Microsoft is plugging more holes that let you use Windows 11 without an online account

garlin · Oct 7, 2025

TraderGary said:
And then there are those of us who actually do know how OneDrive works and how to use it. You are correct, most will never make the effort to understand it. It is best to help them get rid of it.

You can write a "Windows annoyances" unattended file to cure most evils:

- BypassTPM in WinPE
- disable BitLocker or Device Encryption on a clean install
- set BypassNRO reg value
- disallow MSA sign-in's
- disallow OneDrive syncing

These are all known reg keys, you just have to throw them into the same unattended file.

spapakons · Oct 7, 2025

Disabling the network adapter is not going to work. Windows will detect it is disabled and will just enable it. It's better not to connect the LAN cable in the first place. For Wi-Fi is even easier. Just pretend none in the list is yours and don't connect. Even better if there is a key combination or physical switch to turn Wi-Fi off. Then run either command to create a local account.

dacrone · Oct 7, 2025

spapakons said:
Disabling the network adapter is not going to work. Windows will detect it is disabled and will just enable it. It's better not to connect the LAN cable in the first place. For Wi-Fi is even easier. Just pretend none in the list is yours and don't connect. Even better if there is a key combination or physical switch to turn Wi-Fi off. Then run either command to create a local account.

did you read @garlin or my comments?

Bree · Oct 7, 2025

spapakons said:
Already saved! I will put it into my Windows 11 Setup USB flash drive. Thanks!

So have I, along with two other batch files of my own. One applies the registry bypass fixes from Brink's Option Two (for a clean install), the other from Option Three (in-place upgrade).

Bypass Windows 11 System Requirements on Unsupported PC

This tutorial will show you how to bypass the Windows 11 CPU, RAM, Secure Boot, and TPM 2.0 system requirements allowing you to clean install or upgrade to Windows 11 on a unsupported PC that doesn't meet these requirements. Installing Windows 11 on a device that does not meet Windows 11...

www.elevenforum.com

fg2001gf11F · Oct 7, 2025

Bree said:
I have downloaded the UUPDump ISO for Dev build 26220.6772 and performed a clean install.

Yes, it is true that OOBE\BypassNRO.cmd has been removed.

No, it isn't true that the commands it contained no longer work. Just type them yourself....

View attachment 148036

...look 'I don't have internet' is still there

View attachment 148037

You can find a copy of BypassNRO on any install of Windows up to the present day in: "C:\Windows\System32\oobe\BypassNRO.cmd".
Save it now while you can

Nothing wrong with the batch file. Why would you need to type the commands?
I saved the file om my D:\MyOOBE\bypassNRO.cmd and I run it from there.

I just tried with Build 26220.6772, and it worked just fine.

thepineapple · Oct 8, 2025

For those who are interested. WinJS method isn't remains unpatched in 26220.6772

New Local Account Method (Access Unused Setup Screen, S Mode Supported)

Hey everyone, I have recently put together a brand new method that can be used to bypass the Microsoft Account requirement for the Windows 11 setup. The benefit of this new method is that it can get through setup faster than the well-known OOBE\BYPASSNRO method. Additionally, devices shipped...

www.elevenforum.com

spapakons · Oct 8, 2025

I downloaded Windows 11 25H2 Dev build 26220.6772 from UPP Dump in order to install it in a Virtual Machine and confirm if there is any workaround to create a local administrator account instead of a Microsoft account. To avoid VMware forcing UEFI or anything, I selected Windows 10 64-bit instead of Windows 11 as the version of the machine, so I had the choice and deliberately chose BIOS instead of UEFI to also check compatibility with Legacy BIOS systems. After installation was complete, I was presented with the OOBE screen. I then pressed SHIFT+F10 to open a Command Prompt. I navigated to C:\Windows\System32\oobe folder and as the OP said the file bypassnro.cmd wasn't there. I then tried to type the start ms-cxh:localonly command which instead of opening a window to let me create a local user, it just restarted the OOBE stage. However, I then run the bypassnro.cmd from a USB flash drive and it worked as expected. It enabled the blue text "I don't have internet" and managed to create a local account.

So I hereby confirm that the specific Insider's version has the workarounds removed, but this doesn't necessarily mean that a newer version of the regular 25H2 ISO or 26H2 will also have them removed. I will keep a copy of bypassnro.cmd just in case and I suggest you do the same.

cheaterslick · Oct 8, 2025

spapakons said:
Exactly, you see the available connections but you don't connect.

Yes. Ok. And?

spapakons said:
Use the bypassnro to skip connecting or use the localonly command to create a local account directly skipping the rest of the OOBE.

Of course. But my point is you need to do more than just turning off your router. You also may have your neighbor's wireless connections to contend with during set up, and that should be included in any instructions concerning bypass here.

spapakons · Oct 8, 2025

I still not follow you. What is the issue? Just ignore any Wi-Fi on the list and use the workaround to create a local account. Why you are forced to connect? You are not, just ignore the list. That's the whole point of the first command. To unhide the hidden blue text "I don't have internet", so you can click on it and create a local account. The text is there but cannot be seen and cannot be clicked until you enable it again. Of course the text will never appear if you connect to Wi-Fi or use have a LAN cable connected, common sense! That's why we all insist to be disconnected while doing the workarounds, or they will never work.

cheaterslick · Oct 8, 2025

spapakons said:
I still not follow you. What is the issue? Just ignore any Wi-Fi on the list and use the workaround to create a local account. Why you are forced to connect? You are not, just ignore the list. That's the whole point of the first command. To unhide the hidden blue text "I don't have internet", so you can click on it and create a local account. The text is there but cannot be seen and cannot be clicked until you enable it again. Of course the text will never appear if you connect to Wi-Fi or use have a LAN cable connected, common sense! That's why we all insist to be disconnected while doing the workarounds, or they will never work.

But it can be seen. Whether you like it or not, it can appear during setup, which can make it difficult once setup sees that there are wireless connections are available. It will keep asking you for the wireless password before you can move on.

This is about more than just one's own physical local connection that one would have to contend with. There was no mention of this phenomenon occurring in any bypass instructions until I brought it up.

spapakons · Oct 8, 2025

They only reason I can think of Setup asking you about a Wi-Fi password on a NEW Windows installation (not upgrade) is because you have accidentally clicked on that network before and is registered as "yours". Then you might not be able to avoid it, so you either provide the password for that network or choose another one. But for a new, fresh installation (aka format) without prior knowledge of your Wi-Fi it just presents you the available networks and waits until you choose one or until you apply the bypassnro (aka Bypass Network Requirement on OOBE) workaround. Running the command makes some changes to unhide the hidden "I have no internet" option and restarts to OOBE so the changes take effect.

Bree · Oct 8, 2025

fg2001gf11F said:
Nothing wrong with the batch file. Why would you need to type the commands?

Because I was testing a clean install in a Hyper-V VM. Copy and paste was by far the easiest way to run the commands in the OOBE.

spapakons · Oct 8, 2025

Bree said:
Because I was testing a clean install in a Hyper-V VM. Copy and paste was by far the easiest way to run the commands in the OOBE.

View attachment 148175

I don't know about Hyper-V, but in VMware you cannot copy-paste between the host and the guest until you install VMware Tools. By the way, trying to install the Tools from the menu is no longer working, so you must manually download the latest VMware Tools and load the ISO in the virtual DVD-ROM drive.

Bree · Oct 8, 2025

spapakons said:
I don't know about Hyper-V, but in VMware you cannot copy-paste between the host and the guest until you install VMware Tools.

In Hyper-V it's a built in function. For any guest OS you can at a minimum type text from the host's clipboard into a VM, or capture a full screen snapshot of the guest into the host's clipboard. With a Pro guest of Windows 8.1 or higher you can use the Enhanced Session option for more functionality.

spapakons · Oct 8, 2025

For other virtual machines that don't support copy-paste until the Tools (or Additions) are installed, just keep a copy of the bypassnro.cmd file and pass it in an ISO or USB flash drive connected to the guest.

garlin · Oct 8, 2025

You do understand copying BypassNRO.cmd to the install media is the same amount of labor as copying an unattended file? And you don't actually having to open CMD every time you enter OOBE.

spapakons · Oct 8, 2025

garlin said:
You do understand copying BypassNRO.cmd to the install media is the same amount of labor as copying an unattended file? And you don't actually having to open CMD every time you enter OOBE.

Yes, but it is far easier to copy-paste an existing file than creating the unattended script which I don't know how to do it, as many others.

dacrone · Oct 8, 2025

spapakons said:
Yes, but it is far easier to copy-paste an existing file than creating the unattended script which I don't know how to do it, as many others.

post #21

cheaterslick · Oct 8, 2025

spapakons said:
They only reason I can think of Setup asking you about a Wi-Fi password on a NEW Windows installation (not upgrade) is because you have accidentally clicked on that network before and is registered as "yours".

Nope, that didn't happen. I won't call it an "installation" since the OS was already on there when it was shipped to me. This was a fresh, brand NEW setup on a brand new machine that never touched the internet before. I deliberately turned off my router/wifi and left the ethernet cable unplugged, beforehand in order to do this.

spapakons said:
Then you might not be able to avoid it, so you either provide the password for that network or choose another one.

Well I did avoid it. By hitting the power button and having to start over again.

spapakons said:
But for a new, fresh installation (aka format) without prior knowledge of your Wi-Fi it just presents you the available networks and waits until you choose one or until you apply the bypassnro (aka Bypass Network Requirement on OOBE) workaround. Running the command makes some changes to unhide the hidden "I have no internet" option and restarts to OOBE so the changes take effect.

During my event, the wireless password event showed up before where the OOBE command should have taken place. It wasted no time trying to do that. It would ask for a wifi password before I had a chance to hit the command for OOBE and un-hiding the "I have no internet" option could appear.

spapakons · Oct 8, 2025

What ISO did you use? Try downloading the official 25H2 ISO from Microsoft.

Microsoft is plugging more holes that let you use Windows 11 without an online account

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