Solved How do I open Command Prompt during the installation of Windows 11

The basic purpose is to Install and Log In to Windows 11 Without a Microsoft Account - local account only. Trouble is, Shift + F10 does not seem to work with Microsoft installation media. This is media purchased this week. Advice would be appreciated.

Tranas said:

Trouble is, Shift + F10 does not seem to work with Microsoft installation media.

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Always has for me. It's very simple to create a local account rather than a MS account during windows setup of a new computer. Here's how.
Do not connect to internet until afterward.

During setup, when you reach the second keyboard layout screen DO NOT SELECT SKIP.
Hit Shift+F10 keyboard combination to open a Windows command prompt.

At this prompt, type
start ms-cxh:localonly
and press Enter on your keyboard to open a create user account window where you can create a new local user.
After filling in the information and clicking the Next button, the Windows 11 setup will continue

During a clean install it's step 15 here.

@Tranas

And here's ten points, just for filling out your computer specs.




Here's some other things that you may find useful...

If you are on a laptop, bear in mind that you may have to also hold down the Fn key. That would make it Shift + Fn + F10. Make sure you hold down Fn before pressing F10.

hsehestedt said:

If you are on a laptop, bear in mind that you may have to also hold down the Fn key. That would make it Shift + Fn + F10. Make sure you hold down Fn before pressing F10.

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Bingo. TYVM

hsehestedt said:

If you are on a laptop, bear in mind that you may have to also hold down the Fn key. That would make it Shift + Fn + F10. Make sure you hold down Fn before pressing F10.

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For info only: Not only notebooks, some desktop PC usb keyboards have Fn key, too. I have to press "SHIFT + Fn + F10" to open a command prompt window during Setup phase of Windows 11 installation or to get into Asus BIOS with F2 key (Fn + F2) or simply Del key. Mine is a Microsoft AIO wireless keyboard.

suatcini54 said:

For info only: Not only notebooks, some desktop PC usb keyboards have Fn key, too. I have to press "SHIFT + Fn + F10" to open a command prompt window during Setup phase of Windows 11 installation or to get into Asus BIOS with F2 key (Fn + F2) or simply Del key. Mine is a Microsoft AIO wireless keyboard.

View attachment 171090

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Yes! A very good point. Pretty much any keyboard that is smaller than a full-sized keyboard such as 60%, 65%, 70%, 80%, etc. or TKL (Ten KeyLess) keyboards are subject to having an Fn to make up for the missing keys .

Good catch!

I have three laptops. None of them require the FN-key to be pressed for F1 to F12 keys to be used. I know some keyboards require this so you have to check the manual for this.

The only keyboard I had this problem was a full size Logitech Elite desktop keyboard. When booting I had to press the F-Lock key until the F-Lock Indicator LED is lit. Otherwise the F-keys had special functions instead of the expected F1 to F12 ones. This was real annoying when booting a computer.

BTW, after going through this nonsense a few time I complained to Logitech technical support about this. I asked why this was the default because the special keys required Windows to load a driver to use them. They could have left the use of F1 to F12 outside of Windows. They had no answer to that question. I don't know if that complaint was passed on to anyone that cared.



Note the F-key special functions that are enabled by default.

MisterEd said:

I have three laptops. None of them require the FN-key to be pressed for F1 to F12 keys to be used.

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Yeah, that's different than a typical laptop. Some laptops have an option within the BIOS or UEFI setup to determine whether Fn is needed for the function keys or for the alternate function of those keys. On my Lenovo laptop, I can also set this by pressing Fn + ESC to toggle the mode on the fly.