Microsoft keeps nudging users toward signing in with an online account, but you can still complete setup offline and use a local account — the exact method depends on your Windows 11 build. 1- When ...

While the initial version of Windows 11 version 25H2 works like previous versions when it comes to workarounds that enable one to install the system using a local account, that’s about to change. This ...

Microsoft's latest Insider Preview, Build 26220.6772, introduces a significant policy change: removal of known workarounds to skip Microsoft Account setup during Windows 11 installation (OOBE).

Not long ago, a single command line was enough to bypass the mandatory Microsoft account requirement during the Windows 11 OOBE (Out-of-Box Experience) setup process. But that loophole is now closed ...

Microsoft is once again tightening its grip on the Windows 11 setup process, disabling another popular workaround for creating a local user account. The change, detailed in the latest Insider Preview ...

Microsoft is blocking another way to choose a local account in Windows 11. You'd force a local account by disconnecting from the network. The block is currently in place in the latest Windows 11 ...

Microsoft is tightening the reins on new installations of Windows 11 with stricter Microsoft account requirements. As participants in the Windows Insider Program have ...

Microsoft is removing more methods that help users create local Windows accounts and bypass the Microsoft account requirement when installing Windows 11. The change ...

Microsoft is tightening its grip on the Windows installation process by blocking all known methods for setting up the system without a Microsoft account. This change, already active in the latest ...

Microsoft has started stopping the setup tricks that let people create a local account or install Windows 11 without signing in to a Microsoft account. The company now asks for an internet connection ...

Microsoft really doesn’t want you creating a local account on Windows 11. Microsoft really doesn’t want you creating a local account on Windows 11. is a senior editor and author of Notepad, who has ...

You can set up Windows 11 without a Microsoft account by using Shift + F10 during setup to access the Command Prompt, and typing oobe\bypassnro or start ms-cxh:localonly if the first option doesn’t ...