A new way to create a local user account - better than oobe\bypassnro

garlin · Tuesday at 9:55 AM

These are options from the Unattended file. Might as well just copy a template file to your USB.

Oh wait, Rufus can do that...

Code:

        <settings pass="oobeSystem">
me="Microsoft-Windows-Shell-Setup" processorArchitecture="amd64" publicKeyToken="31bf3856ad364e35" language="neutral" versionScope="nonSxS" xmlns:wcm="http://schemas.microsoft.com/WMIConfig/2002/State" xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance">
                        <OOBE>
                                <HideEULAPage>true</HideEULAPage>
                                <HideLocalAccountScreen>true</HideLocalAccountScreen>
                                <HideOnlineAccountScreens>true</HideOnlineAccountScreens>
                                <HideWirelessSetupInOOBE>true</HideWirelessSetupInOOBE>
                                <NetworkLocation>Work</NetworkLocation>
                                <ProtectYourPC>3</ProtectYourPC>
                        </OOBE>
                        <UserAccounts>
                                <LocalAccounts>
                                        <LocalAccount wcm:action="add">
                                                <Group>Administrators</Group>
                                                <Name>GARLIN</Name>
                                                <Password>
                                                        <PlainText>true</PlainText>
                                                        <Value></Value>
                                                </Password>
                                        </LocalAccount>
                                </LocalAccounts>
                        </UserAccounts>
                </component>
        </settings

cereberus · Tuesday at 10:44 AM

Actually, I just realised the method in this thread (start ms-cxh:localonly) is essentially the same method as in

Creating Local account in Windows 11 v24H2 build 26100.1742 by Chris Waite

Hello everyone, A new way to create local account in Windows 11 v24H2 is in the video. Please visit the link. {Courtesy :-The video on youtube by Chris Waite} The link is Thanking Chris Waite, 1. Run Windows 11 setup by bootable media. After installation process is completed, the pc restarts...

www.elevenforum.com

The command used there is a bit more complicated and is case sensitive:-

WinJS.Application.restart("ms-cxh://LOCALONLY")

I always found above to be a bit cumbersome, so I pasted it in a text file to avoid case sensitive typing errors.

start ms-cxh:localonly is much easier to type apart from minor detail, my brain always wants me to type xch rather than cxh LOL.

Again, I have pasted it into a text file to cut and paste easily into command prompt.

Note: when the local account screen pops up, I just click on password box and repeat password box without entering any text (i.e. no password).
This also saves a bit of initial setup time as you do not have to enter the slightly tedious three security answers. Of course, you can add password once setup.

garlin · 2025-04-03T01:03:27-0400

hexacorn (a noted Windows security researcher) listed the Cloud Experience Host (ms-cxh) handlers three years ago. But no one noticed.
ms-cxh and ms-cxh-full handlers | Hexacorn

The W11 (not W10) version of ms-cxh://localonly is ms-cxh://setaddlocalonly

glasskuter · 2025-04-03T03:42:27-0400

So @garlin, are you saying that at command prompt during install we should be entering
start ms-cxh://setaddlocalonly instead of start ms-cxh:localonly
OR are you saying we just enter ms-cxh://setaddlocalonly
with or without the "start" in front of it"????

You know how all this Greek scripting and command line stuff you, @pseymour and @hsehestedt spout out confuses this old woman. I do good to speak English.

garlin · 2025-04-03T11:54:42-0400

Windows has a hidden list of resource handlers, basically shortcuts to access a built-in feature.

Create Shortcuts to Open Pages in Settings in Windows 11
List of URI Commands to Open Microsoft Store Apps in Windows 11

If you're in CMD, "start [handler]" asks Explorer to find the resource handler and launch it for us. When you type a Run Command (WIN + R), that's Explorer opening the same command. CMD always requires the start in front, but Explorer doesn't require it.

start ms-screensketch
start http://elevenforums.com

OOBE registers a set of cxh ("Connected Experience Handlers"), which are shortcuts to different OOBE screens. Why do they exist? Most retail users only see a small part of the entire OOBE experience, the other two-thirds is written for corporate clients running Autopilot to set up Windows PC's. IT admins may need to restart part of a failed Autopilot sequence.

ms-cxh://localonly is the W10 script, it has the W10 dark theme
ms-cxh://setaddlocalonly is the W11 script, it has the W11 light theme

Basically the same function, but updated for W11.

Also, all ms-cxh handlers are live on your Windows system. If you wanted to create a new user, without using the Settings app, run start ms-cxh://localonly. The only problem is it's designed to run from OOBE, and doesn't know how to exit when finished. You have to kill the window yourself.

cereberus · 2025-04-03T14:34:37-0400

hsehestedt said:
I always do it on the first OOBE screen. At least for oobe\bypassnro, those screens will be presented again anyway after the reboot so I see no point in going through those screens more than once, but with start ms-cxh:localonly this is not the case. It skips all the screens after you enter the command (which I like!).

Mine still went through some privacy screens

garlin said:
Windows has a hidden list of resource handlers, basically shortcuts to access a built-in feature.

Create Shortcuts to Open Pages in Settings in Windows 11
List of URI Commands to Open Microsoft Store Apps in Windows 11

If you're in CMD, "start [handler]" asks Explorer to find the resource handler and launch it for us. When you type a Run Command (WIN + R), that's Explorer opening the same command. CMD always requires the start in front, but Explorer doesn't require it.

start ms-screensketch
start http://elevenforums.com

OOBE registers a set of cxh ("Connected Experience Handlers"), which are shortcuts to different OOBE screens. Why do they exist? Most retail users only see a small part of the entire OOBE experience, the other two-thirds is written for corporate clients running Autopilot to set up Windows PC's. IT admins may need to restart part of a failed Autopilot sequence.

ms-cxh://localonly is the W10 script, it has the W10 dark theme
ms-cxh://setaddlocalonly is the W11 script, it has the W11 light theme

Basically the same function, but updated for W11.

Also, all ms-cxh handlers are live on your Windows system. If you wanted to create a new user, without using the Settings app, run start ms-cxh://localonly. The only problem is it's designed to run from OOBE, and doesn't know how to exit when finished. You have to kill the window yourself.

Not sure I can see point of using w11 version as more to remember, and whether to us pesky forward or back slashes to remember.

Personally, I don't give a rat's posterior about like or dark theme at this point of oobe.

Persona78 · 2025-04-03T15:00:27-0400

Hi!
I rebuild my windows ISO with this lines in registry on boot.wim and install.wim and it will show " I don't have internet connection" option and like that i can create a local account.

HKLM:\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\OOBE BypassNRO dword 1
HKLM:\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Authentication\LogonUI\UserSwitch Enabled dword 1

It worked for me...

hsehestedt · 2025-04-03T16:58:14-0400

cereberus said:
Not sure I can see point of using w11 version as more to remember, and whether to us pesky forward or back slashes to remember.

The backslash thing is easy to remember. For paths on disk, registry, etc. it is always a backslash. For any parameters it is always forward slash.

I've also seen people confused by which is which. A backslash has the top of slash facing backwards while a forward slash has the top facing forward. Easy

hsehestedt · 2025-04-03T17:03:35-0400

Persona78 said:
I rebuild my windows ISO with this lines in registry on boot.wim and install.wim and it will show " I don't have internet connection" option and like that i can create a local account.

That is one way to do it, but it's my personal favorite way to go about it. the problem with that method is that anytime you download a new ISO image, for example, a newer build, you have modify the ISO again. Also, what if you want to keep an original unmodified ISO? Now you have to keep 2 separate ISO images. Yuck!

Of course that may be fine for some people, but my preference is to use a simple answer file to create the local account. This way I need to make zero changes to the original ISO image which saves a lot of time and effort. Also, I can recycle the same answer file for any and all Windows ISO images I may download in the future so it takes zero effort for those new ISO images.

Again, that is merely my personal preference. Just noting it as a possible alternative.

A new way to create a local user account - better than oobe\bypassnro

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