Unlock Windows 11: Effortlessly Bypass the Microsoft Account Requirement

Introduction

Discover a simple yet effective trick to bypass the Microsoft Account requirement during your Windows 11 setup, enabling the use of a local account despite Microsoft’s increasing restrictions.

Increasing Restrictions by Microsoft

With the launch of Windows 11, Microsoft has progressively tightened the noose on the use of local accounts, pushing users towards using a Microsoft Account to leverage full cloud-based functionalities of the operating system.

Recent Changes and Workarounds

Previously, the ‘BypassNRO.cmd’ script facilitated this bypass, but it was removed from Windows 11 preview builds last week. Although the Registry commands from the script still function, they now require manual input or editing, complicating the process.

New Method to Bypass the Requirement

As reported by BleepingComputer and shared by user Wither OrNot, there exists a new, straightforward method to circumvent the Microsoft Account sign-in during the initial setup:

1. When prompted to “Let’s connect you to a network,” utilize the Shift+F10 keyboard shortcut to open a command prompt.
2. Type start ms-cxh:localonly and press Enter.
3. This command opens a window to set up a new local account.

Completing the Installation with a Local Account

After entering your details and clicking Next, Windows 11 continues the installation using the new local account, bypassing the Microsoft Account login.

Verification of Local Account Usage

Post-installation, confirm the use of a local account by accessing your account details through the Start menu, as illustrated below.

Future Outlook

Whether Microsoft will eliminate this bypass technique in future updates remains uncertain. However, given its deeper integration into the system compared to a standalone script, removing it could prove challenging for Microsoft.