... so you can, for example, set up a local account just like the old days. That said, once you finished setting up - you really should connect, to get the latest security updates, etc.

[Edit to add sample workaround link] https://www.makeuseof.com/windows-11-set-up-without-internet-connection/