How do I use a local account to set up a new laptop?

RhinoCan · Sep 19, 2025

I bought a new laptop this afternoon - HP EliteBook 665 G11 - and I've been letting it lead the way in the installation. I got to the "Unlock your Microsoft Experience" page of the installation and it wants me to sign in with my Microsoft account. I've had privacy concerns about Microsoft accounts for a while but hadn't really done any research until now so I paused to use an old laptop to find out the pros and cons of Microsoft accounts vs. local accounts. I've seen a lot of strong arguments for using local accounts rather than a Microsoft account so I've decided to go the local account way.

The problem is that if I wanted to go with a local account, I should have declined to sign on to the internet, which was on a previous page of the installation. I'm not seeing a BACK button so that I can go back to the page with the list of networks and the WiFi symbol. Does this mean I *have* to finish the install with the Microsoft account or is there some way to back up that isn't obvious to me?

dacrone · Sep 19, 2025

Press Shift+F10 to launch Command Prompt as Administrator
Type: netsh wlan show interfaces
Type: netsh interface set interface name="WirelessNetworkName" admin=DISABLED
*Replace “WirelessNetworkName” with your Wi-Fi Interface Name*
Close Command Prompt
After Windows 11 Install, Go to Device Manager > Enable NIC

then follow the guide to set up local account. just use device manager to re-enable your NIC after install/logon

Helmut · Sep 19, 2025

You can just carry on, when finished change to a Local Account.

Settings > Accounts > Your Info > Account settings and change to a Local Account.

RhinoCan · Sep 19, 2025

I executed the first three steps you suggested - opening command prompt, listing the interfaces, and disabling the wireless interface but I'm not sure if they worked correctly since you didn't describe what results I should see on the second and third steps.

The second step said I have one interface, gives me the URI for the Location page in the Settings app and finally ends with "Function Wlan Query Interface returns error 5: Access is denied.

The third step returned only this: "No more data is available."

Is that working correctly?

antspants · Sep 19, 2025

If you wanted to, you could create the install media using Rufus.

You don’t need to format the USB, RUFUS will do it.

The latest ISO is available via the Media Creation Tool. (Option One in the tutorial below)
At the time of this post, the latest version available from Microsoft is: > Windows 11 Version 24H2 build 26100.4349 ISO
After Media Creation Tool as finished downloading Windows 11, when asked, tell Media Creation Tool to create the ISO and not burn to media (USB)

Download Windows 11 ISO

Download Official Windows 11 ISO file from Microsoft

This tutorial will show you how to download an official Windows Server or Windows 11 64-bit or ARM64 ISO file from Microsoft. Microsoft provides ISO files for Windows Server and Windows 11 to download. You can use these ISO files to clean install or in-place upgrade Windows 11. The Flight Hub...

www.elevenforum.com

Download RUFUS
#1 Direct RUFUS to your USB
#2 Click “Select” and direct RUFUS to the ISO that you downloaded from Microsoft.
#3 should sort itself out if the OS drive is partitioned properly. But to be sure, make certain it’s GPT. Your Windows OS really should be partitioned to GPT. Make sure #3 says GPT
If you’re running an older system and have no choice but to use MBR (According to your HDD partition structure) then choose MBR at #3 in the image below. Find what partition table is used, in this Tutorial

(Random web images from older version, but generally the same.)

Select Disable Bitlocker automatic drive encryption (if you don't want it)
Select Remove requirement for an online Microsoft account
Pre tell the installation to create a local account with username and give it a name (if you want to)
With the rest; Deselect/Select whatever you do/don't want

Click OK and the USB install media will be created on the USB
Once Rufus has created the USB installer, you can proceed with the Windows installation.

glasskuter · Sep 19, 2025

It's very simple to create a local account rather than a MS account during windows setup. 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

RhinoCan · Sep 19, 2025

glasskuter: I saw a video a few hours ago that said the technique you recommend doesn't work any more because Microsoft has disabled the "start" command.

RhinoCan · Sep 19, 2025

dacrone: I started to do exactly what you suggested so I need you to answer my followup question. RIght now, I have no idea if those commands were successful or not so I don't know what to do next if they weren't successful. Neither of the responses to steps 2 and 3 looked very successful but I could be mistaken; maybe that's exactly what should happen.

glasskuter · Sep 20, 2025

All I can tell you is I used that method a few weeks ago. It is the exact same command our resident guru @Brink lists in his clean install tutorial step 15.
The method to create a local account in a clean install is the same as creating a local account in OOBE on new devices. If the method no longer works Brink will figure it out.

Clean Install Windows 11

This tutorial will show you step by step on how to clean install Windows 11 at boot on your PC with or without an Internet connection and setup with a local account or Microsoft account. Windows 11 has all the power and security of Windows 10 with a redesigned and refreshed look. It also comes...

www.elevenforum.com

MisterEd · Sep 20, 2025

RhinoCan said:
glasskuter: I saw a video a few hours ago that said the technique you recommend doesn't work any more because Microsoft has disabled the "start" command.

I don't know if "start" will still work when Windows 11 25H2 is released but it still works for Windows 11 24H2

I just used Hyper-V to install a Windows 11 Pro 24H2 VM. I used the following to create a local account during setup.
Note I brought up the command window when the setup asked me to select a country.

SHIFT+F10
start ms-cxh:localonly

Here is a screenshot showing me start with a local account.

RhinoCan · Sep 20, 2025

I've resolved my problem so thanks to everyone who offered suggestions.

Ultimately, I persuaded myself that dacrone's third step didn't work because when I tried the second step again, it gave the exact same response as the first time. I took Helmut's suggestion of proceeding with the installation using the Microsoft account, then creating a local administrator account, then deleting the Microsoft account. Now I seem to be where I wanted to be

Thanks again!

Wannagofast · Sep 20, 2025

I just set up a brand new Windows 11 Lenovo laptop for my mom last weekend.
During OOBE setup I used the "start ms-cxh:localonly" method with the laptop not connected to the internet in any way,
and it allowed me to set everything up using a local account with no problems.
ymmv

peace
wanna

MisterEd · Sep 20, 2025

Wannagofast said:
I just set up a brand new Windows 11 Lenovo laptop for my mom last weekend.
During OOBE setup I used the "start ms-cxh:localonly" method with the laptop not connected to the internet in any way,
and it allowed me to set everything up using a local account with no problems.
ymmv

peace
wanna

I forget to say that I also had my network disconnected when I started the setup. After I created the local account I reconnected the network.
BTW, I didn't plan to disconnect the network but was forced to. My Windows 11 setup when started kept trying to boot from the network which failed. Once the network was disconnected it was able to boot from the ISO file.

dacrone · Sep 20, 2025

RhinoCan said:
I've resolved my problem so thanks to everyone who offered suggestions.

Ultimately, I persuaded myself that dacrone's third step didn't work because when I tried the second step again, it gave the exact same response as the first time. I took Helmut's suggestion of proceeding with the installation using the Microsoft account, then creating a local administrator account, then deleting the Microsoft account. Now I seem to be where I wanted to be

Thanks again!

for someone to get a notification, you need to quote them in your response or tag them by adding the @ symbol before their name. glad its resolved. you may have gotten an error if you tried to disable a NIC that wasnt in use. please mark thread as solved.

How do I use a local account to set up a new laptop?

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