Advice needed for activating & configuring new installation


pokeefe0001

Well-known member
Member
VIP
Local time
2:07 AM
Posts
217
Location
Pacific Northwest USA
OS
Windows 11
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?
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 11
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Microsoft
    CPU
    Intel Core i5-8400
    Motherboard
    ASUS PRIME H370-PLUS
    Memory
    16GB
    Graphics Card(s)
    Intel UHD Graphics 630
    Sound Card
    On board
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Samsung SyncMaster 2043BWX
    Screen Resolution
    1680 x 1050
    Hard Drives
    Samsung SSD 850 256GB
    WDC 1TB NVMe
    WD 3TB external USB drive
    PSU
    I don't remember
    Case
    Corsair something-or-other
    Cooling
    Air CPU + 2 case fans
    Keyboard
    DAS S Pro (Cherry Brown)
    Mouse
    Logitech USB of some sort
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
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 10
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    MSI Custom build
    CPU
    Intel i9-9900K
    Motherboard
    MSI MPG Z390 Gaming Edge AC
    Memory
    64GB
    Graphics Card(s)
    EVGA GeForce GTX 1070 TI
    Internet Speed
    1 Gbps
    Browser
    Firefox
    Antivirus
    Malwarebytes
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.
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.


Does an additional account - a "family" account - require its own MS account so I'll have to go through this process twice?
pass...
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.)
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.
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?
Don't worry, you'll be able to set up Home with a local account.
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?
Not really. In particular, you may have to find and reinstall drivers after a clean install.
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?
The Macrium boot usb should be capable of UEFI boot and should work, mine does. Making an image before you start sounds eminently sensible.
 
Last edited:

My Computers

System One System Two

  • OS
    Windows 11 Home
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Acer Aspire 3 A315-23
    CPU
    AMD Athlon Silver 3050U
    Memory
    8GB
    Graphics Card(s)
    Radeon Graphics
    Monitor(s) Displays
    laptop screen
    Screen Resolution
    1366x768 native resolution, up to 2560x1440 with Radeon Virtual Super Resolution
    Hard Drives
    1TB Samsung EVO 870 SSD
    Internet Speed
    50 Mbps
    Browser
    Edge, Firefox
    Antivirus
    Defender
    Other Info
    fully 'Windows 11 ready' laptop. Windows 10 C: partition migrated from my old unsupported 'main machine' then upgraded to 11. A test migration ran Insider builds for 2 months. When 11 was released on 5th October it was re-imaged back to 10 and was offered the upgrade in Windows Update on 20th October. Windows Update offered the 22H2 Feature Update on 20th September 2022. It got the 23H2 Feature Update on 4th November 2023 through Windows Update.

    My SYSTEM THREE is a Dell Latitude 5410, i7-10610U, 32GB RAM, 512GB ssd, supported device running Windows 11 Pro (and all my Hyper-V VMs).

    My SYSTEM FOUR is a 2-in-1 convertible Lenovo Yoga 11e 20DA, Celeron N2930, 4GB RAM, 256GB ssd. Unsupported device: currently running Win10 Pro, plus Win11 Pro RTM and Insider Beta as native boot vhdx.

    My SYSTEM FIVE is a Dell Latitude 3190 2-in-1, Pentium Silver N5030, 4GB RAM, 512GB NVMe ssd, supported device running Windows 11 Pro, plus the Insider Beta, Dev, and Canary builds as a native boot .vhdx.
  • Operating System
    Windows 11 Pro
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Dell Lattitude E4310
    CPU
    Intel® Core™ i5-520M
    Motherboard
    0T6M8G
    Memory
    8GB
    Graphics card(s)
    (integrated graphics) Intel HD Graphics
    Screen Resolution
    1366x768
    Hard Drives
    500GB Crucial MX500 SSD
    Browser
    Firefox, Edge
    Antivirus
    Defender
    Other Info
    unsupported machine: Legacy bios, MBR, TPM 1.2, upgraded from W10 to W11 using W10/W11 hybrid install media workaround. In-place upgrade to 22H2 using ISO and a workaround. Feature Update to 23H2 by manually installing the Enablement Package.

    My SYSTEM THREE is a Dell Latitude 5410, i7-10610U, 32GB RAM, 512GB ssd, supported device running Windows 11 Pro (and all my Hyper-V VMs).

    My SYSTEM FOUR is a 2-in-1 convertible Lenovo Yoga 11e 20DA, Celeron N2930, 4GB RAM, 256GB ssd. Unsupported device: currently running Win10 Pro, plus Win11 Pro RTM and Insider Beta as native boot vhdx.

    My SYSTEM FIVE is a Dell Latitude 3190 2-in-1, Pentium Silver N5030, 4GB RAM, 512GB NVMe ssd, supported device running Windows 11 Pro, plus the Insider Beta, Dev, and Canary builds as a native boot .vhdx.
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.
Actually, without setting up a wireless connection or attaching hub with an Ethernet port (which I think I ordered) I'll be offline anyway.-

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

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

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
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.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 11
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Microsoft
    CPU
    Intel Core i5-8400
    Motherboard
    ASUS PRIME H370-PLUS
    Memory
    16GB
    Graphics Card(s)
    Intel UHD Graphics 630
    Sound Card
    On board
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Samsung SyncMaster 2043BWX
    Screen Resolution
    1680 x 1050
    Hard Drives
    Samsung SSD 850 256GB
    WDC 1TB NVMe
    WD 3TB external USB drive
    PSU
    I don't remember
    Case
    Corsair something-or-other
    Cooling
    Air CPU + 2 case fans
    Keyboard
    DAS S Pro (Cherry Brown)
    Mouse
    Logitech USB of some sort
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
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 10
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    MSI Custom build
    CPU
    Intel i9-9900K
    Motherboard
    MSI MPG Z390 Gaming Edge AC
    Memory
    64GB
    Graphics Card(s)
    EVGA GeForce GTX 1070 TI
    Internet Speed
    1 Gbps
    Browser
    Firefox
    Antivirus
    Malwarebytes
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.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 11
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Microsoft
    CPU
    Intel Core i5-8400
    Motherboard
    ASUS PRIME H370-PLUS
    Memory
    16GB
    Graphics Card(s)
    Intel UHD Graphics 630
    Sound Card
    On board
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Samsung SyncMaster 2043BWX
    Screen Resolution
    1680 x 1050
    Hard Drives
    Samsung SSD 850 256GB
    WDC 1TB NVMe
    WD 3TB external USB drive
    PSU
    I don't remember
    Case
    Corsair something-or-other
    Cooling
    Air CPU + 2 case fans
    Keyboard
    DAS S Pro (Cherry Brown)
    Mouse
    Logitech USB of some sort
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?
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.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 11
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    HP Envy dv7
    CPU
    Intel Core i7 3630QM
    Motherboard
    HP
    Memory
    16 GB
    Graphics Card(s)
    Intel HD Graphics 4000 & Nvidia GeForce GT 635M
    Sound Card
    IDT High Definition
    Screen Resolution
    1080p
    Hard Drives
    1 TB Crucial MX500 on bay 1.
    1 TB Seagate HDD on bay 2.
    Antivirus
    Windows Defender
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.
 

My Computers

System One System Two

  • OS
    Windows 11 Pro 23H2 64-bit (build 22631.3235)
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Acer Extensa 5630EZ
    CPU
    Mobile DualCore Intel Core 2 Duo T7250, 2000 MHz
    Motherboard
    Acer Extensa 5630
    Memory
    4GB
    Graphics Card(s)
    Mobile Intel(R) GMA 4500M (Mobile 4 series)
    Sound Card
    Realtek ALC268 @ Intel 82801IB ICH9 - High Definition Audio Controller
    Monitor(s) Displays
    1
    Screen Resolution
    1280x800
    Hard Drives
    Samsung SSD 850 EVO 250GB SATA Device (250 GB, SATA-III)
    Internet Speed
    VDSL 50 Mbps
    Browser
    MICROSOFT EDGE
    Antivirus
    WINDOWS DEFENDER
    Other Info
    Legacy MBR installation, no TPM, no Secure Boot, no WDDM 2.0 graphics drivers, cannot get more unsupported ;) This is only my test laptop. I had installed Windows 11 here before upgrading my main PC. For my main PC I use everyday see my 2nd system specs.
  • Operating System
    Windows 11 Pro v23H2 (build 22631.3235)
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Custom-built PC
    CPU
    Intel Core-i7 3770 3.40GHz s1155 (3rd generation)
    Motherboard
    Asus P8H61 s1155 ATX
    Memory
    2x Kingston Hyper-X Blu 8GB DDR3-1600
    Graphics card(s)
    Gainward NE5105T018G1-1070F (nVidia GeForce GTX 1050Ti 4GB GDDR5)
    Sound Card
    Realtek HD audio (ALC887)
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Sony Bravia KDL-19L4000 19" LCD TV via VGA
    Screen Resolution
    1440x900 32-bit 60Hz
    Hard Drives
    Patriot Burst Elite 480GB SSD as system disk, Western Digital Caviar Purple 4TB SATA III (WD40PURZ) as second
    PSU
    Thermaltake Litepower RGB 550W Full Wired
    Case
    SUPERCASE MIDI-TOWER
    Cooling
    Stock Intel CPU Fan, 1x 8cm fan at the back
    Mouse
    Sunnyline OptiEye PS/2
    Keyboard
    Mitsumi 101-key PS/2
    Internet Speed
    100Mbps
    Browser
    Microsoft Edge, Mozilla Firefox
    Antivirus
    Microsoft Windows Defender
    Other Info
    Legacy BIOS (MBR) installation, no TPM, no Secure Boot, WDDM 3.0 graphics drivers, WEI score 7.4
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.
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 Computers

System One System Two

  • OS
    Windows 11
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Homebuilt
    CPU
    AMD Ryzen 7 3800XT
    Motherboard
    ASUS ROG Crosshair VII Hero (WiFi)
    Memory
    32GB
    Graphics Card(s)
    EVGA GeForce GTX 1080 Ti
  • Operating System
    Windows 11 Education
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Dell Inspiron 7773
    CPU
    Intel i7-8550U
    Memory
    32GB
    Graphics card(s)
    Nvidia Geforce MX150
    Sound Card
    Realtek
    Monitor(s) Displays
    17"
    Screen Resolution
    1920 x 1080
    Hard Drives
    Toshiba 512GB NVMe SSD
    SK Hynix 512GB SATA SSD
    Internet Speed
    Fast!
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
 

My Computers

System One System Two

  • OS
    Windows 11 Pro
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Alienware M18 R1
    CPU
    13th Gen Core i9 13900HX
    Memory
    32GB DDR5 @4800MHz 2x16GB
    Graphics Card(s)
    Geforce RTX 4090HX 16GB
    Sound Card
    Nvidia HD / Realtek ALC3254
    Monitor(s) Displays
    18" QHD+
    Screen Resolution
    25660 X 1600
    Hard Drives
    C: KIOXIA (Toshiba) 2TB KXG80ZNV2T04 NVMe PCIe M.2 SSD
    D: KIOXIA (Toshiba) 2TB KXG80ZNV2T04 NVMe PCIe M.2 SSD
    Case
    Dark Metallic Moon
    Keyboard
    Alienware M Series per-key AlienFX RGB
    Mouse
    Alienware AW610M
    Browser
    Chrome and Firefox
    Antivirus
    Norton
    Other Info
    Killer E3000 Ethernet Controller
    Killer Killer AX1690 Wi-Fi Network Adaptor Wi-Fi 6E
    Bluetooth 5.2
    Alienware Z01G Graphic Amplifier
  • Operating System
    Windows 11 Pro
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Alienware Area 51m R2
    CPU
    10th Gen i-9 10900 K
    Memory
    32Gb Dual Channel DDR4 @ 8843MHz
    Graphics card(s)
    Nvidia RTX 2080 Super
    Sound Card
    Nvidia
    Screen Resolution
    1920 x 1080
    Hard Drives
    Hard Drive C: Samsung 2TB SSD PM981a NVMe
    Hard Drive D:Samsung 2TB SSD 970 EVO Plus
    Mouse
    Alienware 610M
    Browser
    Chrome
    Antivirus
    Norton
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.
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.


1645722235804.png
 

My Computers

System One System Two

  • OS
    Windows 11 Home
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Acer Aspire 3 A315-23
    CPU
    AMD Athlon Silver 3050U
    Memory
    8GB
    Graphics Card(s)
    Radeon Graphics
    Monitor(s) Displays
    laptop screen
    Screen Resolution
    1366x768 native resolution, up to 2560x1440 with Radeon Virtual Super Resolution
    Hard Drives
    1TB Samsung EVO 870 SSD
    Internet Speed
    50 Mbps
    Browser
    Edge, Firefox
    Antivirus
    Defender
    Other Info
    fully 'Windows 11 ready' laptop. Windows 10 C: partition migrated from my old unsupported 'main machine' then upgraded to 11. A test migration ran Insider builds for 2 months. When 11 was released on 5th October it was re-imaged back to 10 and was offered the upgrade in Windows Update on 20th October. Windows Update offered the 22H2 Feature Update on 20th September 2022. It got the 23H2 Feature Update on 4th November 2023 through Windows Update.

    My SYSTEM THREE is a Dell Latitude 5410, i7-10610U, 32GB RAM, 512GB ssd, supported device running Windows 11 Pro (and all my Hyper-V VMs).

    My SYSTEM FOUR is a 2-in-1 convertible Lenovo Yoga 11e 20DA, Celeron N2930, 4GB RAM, 256GB ssd. Unsupported device: currently running Win10 Pro, plus Win11 Pro RTM and Insider Beta as native boot vhdx.

    My SYSTEM FIVE is a Dell Latitude 3190 2-in-1, Pentium Silver N5030, 4GB RAM, 512GB NVMe ssd, supported device running Windows 11 Pro, plus the Insider Beta, Dev, and Canary builds as a native boot .vhdx.
  • Operating System
    Windows 11 Pro
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Dell Lattitude E4310
    CPU
    Intel® Core™ i5-520M
    Motherboard
    0T6M8G
    Memory
    8GB
    Graphics card(s)
    (integrated graphics) Intel HD Graphics
    Screen Resolution
    1366x768
    Hard Drives
    500GB Crucial MX500 SSD
    Browser
    Firefox, Edge
    Antivirus
    Defender
    Other Info
    unsupported machine: Legacy bios, MBR, TPM 1.2, upgraded from W10 to W11 using W10/W11 hybrid install media workaround. In-place upgrade to 22H2 using ISO and a workaround. Feature Update to 23H2 by manually installing the Enablement Package.

    My SYSTEM THREE is a Dell Latitude 5410, i7-10610U, 32GB RAM, 512GB ssd, supported device running Windows 11 Pro (and all my Hyper-V VMs).

    My SYSTEM FOUR is a 2-in-1 convertible Lenovo Yoga 11e 20DA, Celeron N2930, 4GB RAM, 256GB ssd. Unsupported device: currently running Win10 Pro, plus Win11 Pro RTM and Insider Beta as native boot vhdx.

    My SYSTEM FIVE is a Dell Latitude 3190 2-in-1, Pentium Silver N5030, 4GB RAM, 512GB NVMe ssd, supported device running Windows 11 Pro, plus the Insider Beta, Dev, and Canary builds as a native boot .vhdx.
My advice fwiw is soon as you are are up and running create a Macrium image before you do anything ...
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.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 11
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Microsoft
    CPU
    Intel Core i5-8400
    Motherboard
    ASUS PRIME H370-PLUS
    Memory
    16GB
    Graphics Card(s)
    Intel UHD Graphics 630
    Sound Card
    On board
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Samsung SyncMaster 2043BWX
    Screen Resolution
    1680 x 1050
    Hard Drives
    Samsung SSD 850 256GB
    WDC 1TB NVMe
    WD 3TB external USB drive
    PSU
    I don't remember
    Case
    Corsair something-or-other
    Cooling
    Air CPU + 2 case fans
    Keyboard
    DAS S Pro (Cherry Brown)
    Mouse
    Logitech USB of some sort
You can never have too many back-ups
 

My Computers

System One System Two

  • OS
    Windows 11 Pro
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Alienware M18 R1
    CPU
    13th Gen Core i9 13900HX
    Memory
    32GB DDR5 @4800MHz 2x16GB
    Graphics Card(s)
    Geforce RTX 4090HX 16GB
    Sound Card
    Nvidia HD / Realtek ALC3254
    Monitor(s) Displays
    18" QHD+
    Screen Resolution
    25660 X 1600
    Hard Drives
    C: KIOXIA (Toshiba) 2TB KXG80ZNV2T04 NVMe PCIe M.2 SSD
    D: KIOXIA (Toshiba) 2TB KXG80ZNV2T04 NVMe PCIe M.2 SSD
    Case
    Dark Metallic Moon
    Keyboard
    Alienware M Series per-key AlienFX RGB
    Mouse
    Alienware AW610M
    Browser
    Chrome and Firefox
    Antivirus
    Norton
    Other Info
    Killer E3000 Ethernet Controller
    Killer Killer AX1690 Wi-Fi Network Adaptor Wi-Fi 6E
    Bluetooth 5.2
    Alienware Z01G Graphic Amplifier
  • Operating System
    Windows 11 Pro
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Alienware Area 51m R2
    CPU
    10th Gen i-9 10900 K
    Memory
    32Gb Dual Channel DDR4 @ 8843MHz
    Graphics card(s)
    Nvidia RTX 2080 Super
    Sound Card
    Nvidia
    Screen Resolution
    1920 x 1080
    Hard Drives
    Hard Drive C: Samsung 2TB SSD PM981a NVMe
    Hard Drive D:Samsung 2TB SSD 970 EVO Plus
    Mouse
    Alienware 610M
    Browser
    Chrome
    Antivirus
    Norton
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.


View attachment 22814
Awesome find!
 

My Computers

System One System Two

  • OS
    Windows 11
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Homebuilt
    CPU
    AMD Ryzen 7 3800XT
    Motherboard
    ASUS ROG Crosshair VII Hero (WiFi)
    Memory
    32GB
    Graphics Card(s)
    EVGA GeForce GTX 1080 Ti
  • Operating System
    Windows 11 Education
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Dell Inspiron 7773
    CPU
    Intel i7-8550U
    Memory
    32GB
    Graphics card(s)
    Nvidia Geforce MX150
    Sound Card
    Realtek
    Monitor(s) Displays
    17"
    Screen Resolution
    1920 x 1080
    Hard Drives
    Toshiba 512GB NVMe SSD
    SK Hynix 512GB SATA SSD
    Internet Speed
    Fast!
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.
 

My Computers

System One System Two

  • OS
    Windows 11 Pro 23H2 64-bit (build 22631.3235)
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Acer Extensa 5630EZ
    CPU
    Mobile DualCore Intel Core 2 Duo T7250, 2000 MHz
    Motherboard
    Acer Extensa 5630
    Memory
    4GB
    Graphics Card(s)
    Mobile Intel(R) GMA 4500M (Mobile 4 series)
    Sound Card
    Realtek ALC268 @ Intel 82801IB ICH9 - High Definition Audio Controller
    Monitor(s) Displays
    1
    Screen Resolution
    1280x800
    Hard Drives
    Samsung SSD 850 EVO 250GB SATA Device (250 GB, SATA-III)
    Internet Speed
    VDSL 50 Mbps
    Browser
    MICROSOFT EDGE
    Antivirus
    WINDOWS DEFENDER
    Other Info
    Legacy MBR installation, no TPM, no Secure Boot, no WDDM 2.0 graphics drivers, cannot get more unsupported ;) This is only my test laptop. I had installed Windows 11 here before upgrading my main PC. For my main PC I use everyday see my 2nd system specs.
  • Operating System
    Windows 11 Pro v23H2 (build 22631.3235)
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Custom-built PC
    CPU
    Intel Core-i7 3770 3.40GHz s1155 (3rd generation)
    Motherboard
    Asus P8H61 s1155 ATX
    Memory
    2x Kingston Hyper-X Blu 8GB DDR3-1600
    Graphics card(s)
    Gainward NE5105T018G1-1070F (nVidia GeForce GTX 1050Ti 4GB GDDR5)
    Sound Card
    Realtek HD audio (ALC887)
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Sony Bravia KDL-19L4000 19" LCD TV via VGA
    Screen Resolution
    1440x900 32-bit 60Hz
    Hard Drives
    Patriot Burst Elite 480GB SSD as system disk, Western Digital Caviar Purple 4TB SATA III (WD40PURZ) as second
    PSU
    Thermaltake Litepower RGB 550W Full Wired
    Case
    SUPERCASE MIDI-TOWER
    Cooling
    Stock Intel CPU Fan, 1x 8cm fan at the back
    Mouse
    Sunnyline OptiEye PS/2
    Keyboard
    Mitsumi 101-key PS/2
    Internet Speed
    100Mbps
    Browser
    Microsoft Edge, Mozilla Firefox
    Antivirus
    Microsoft Windows Defender
    Other Info
    Legacy BIOS (MBR) installation, no TPM, no Secure Boot, WDDM 3.0 graphics drivers, WEI score 7.4

My Computers

System One System Two

  • OS
    Windows 11 Home
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Acer Aspire 3 A315-23
    CPU
    AMD Athlon Silver 3050U
    Memory
    8GB
    Graphics Card(s)
    Radeon Graphics
    Monitor(s) Displays
    laptop screen
    Screen Resolution
    1366x768 native resolution, up to 2560x1440 with Radeon Virtual Super Resolution
    Hard Drives
    1TB Samsung EVO 870 SSD
    Internet Speed
    50 Mbps
    Browser
    Edge, Firefox
    Antivirus
    Defender
    Other Info
    fully 'Windows 11 ready' laptop. Windows 10 C: partition migrated from my old unsupported 'main machine' then upgraded to 11. A test migration ran Insider builds for 2 months. When 11 was released on 5th October it was re-imaged back to 10 and was offered the upgrade in Windows Update on 20th October. Windows Update offered the 22H2 Feature Update on 20th September 2022. It got the 23H2 Feature Update on 4th November 2023 through Windows Update.

    My SYSTEM THREE is a Dell Latitude 5410, i7-10610U, 32GB RAM, 512GB ssd, supported device running Windows 11 Pro (and all my Hyper-V VMs).

    My SYSTEM FOUR is a 2-in-1 convertible Lenovo Yoga 11e 20DA, Celeron N2930, 4GB RAM, 256GB ssd. Unsupported device: currently running Win10 Pro, plus Win11 Pro RTM and Insider Beta as native boot vhdx.

    My SYSTEM FIVE is a Dell Latitude 3190 2-in-1, Pentium Silver N5030, 4GB RAM, 512GB NVMe ssd, supported device running Windows 11 Pro, plus the Insider Beta, Dev, and Canary builds as a native boot .vhdx.
  • Operating System
    Windows 11 Pro
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Dell Lattitude E4310
    CPU
    Intel® Core™ i5-520M
    Motherboard
    0T6M8G
    Memory
    8GB
    Graphics card(s)
    (integrated graphics) Intel HD Graphics
    Screen Resolution
    1366x768
    Hard Drives
    500GB Crucial MX500 SSD
    Browser
    Firefox, Edge
    Antivirus
    Defender
    Other Info
    unsupported machine: Legacy bios, MBR, TPM 1.2, upgraded from W10 to W11 using W10/W11 hybrid install media workaround. In-place upgrade to 22H2 using ISO and a workaround. Feature Update to 23H2 by manually installing the Enablement Package.

    My SYSTEM THREE is a Dell Latitude 5410, i7-10610U, 32GB RAM, 512GB ssd, supported device running Windows 11 Pro (and all my Hyper-V VMs).

    My SYSTEM FOUR is a 2-in-1 convertible Lenovo Yoga 11e 20DA, Celeron N2930, 4GB RAM, 256GB ssd. Unsupported device: currently running Win10 Pro, plus Win11 Pro RTM and Insider Beta as native boot vhdx.

    My SYSTEM FIVE is a Dell Latitude 3190 2-in-1, Pentium Silver N5030, 4GB RAM, 512GB NVMe ssd, supported device running Windows 11 Pro, plus the Insider Beta, Dev, and Canary builds as a native boot .vhdx.

My Computers

System One System Two

  • OS
    Windows 11 Home
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Acer Aspire 3 A315-23
    CPU
    AMD Athlon Silver 3050U
    Memory
    8GB
    Graphics Card(s)
    Radeon Graphics
    Monitor(s) Displays
    laptop screen
    Screen Resolution
    1366x768 native resolution, up to 2560x1440 with Radeon Virtual Super Resolution
    Hard Drives
    1TB Samsung EVO 870 SSD
    Internet Speed
    50 Mbps
    Browser
    Edge, Firefox
    Antivirus
    Defender
    Other Info
    fully 'Windows 11 ready' laptop. Windows 10 C: partition migrated from my old unsupported 'main machine' then upgraded to 11. A test migration ran Insider builds for 2 months. When 11 was released on 5th October it was re-imaged back to 10 and was offered the upgrade in Windows Update on 20th October. Windows Update offered the 22H2 Feature Update on 20th September 2022. It got the 23H2 Feature Update on 4th November 2023 through Windows Update.

    My SYSTEM THREE is a Dell Latitude 5410, i7-10610U, 32GB RAM, 512GB ssd, supported device running Windows 11 Pro (and all my Hyper-V VMs).

    My SYSTEM FOUR is a 2-in-1 convertible Lenovo Yoga 11e 20DA, Celeron N2930, 4GB RAM, 256GB ssd. Unsupported device: currently running Win10 Pro, plus Win11 Pro RTM and Insider Beta as native boot vhdx.

    My SYSTEM FIVE is a Dell Latitude 3190 2-in-1, Pentium Silver N5030, 4GB RAM, 512GB NVMe ssd, supported device running Windows 11 Pro, plus the Insider Beta, Dev, and Canary builds as a native boot .vhdx.
  • Operating System
    Windows 11 Pro
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Dell Lattitude E4310
    CPU
    Intel® Core™ i5-520M
    Motherboard
    0T6M8G
    Memory
    8GB
    Graphics card(s)
    (integrated graphics) Intel HD Graphics
    Screen Resolution
    1366x768
    Hard Drives
    500GB Crucial MX500 SSD
    Browser
    Firefox, Edge
    Antivirus
    Defender
    Other Info
    unsupported machine: Legacy bios, MBR, TPM 1.2, upgraded from W10 to W11 using W10/W11 hybrid install media workaround. In-place upgrade to 22H2 using ISO and a workaround. Feature Update to 23H2 by manually installing the Enablement Package.

    My SYSTEM THREE is a Dell Latitude 5410, i7-10610U, 32GB RAM, 512GB ssd, supported device running Windows 11 Pro (and all my Hyper-V VMs).

    My SYSTEM FOUR is a 2-in-1 convertible Lenovo Yoga 11e 20DA, Celeron N2930, 4GB RAM, 256GB ssd. Unsupported device: currently running Win10 Pro, plus Win11 Pro RTM and Insider Beta as native boot vhdx.

    My SYSTEM FIVE is a Dell Latitude 3190 2-in-1, Pentium Silver N5030, 4GB RAM, 512GB NVMe ssd, supported device running Windows 11 Pro, plus the Insider Beta, Dev, and Canary builds as a native boot .vhdx.
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.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 11
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Microsoft
    CPU
    Intel Core i5-8400
    Motherboard
    ASUS PRIME H370-PLUS
    Memory
    16GB
    Graphics Card(s)
    Intel UHD Graphics 630
    Sound Card
    On board
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Samsung SyncMaster 2043BWX
    Screen Resolution
    1680 x 1050
    Hard Drives
    Samsung SSD 850 256GB
    WDC 1TB NVMe
    WD 3TB external USB drive
    PSU
    I don't remember
    Case
    Corsair something-or-other
    Cooling
    Air CPU + 2 case fans
    Keyboard
    DAS S Pro (Cherry Brown)
    Mouse
    Logitech USB of some sort
The OOBE is the initial configuration where you create your first user account. If already done, you don't see it again.
 

My Computers

System One System Two

  • OS
    Windows 11 Pro 23H2 64-bit (build 22631.3235)
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Acer Extensa 5630EZ
    CPU
    Mobile DualCore Intel Core 2 Duo T7250, 2000 MHz
    Motherboard
    Acer Extensa 5630
    Memory
    4GB
    Graphics Card(s)
    Mobile Intel(R) GMA 4500M (Mobile 4 series)
    Sound Card
    Realtek ALC268 @ Intel 82801IB ICH9 - High Definition Audio Controller
    Monitor(s) Displays
    1
    Screen Resolution
    1280x800
    Hard Drives
    Samsung SSD 850 EVO 250GB SATA Device (250 GB, SATA-III)
    Internet Speed
    VDSL 50 Mbps
    Browser
    MICROSOFT EDGE
    Antivirus
    WINDOWS DEFENDER
    Other Info
    Legacy MBR installation, no TPM, no Secure Boot, no WDDM 2.0 graphics drivers, cannot get more unsupported ;) This is only my test laptop. I had installed Windows 11 here before upgrading my main PC. For my main PC I use everyday see my 2nd system specs.
  • Operating System
    Windows 11 Pro v23H2 (build 22631.3235)
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Custom-built PC
    CPU
    Intel Core-i7 3770 3.40GHz s1155 (3rd generation)
    Motherboard
    Asus P8H61 s1155 ATX
    Memory
    2x Kingston Hyper-X Blu 8GB DDR3-1600
    Graphics card(s)
    Gainward NE5105T018G1-1070F (nVidia GeForce GTX 1050Ti 4GB GDDR5)
    Sound Card
    Realtek HD audio (ALC887)
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Sony Bravia KDL-19L4000 19" LCD TV via VGA
    Screen Resolution
    1440x900 32-bit 60Hz
    Hard Drives
    Patriot Burst Elite 480GB SSD as system disk, Western Digital Caviar Purple 4TB SATA III (WD40PURZ) as second
    PSU
    Thermaltake Litepower RGB 550W Full Wired
    Case
    SUPERCASE MIDI-TOWER
    Cooling
    Stock Intel CPU Fan, 1x 8cm fan at the back
    Mouse
    Sunnyline OptiEye PS/2
    Keyboard
    Mitsumi 101-key PS/2
    Internet Speed
    100Mbps
    Browser
    Microsoft Edge, Mozilla Firefox
    Antivirus
    Microsoft Windows Defender
    Other Info
    Legacy BIOS (MBR) installation, no TPM, no Secure Boot, WDDM 3.0 graphics drivers, WEI score 7.4
The OOBE is the initial configuration where you create your first user account. If already done, you don't see it again.
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.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 11
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Microsoft
    CPU
    Intel Core i5-8400
    Motherboard
    ASUS PRIME H370-PLUS
    Memory
    16GB
    Graphics Card(s)
    Intel UHD Graphics 630
    Sound Card
    On board
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Samsung SyncMaster 2043BWX
    Screen Resolution
    1680 x 1050
    Hard Drives
    Samsung SSD 850 256GB
    WDC 1TB NVMe
    WD 3TB external USB drive
    PSU
    I don't remember
    Case
    Corsair something-or-other
    Cooling
    Air CPU + 2 case fans
    Keyboard
    DAS S Pro (Cherry Brown)
    Mouse
    Logitech USB of some sort

Latest Support Threads

Back
Top Bottom