Advice needed for activating & configuring new installation

In the next day or two I'm going to receive a new Surface Pro 8 for my wife. This will be my first experience with Win11 and my first use of Windows Home in over 10 years. By the end of the installation and configuration process I want to be on Win11Pro and have two local admin accounts with the profile names of my choosing.

I've seen the various conflicting postings about the need for internet connection, but I can't tell whether that is a requirement just during the OOBE period or if local accounts simply cannot exist (now for Home and in the future for Pro). Would someone clarify this for me?

1. It sounds like - for a while - I might be able to convince Windows I don't have an internet connection and define local accounts. Is that correct? That would let me define the profile names I want even if I later had to use an MS account.
2. Does an additional account - a "family" account - require its own MS account so I'll have to go through this process twice?
3. I know I would still need to connect to my MS account in order to upgrade from Home to Pro. Would I be able to do this from a local account, or would I have to switch to logging on with my MS account? (I would obviously have to log onto my MS account to buy and download the upgrade, but I'm hoping that could be separate from my Windows logon.)
   
4. If #1 does not work and I have to use my MS account to set up the first user account I'll have to go through the profile rename process. I see it's documented at Change Name of User Profile Folder in Windows 11 Tutorial
   I know it went through a process to acheive the same thing once on Win10 but don't remember it being as long a process. Has this changed between Win10 and Win11, or did I just suppress memory of the details?
   
5. Is there an advantage to upgrading from Home to Pro as soon as I have one user defined?
6. Is there an advantage to doing a clean reinstall as soon as I'm on Pro and start over again defining users?
   
7. If I have a Macrium Reflect recovery USB drive that will boot on this new computer (and I have no idea if I do), should I boot up the Reflect recovery system and take a backup before I do my first boot of Windows, or is there some magic that requires the first boot of the device be into the Windows OOBE environment?

1. When you get the computer you won't have much choice but no harm in trying.
You can try turning off your router while setting up the computer as currently it is not enforced to have a Cloud account.

2. No, just set up your account. Once you get yours set and get upgraded to Pro you can make all local accounts very easily

3. Yes, You should first upgrade to Windows 11 Pro if you're going to do that before worrying about other family accounts, etc.

Upgrade Windows Home to Windows Pro

4. Possibly, but if really needed I or others can assist you in removing the other account if wanted.

5. Yes, adding more accounts is much easier in Pro than in Home in my opinion. Full control over it. Home is limited control over it.

6. No, not really on a brand new machine. I probably would not do it if I were you.

7. It could potentially be a good learning experience but not sure it would really gain you all that much. No harm in trying it though

pokeefe0001 said:

I've seen the various conflicting postings about the need for internet connection, but I can't tell whether that is a requirement just during the OOBE period or if local accounts simply cannot exist (now for Home and in the future for Pro). Would someone clarify this for me?

1. It sounds like - for a while - I might be able to convince Windows I don't have an internet connection and define local accounts. Is that correct? That would let me define the profile names I want even if I later had to use an MS account.

Click to expand...

The OOBE for Home does not offer to skip connecting to the internet, and once connected it does not off the option to set up the first account as a local account. It only accepts a Microsoft account.

There is however a workaround that lets you bypass these requirements and set up Wndows 11 Home with a local account. See the note at Step 16 in this tutorial.

pokeefe0001 said:

Does an additional account - a "family" account - require its own MS account so I'll have to go through this process twice?

Click to expand...

pass...

pokeefe0001 said:

I know I would still need to connect to my MS account in order to upgrade from Home to Pro. Would I be able to do this from a local account, or would I have to switch to logging on with my MS account? (I would obviously have to log onto my MS account to buy and download the upgrade, but I'm hoping that could be separate from my Windows logon.)

Click to expand...

Once you have a Windows 10/11 Pro key, then you don't need to be signed in with a MS account to upgrade. Just change the installed key to the Pro key. If you already have a Win7 Pro or win8 Pro key that's not in use, then that can also be used to upgrade 10/11 Home to Pro.

pokeefe0001 said:

If #1 does not work and I have to use my MS account to set up the first user account I'll have to go through the profile rename process. I see it's documented at Change Name of User Profile Folder in Windows 11 Tutorial
I know it went through a process to acheive the same thing once on Win10 but don't remember it being as long a process. Has this changed between Win10 and Win11, or did I just suppress memory of the details?

Click to expand...

Don't worry, you'll be able to set up Home with a local account.

pokeefe0001 said:

Is there an advantage to upgrading from Home to Pro as soon as I have one user defined?
Is there an advantage to doing a clean reinstall as soon as I'm on Pro and start over again defining users?

Click to expand...

Not really. In particular, you may have to find and reinstall drivers after a clean install.

pokeefe0001 said:

If I have a Macrium Reflect recovery USB drive that will boot on this new computer (and I have no idea if I do), should I boot up the Reflect recovery system and take a backup before I do my first boot of Windows, or is there some magic that requires the first boot of the device be into the Windows OOBE environment?

Click to expand...

The Macrium boot usb should be capable of UEFI boot and should work, mine does. Making an image before you start sounds eminently sensible.

AdvancedSetup said:

1. When you get the computer you won't have much choice but no harm in trying.
You can try turning off your router while setting up the computer as currently it is not enforced to have a Cloud account.

Click to expand...

Actually, without setting up a wireless connection or attaching hub with an Ethernet port (which I think I ordered) I'll be offline anyway.-

AdvancedSetup said:

4. Possibly, but if really needed I or others can assist you in removing the other account if wanted.

Click to expand...

Oh, you can be sure I'll be back if I need to go that route.

AdvancedSetup said:

7. It could potentially be a good learning experience but not sure it would really gain you all that much. No harm in trying it though

Click to expand...

My thought was that I could return the device to its out-of-the-box state if I really mess things up. I guess I could go a clean reinstall but a restore would be easier.

Should be many ways to restore back to the factory install, but not quite the exact same OOBE experience the vendor sets up.

Macrium should be able to back it up in its current state

Thank you both for your comments. The computer is supposed to arrive Thursday but I probably won't get to it until the weekend. Then I'm very likely to have more questions.

pokeefe0001 said:

In the next day or two I'm going to receive a new Surface Pro 8 for my wife. This will be my first experience with Win11 and my first use of Windows Home in over 10 years. By the end of the installation and configuration process I want to be on Win11Pro and have two local admin accounts with the profile names of my choosing.

I've seen the various conflicting postings about the need for internet connection, but I can't tell whether that is a requirement just during the OOBE period or if local accounts simply cannot exist (now for Home and in the future for Pro). Would someone clarify this for me?

1. It sounds like - for a while - I might be able to convince Windows I don't have an internet connection and define local accounts. Is that correct? That would let me define the profile names I want even if I later had to use an MS account.
2. Does an additional account - a "family" account - require its own MS account so I'll have to go through this process twice?
3. I know I would still need to connect to my MS account in order to upgrade from Home to Pro. Would I be able to do this from a local account, or would I have to switch to logging on with my MS account? (I would obviously have to log onto my MS account to buy and download the upgrade, but I'm hoping that could be separate from my Windows logon.)
4. If #1 does not work and I have to use my MS account to set up the first user account I'll have to go through the profile rename process. I see it's documented at Change Name of User Profile Folder in Windows 11 Tutorial
   I know it went through a process to acheive the same thing once on Win10 but don't remember it being as long a process. Has this changed between Win10 and Win11, or did I just suppress memory of the details?
5. Is there an advantage to upgrading from Home to Pro as soon as I have one user defined?
6. Is there an advantage to doing a clean reinstall as soon as I'm on Pro and start over again defining users?
7. If I have a Macrium Reflect recovery USB drive that will boot on this new computer (and I have no idea if I do), should I boot up the Reflect recovery system and take a backup before I do my first boot of Windows, or is there some magic that requires the first boot of the device be into the Windows OOBE environment?

Click to expand...

If you have a Microsoft account, you can just complete the setup using the account, upgrade to Pro, then convert it into a local account. If need be, create a new local account after that and delete the first account. This is the simplest way to do it.

That said, you CAN bypass the Microsoft account requirement during OOBE setup using multiple methods. One method is to press the back button (I think it shows up on top left) when it asks for Microsoft account. Pressing the back button will actually present you with a screen to continue with a local account instead.

I have done a few Windows 11 Home installations for some laptops that detect a Windows 8.1 Home Windows 10 Home key in BIOS and won't let me choose Pro. I always create a local account, since I don't know my customer's Microsoft account in advance and some may not even have one. To do that you must stay disconnected from the Internet. Do not plug the LAN cable, do not connect to a wireless network until you login with your local account and you see the desktop for the first time.

The old trick was to close the Network connection window by pressing ALT+F4. This trick no longer works.

The new trick is to open a Command Prompt window by pressing SHIFT+F10 and then run the command Taskmgr to open Task Manager. The default is a small window showing only running applications. Click on the "More details" to see the full Task Manager and then go to the Details tab. Scroll down to find OOBENetworksetup (or similar) process. Click on it to select and then click on End Task. Click on Yes to confirm. This closes the Network connection window and then you are asked for a local account.

After you are logged with your first local account (administrator rights by default) you can create additional local accounts either administrator or standard user. You don't need a Microsoft account, unless you want to download apps/games from Windows Store or login on a game to keep progress. Even then you can set to use the Microsoft account only for certain games/apps and do not convert your local account to Microsoft account.

To upgrade to Windows 11 Pro with a Windows 7/8/8.1/10 Pro key, go to Settings, System, Activation, Change your product key and enter your key. Click next to proceed. If you don't have a key yet, you can upgrade to Pro using the default key VK7JG-NPHTM-C97JM-9MPGT-3V66T. Disconnect from the internet first to avoid checking the key and blocking the upgrade. After the upgrade is complete you have 30 days to test Windows 11 Pro before replacing the key to activate. To go back in Home, disconnect from the internet and change the key to your Home key or to the default Home key YTMG3-N6DKC-DKB77-7M9GH-8HVX7. Needless to say that the default keys do not activate, you need a valid 7/8/8.1/10/11 key to activate.

The advantage of Pro is to use features such as login to your work domain, bitlocker and others not available on the Home version. There is no effect in performance, unless you upgrade to the special Windows 11 for Workstations version reserved for workstations and costing almost 1000€!

If your computer has a Windows 8.1/10 Home key in BIOS, you will never be able to clean-install Windows 11 Pro. The key is detected from Windows Setup and automatically selects the Windows 11 Home version without any chance to change it. You must first install Home and then upgrade to Pro see above.

If you want to do a Macrium backup, there is no point doing it before the OOBE (Out Of the Box Experience) stage where you create your first account. I would create all the user accounts, install all drivers and applications and then do a backup. If I ever needed to restore this backup, I wouldn't have to start from scratch. What would be the point of doing a backup before the OOBE stage? I would just reinstall Windows 11 again.

spapakons said:

I have done a few Windows 11 Home installations for some laptops that detect a Windows 8.1 Home Windows 10 Home key in BIOS and won't let me choose Pro. I always create a local account, since I don't know my customer's Microsoft account in advance and some may not even have one. To do that you must stay disconnected from the Internet. Do not plug the LAN cable, do not connect to a wireless network until you login with your local account and you see the desktop for the first time.

The old trick was to close the Network connection window by pressing ALT+F4. This trick no longer works.

The new trick is to open a Command Prompt window by pressing SHIFT+F10 and then run the command Taskmgr to open Task Manager. The default is a small window showing only running applications. Click on the "More details" to see the full Task Manager and then go to the Details tab. Scroll down to find OOBENetworksetup (or similar) process. Click on it to select and then click on End Task. Click on Yes to confirm. This closes the Network connection window and then you are asked for a local account.

Click to expand...

These workarounds no longer work with the newest insider version of Windows 11 Home or Pro (22557). I could find no method of continuing the install without an internet connection. In Windows 11 Pro, you can install with a local account still if you pick the domain connected install option, but an internet connection is still required to get to that point.

My advice fwiw is soon as you are are up and running create a Macrium image before you do anything then you got the option to start again if needed. and make a few of them during installation of software and programs. That proved invaluable on my test machine

NavyLCDR said:

These workarounds no longer work with the newest insider version of Windows 11 Home or Pro (22557). I could find no method of continuing the install without an internet connection.

Click to expand...

I've just tested that with a UUPDump ISO for 22557. This one works to restore the 'I don't have internet' option, even in Home.

The-Hive said:

My advice fwiw is soon as you are are up and running create a Macrium image before you do anything ...

Click to expand...

My plan - if it works - is to boot from a Reflect recovery USB drive and take a backup before I even try booting up Windows. That may not work given the limited number of ports on the tablet. I'll have to use a USB hub that wasn't present on the laptop that created the recovery medium. Hopefully the needed drivers will be there.

In any case I will take a backup as soon as I have Windows up and Reflect installed.

You can never have too many back-ups

Bree said:

I've just tested that with a UUPDump ISO for 22557. This one works to restore the 'I don't have internet' option, even in Home.

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Click to expand...

Awesome find!

Are you sure? Not even the trick with the Task Manager works? Please confirm. In that case I would install Windows 10 or the original Windows 11 version (RTM), create a local account and then upgrade to the specific build offline using the ISO.

I just remembered another workaround! I would avoid OOBE stage and login in audit mode by pressing CTRL+SHIFT+F3. This skips temporarily the OOBE stage and login with the Local Administrator account. I would then create a new local account, then restart. I am not sure if you can then use this account and skip OOBE permanently, not tested. But looks like a plan. I guess I should login to the new local account by using the change user feature before restarting.

spapakons said:

Are you sure? Not even the trick with the Task Manager works?

Click to expand...

see my post #11. There's at least one way to still install with just a local account in build 22557.

NavyLCDR said:

Awesome find!

Click to expand...

I have @paulhatton to thank for first alerting me to that one.

Well, this has been an interesting experience. My lack of familiarity with the Surface Pro 8 (or any Surface) led me down unintended paths.

My first step was going to be to take A Macrium Reflect image backup of the device before bringing up Windows, but that required my getting to Boot Setup in BIOS and I misinterpreted the instructions for getting into BIOS. Hold the volume-up button while pressing the power-on button. Simple ... except that I held the volume-up key on the keyboard. (Dumb! The keyboard is optional on a Surface Pro tablet.) But that means I booted into the Windows OOBE environment instead of BIOS. Some of the online doc said volume-down rather than volume-up so I tried multiple times succeeding. That may have resulted in strange OOBE behavior later on (although that doesn't make much sense to me).

Once I got my backup taken and entered the OOBE environment I tried the Alt+F4 which, as expected, did nothing, but Shift+F10 also did nothing. With no way to get a command prompt I decided to go with the fake userid and password route. If that didn't work I'd give up and use my MS account. But Windows never asked to use my MS account! It just asked for a user name / password and created a local admin account. I'm not arguing with success, but I don't get it. When I created a 2nd account it did its usual request for MS account info (to which I pleaded ignorance) so I know that process is still part of user setup, but I didn't have to go through that when setting up the 1st account. Very odd.

I also did not have to go through an activation of Windows. I just checked my MS account and it knows about this tablet, but I assume that's because I ordered the tablet directly from MS. Does MS provide an already activated copy of Windows in that case?

The device came with Win 11 21H2 build 22000.282. It downloaded a bunch of maintenance but didn't install it until I told it to download more (after all the above futzing around). Then it went to build 22000.493. I have no idea what the OOBE would have been at that level.

The OOBE is the initial configuration where you create your first user account. If already done, you don't see it again.

spapakons said:

The OOBE is the initial configuration where you create your first user account. If already done, you don't see it again.

Click to expand...

I understand that. What I don't understand is why it let me create a local account with no fuss. In fact, it didn't even give me the option of using my MS account for that first user. (Windows, not the OOBE stuff, did try to get me to use an MS account for additional user accounts.) That seems to be contrary to what I was reading about Home (now) and Pro (in the future).

I have absolutely no complaints, but I don't understand.