Solved install windows 11 with a local account instead of a microsoft account

cokedude · Jan 6, 2024

Is there a way to install windows 11 with a local account instead of a microsoft account?

Ghot · Jan 6, 2024

cokedude said:
Is there a way to install windows 11 with a local account instead of a microsoft account?

Welcome to ElevenForum.

Step #19, here...

Clean Install Windows 11

This tutorial will show you step by step on how to clean install Windows 11 at boot on your PC with or without an Internet connection and setup with a local account or Microsoft account. Windows 11 has all the power and security of Windows 10 with a redesigned and refreshed look. It also comes...

www.elevenforum.com

tecknot · Jan 6, 2024

Hi cokedude,

See step 21 here:

Clean Install Windows 11

This tutorial will show you step by step on how to clean install Windows 11 at boot on your PC with or without an Internet connection and setup with a local account or Microsoft account. Windows 11 has all the power and security of Windows 10 with a redesigned and refreshed look. It also comes...

www.elevenforum.com

Kind regards,

tecknot

Bree · Jan 6, 2024

cokedude said:
Is there a way to install windows 11 with a local account instead of a microsoft account?

Welcome to Eleven Forum.

Yes, in fact I've just clean installed 23H2 today without connecting to the internet or using a Microsoft account.

At the initial setup screen after installing W11, press Shift+F10. This opens a command prompt. Type the command (note: there are no spaces in this command) OOBE\BypassNRO

The PC will restart and this time you'll see the option to skip connecting to the internet. You'll then be able to set it up with a local account.

trumpy81 · Jan 6, 2024

Or you can simply install Windows 11 and when asked for your Microsoft account credentials, enter a bogus email address and password.

E.G. fred@bear.com Password=bear

You will then see a message, There was an error and you will then continue on to create a Local account.

Hazel123 · Jan 21, 2024

Bree said:
Welcome to Eleven Forum.

Yes, in fact I've just clean installed 23H2 today without connecting to the internet or using a Microsoft account.

At the initial setup screen after installing W11, press Shift+F10. This opens a command prompt. Type the command (note: there are no spaces in this command) OOBE\BypassNRO

The PC will restart and this time you'll see the option to skip connecting to the internet. You'll then be able to set it up with a local account.

That’s not working - the system cannot find the path specified - are those first two zeros numbers or capital O? I didn’t leave any spaces.

Edit - this did work - it’s capital O

Dur! Of course it’s letter O - out of box experience

Hazel123 · Jan 21, 2024

trumpy81 said:
Or you can simply install Windows 11 and when asked for your Microsoft account credentials, enter a bogus email address and password.

E.G. fred@bear.com Password=bear

You will then see a message, There was an error and you will then continue on to create a Local account.

This didn’t work. It just asks you to make a new ms account.

TairikuOkami · Jan 21, 2024

cokedude said:
Is there a way to install windows 11 with a local account instead of a microsoft account?

Rufus - Free download and install on Windows | Microsoft Store

Rufus is a utility that helps format and create bootable USB flash drives, such as USB keys/pendrives, memory sticks, etc. • Official site: https://rufus.ie • Source Code: https://github.com/pbatard/rufus • ChangeLog: https://github.com/pbatard/rufus/blob/master/ChangeLog.txt

apps.microsoft.com

Bree · Jan 21, 2024

Hazel123 said:
That’s not working - the system cannot find the path specified....

Oddly, I've found that you have to type the command all in capitals.
OOBE\BYPASSNRO - works fine
OOBE\BypassNRO - can't find path

trumpy81 · Jan 21, 2024

Hazel123 said:
This didn’t work. It just asks you to make a new ms account.

Don't know what you did, but it works for me and has done many times.

Watch my poorly edited video in full screen mode, it's only 2 mins long:

The above was installing Windows 11 23H2 freshly downloaded from Microsoft.

Hazel123 · Jan 21, 2024

Bree said:
Oddly, I've found that you have to type the command all in capitals.
OOBE\BYPASSNRO - works fine
OOBE\BypassNRO - can't find path

Strange as I didn't type it all in capitals and it worked ha ha. Unless it appeared in capitals even though I didn't use caps?

ThrashZone · Jan 21, 2024

Hi,
I let rufus do all the typing hehe

jimbo45 · Jan 25, 2024

Not sure on Windows home but on Enterprise when asked for an account choose other ways to login ->choose domain and then it carries on with a local account. On Pro / Workstation editions the old nobody@nobody.com email trick stil works.

Cheers
jimbo

spapakons · Jan 26, 2024

Important: We are trying to trick Windows that we don't have an internet connection and to let us create a local account. Obviously it won't work if we are already connected to the internet! Disable Wi-Fi or disconnect the LAN cable and then try the oobe\bypassnro command again (no need to type in capitals). Stay disconnected until you have successfully created the local account and you have login to the desktop.

hsehestedt · Jan 26, 2024

spapakons said:
Important: We are trying to trick Windows that we don't have an internet connection and to let us create a local account. Obviously it won't work if we are already connected to the internet! Disable Wi-Fi or disconnect the LAN cable and then try the oobe\bypassnro command again (no need to type in capitals). Stay disconnected until you have successfully created the local account and you have login to the desktop.

If you have an Internet connection and it is not convenient to disconnect it during setup, here is another method you can use on the Pro edition of Windows:

Proceed with installation of Windows until you arrive at a screen where you have a choice to "Set up for personal use" or "Set up for work or school", select "Set up for work or school" and click on "Next".

On the next screen, select "Sign-in options", then "Domain join instead". Don't worry, we are not joining a domain!

On the next screen, supply the local username that you want to create and then continue through setup as normal.

hsehestedt · Jan 26, 2024

One more method that does not care whether you have an Internet connection or not:

You can use an autounattend.xml answer file. Normally, such a file is used to automate the installation of Windows. However, you can create an answer file that simply allows you to create a local user account and does nothing else. To use the answer file, simply copy the contents of the below example into a text file, name the file "autounattend.xml", and drop it onto the root of your Windows installation media. If you use dual partition installation media, put the file on the first partition.

XML:

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<!--
Notes about this answer file:

The purpose of this answer file is to create a local user account whether or not an Internet connection is available.

It includes a Windows 10 / 11 Pro key.

It will create a local user account named "WinUser" with a full name of "Windows User" and a password of "Password1".

END OF NOTES
-->
<unattend xmlns="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:unattend">
    <settings pass="windowsPE">
        <component name="Microsoft-Windows-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">
            <ImageInstall>
                <OSImage>
                    <InstallFrom>
                        <Path>\install.wim</Path>
                    </InstallFrom>
                </OSImage>
            </ImageInstall>
            <UserData>
                <ProductKey>
                    <Key>VK7JG-NPHTM-C97JM-9MPGT-3V66T</Key>
                </ProductKey>
                <AcceptEula>true</AcceptEula>
            </UserData>
        </component>
    </settings>
    <settings pass="oobeSystem">
        <component name="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">
            <UserAccounts>
                <LocalAccounts>
                    <LocalAccount wcm:action="add">
                        <Password>
                            <Value>UABhAHMAcwB3AG8AcgBkADEAUABhAHMAcwB3AG8AcgBkAA==</Value>
                            <PlainText>false</PlainText>
                        </Password>
                        <DisplayName>Windows User</DisplayName>
                        <Group>Administrators</Group>
                        <Name>WinUser</Name>
                    </LocalAccount>
                </LocalAccounts>
            </UserAccounts>
            <OOBE>
                <HideWirelessSetupInOOBE>true</HideWirelessSetupInOOBE>
                <UnattendEnableRetailDemo>false</UnattendEnableRetailDemo>
                <HideEULAPage>true</HideEULAPage>
                <HideOEMRegistrationScreen>true</HideOEMRegistrationScreen>
                <HideOnlineAccountScreens>true</HideOnlineAccountScreens>
                <ProtectYourPC>1</ProtectYourPC>
            </OOBE>
        </component>
    </settings>
</unattend>

trumpy81 · Jan 26, 2024

hsehestedt said:
<settings pass="windowsPE">

Your unattend example, is this intended for a WinPE build?

I ask because I have not used an unattend file before and I noticed the above in the example file you posted.

markw51 · Jan 26, 2024

Just disable your internet connection and it installs fine with a local account. As Windows does not install the drivers for my laptops wireless card, I have no choice but to install with a local account.

MisterEd · Jan 26, 2024

markw51 said:
Just disable your internet connection and it installs fine with a local account. As Windows does not install the drivers for my laptops wireless card, I have no choice but to install with a local account.

I reinstalled Windows 11 Pro a few months ago on my laptop. The setup didn't install a driver for the WiFi. It refused to continue without the Internet connected. I had to connect to the Ethernet port to continue. I could have bypassed this requirement but I chose not to.

When it asked me to log into my Microsoft account I used: Username = username & Password = password
This login failed so I got the message."Oops, something went wrong". I was then asked to create a local account.

I have doing it this way to get around the requirement for a Microsoft account for 2 or 3 years now. It has never failed.

hsehestedt · Jan 26, 2024

trumpy81 said:
Your unattend example, is this intended for a WinPE build?

I ask because I have not used an unattend file before and I noticed the above in the example file you posted.

No, it's for Windows 10 or 11. The reference to Windows PE is because Windows Setup runs on Windows PE.

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