Solved Why is a clean install so hard?

TM21 · Apr 30, 2023

One Drive for me has been a non-issue. It was one of the first POS that I deleted after installing Win-11.
I just looked in my Users folder and there was a One Drive folder there, but it was empty, so I just deleted it. No muss, no fuss!

Winuser · May 4, 2023

I just setup my new Beelink Mini PC and I was given the option to continue without the internet. I was going to try hitting Shift + F10 but was pleased to find that I didn't have too. I can also happily say that all of my user folders are on the C: drive and OneDrive didn't take over. The PC came with Windows 11 Pro version 21H2 build 22000.318. I don't know if newer builds have removed this option or not. The one thing I did have trouble with was trying to use a Macrium repair USB drive to image the drisk before I made any changes. Some of the fonts were cut off and on certain areas the mouse cursor acted like I was using the eraser in Paint. I did finally manage to make the image.

Try3 · May 4, 2023

Winuser said:
I just setup my new Beelink Mini PC and I was given the option to continue without the internet. I was going to try hitting Shift + F10 but was pleased to find that I didn't have too.

You're not the first to report this recently.
I've done three OOBE procedures within the last week or so and I was not presented with the continue without the internet option until after I'd used Shift-F10 then the bypassnro thing.
The ISO from which my install USB was created was downloaded on the 28th of January 2023 [22H2]. Was yours a more recent one?

All the best,
Denis

pparks1 · May 4, 2023

I've not had any problems with the install. I either use an MS account, or I provide a fake username/password combo and then it lets me continue with a local account. Rest of install has been really straight forward.

Winuser · May 4, 2023

Try3 said:
You're not the first to report this recently.
I've done three OOBE procedures within the last week or so and I was not presented with the continue without the internet option until after I'd used Shift-F10 then the bypassnro thing.
The ISO from which my install USB was created was downloaded on the 28th of January 2023 [22H2]. Was yours a more recent one?

All the best,
Denis

It was version 21H2. I just made a second image using the free version of Macrium within Windows. Now I'm going to do all the updates.

Winuser · May 4, 2023

pparks1 said:
I've not had any problems with the install. I either use an MS account, or I provide a fake username/password combo and then it lets me continue with a local account. Rest of install has been really straight forward.

I was hoping to be able to have to use one of the tricks to bypass needing the internet and a account just for testing.

MisterEd · May 4, 2023

Note my comments below are based upon my preference on using simple easy to use methods rather than more complicated ones to install Windows 11.

I noticed in a couple recent review of mini PCs that they came with Windows 11 21H2 instead of 22H2. I wonder if that was because with 22H2 you didn't have an option to install Windows 11 without an Internet connection.

Does anyone know why a lot of people want to install Windows 11 without an Internet connection? Like I said that 21H2 allowed you to use a local account instead of a Microsoft one if you didn't have an Internet connection. Since 22H2 doesn't allow that is there any other reason why some people still want to install Windows 11 without an Internet connection?

I also use the fake Microsoft account method to allow me to start with a local account. Through experimentation I found that not all fake accounts will work. I decided that it best to use a fake Microsoft account name that was easy to remember. I use the following fake Microsoft account.
Username: username
Password: password

Winuser · May 4, 2023

MisterEd said:
Does anyone know why a lot of people want to install Windows 11 without an Internet connection?

I know why I do it. MS doesn't want to add the option to choose your user name and the fact that OneDrive now wants to put all Users folders in the cloud instead of being local.

cereberus · May 4, 2023

Sammy888 said:
I read Windows 12 beta will be out shortly with an expected target launch date in 2024.

If it was me I'd say forget Windows 11 (if you have the option). If in the future you need to reinstall Windows then stay with Windows 10. That's what I'm going to do.

Not everything on the web is true LOL!

MisterEd · May 4, 2023

Sammy888 said:
I read Windows 12 beta will be out shortly with an expected target launch date in 2024.

If it was me I'd say forget Windows 11 (if you have the option). If in the future you need to reinstall Windows then stay with Windows 10. That's what I'm going to do.

Resistance is futile!

Try3 · May 5, 2023

MisterEd said:
Does anyone know why a lot of people want to install Windows 11 without an Internet connection? Like I said that 21H2 allowed you to use a local account instead of a Microsoft one if you didn't have an Internet connection. Since 22H2 doesn't allow that is there any other reason why some people still want to install Windows 11 without an Internet connection?

Avoiding an internet connection in 22H2 OOBE does allow you to create a local account still & I expect that the same applies to a 22H2 clean install

All the best,
Denis

MisterEd · May 5, 2023

Try3 said:
Avoiding an internet connection in 22H2 OOBE does allow you to create a local account still & I expect that the same applies to a 22H2 clean install

All the best,
Denis

The annoying part is you have to use the OOBE or any other workaround at all. Microsoft should have allowed people to install Windows 11 without an Internet connection and create a local account from the start. With 21H2 at least they allowed people to do that with Windows 11 Pro. That option was removed in 22H2.

With Windows 11 21H2 Home you are stopped during setup if you don't have an Internet connection. You can't go further until you do. A workaround is required to bypass this and create a local account.

Windows 21H2 Home

With Windows 11 21H2 Pro you have an option to bypass not having an Internet connection. When you select this you are allowed to create a local account.

Windows 21H2 Pro #1

Windows 21H2 Pro #2

Windows 21H2 Pro #3

With Windows 11 22H2 neither Home or Pro allows you to bypass having an Internet connection without a workaround. You never even get to create an account.

Windows 11 22H2 Home

Windows 11 22H2 Pro

Hazel123 · May 5, 2023

It's not hard. But installing Windows 10 was easier. First thing I do is uninstall one drive.

Winuser · May 5, 2023

MisterEd said:
The annoying part is you have to use the OOBE or any other workaround at all. Microsoft should have allowed people to install Windows 11 without an Internet connection and create a local account from the start. With 21H2 at least they allowed people to do that with Windows 11 Pro. That option was removed in 22H2.

I can sum it up with just one word. OneDrive.

Sammy888 · May 24, 2023

Hazel123 said:
It's not hard. But installing Windows 10 was easier. First thing I do is uninstall one drive.

Many are reverting back to W10 despite it's getting nearer to it's EOL.

Sammy888 · May 24, 2023

Winuser said:
I can sum it up with just one word. OneDrive.

OneDrive installation=evil

cereberus · May 24, 2023

Sammy888 said:
OneDrive installation=evil

What a load of garbage.
The only people who whinge about it are tight fisted pillocks.

Winuser · May 24, 2023

cereberus said:
What a load of garbage.
The only people who whinge about it are tight fisted pillocks.

I can truthfully say that I find OneDrive very useful. My reply in post #54 was about MS making OneDrive the default location for the Users' folders. IMHO, OneDrive should be an opt in choice and not an opt out choice. I can just imagine how many average users will buy the extra storage space because they don't know that the folders can be moved locally.

Ell201275 · Jun 10, 2023

So to clarify, there is NO WAY to automatically include the OOBE Bypass thing as part of the install media?
Is there not something I can add to the Windows 11 22H2 .iso to achieve this?

Try3 · Jun 11, 2023

Ell201275 said:
So to clarify, there is NO WAY to automatically include the OOBE Bypass thing as part of the install media?
Is there not something I can add to the Windows 11 22H2 .iso to achieve this?

No method that anybody has yet discovered & posted, at any rate.

Denis

Solved Why is a clean install so hard?

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