New W11 setup as local account


stevem5000

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Bought new Win 11 lapper about 1 week ago.....I used to set up with local account with shift+F10 then OOBE\bypassnro .......but this time it not work...did not bring up the CMD screen........Is there a work around.....some other way I can set up W11 with a local account and skip the Microsoft account...???
 

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It's worked the last multiple times I've tried it. However I have not tried it since the most recent update V2. Guess I'll go try on a test system.

Edit to update: Okay just tried to install with a brand new created Flash drive using Media Creation Tool. The Shift + F10 worked as advertised for me. I'm kinda curious whether on that Laptop the Function key(s), F10, might need to use an extra key to activate? Just curious.
 
Last edited:

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Hello Stevem, :alien:

You can also still use the method in step 21 to set up a local account during a clean install of Windows 11.

 

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Hi,
Maybe F10 needs the fn key as well to work ?
 

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Make and model of laptop would be helpful.
 

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  • System 3 is non compliant Dell 9020 i7-4770/24gb ram Win11 PRO 26200.9445
Yet another way to create a local user account:

Take the text below and save it to a text file called autounattend.xml. Drop that file onto the root of your installation media. That is literally all you need to do.

NOTE: Make sure to use a plain text editor like Notepad and not something like Word to avoid getting any special formatting characters inserted into the file.

An autounattend.xml file is typically used to perform an unattended, automated installation of Windows. This is a stripped-down version of that file that does nothing more than select the version of Windows to install and create a local user account. It will NOT perform an unattended installation of Windows. This particular file will create a user named WinUser, with a full name of Windows User and a password of Password1. Simply modify this in notepad to whatever you want. Also, it will install Windows Pro. You can change the key to a generic Windows Home key if you wish. Here are the generic Windows Home edition keys:

Windows 11 Home Single Language: BT79Q-G7N6G-PGBYW-4YWX6-6F4BT Windows 11 Home: YTMG3-N6DKC-DKB77-7M9GH-8HVX7

XML:
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<!--
Notes about this answer file:

The purpose of this answer file is to create a local user account and eliminate the need for an internet
connection during setup. It does NOT perform an unattended installation of Windows.

It includes a Windows 10 / 11 Pro key.

It will create a local user account named "WinUser" with a full name of "Windows User" and a password of "Password1".

END OF NOTES
-->
<unattend xmlns="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:unattend">
    <settings pass="windowsPE">
        <component name="Microsoft-Windows-Setup" processorArchitecture="amd64" publicKeyToken="31bf3856ad364e35" language="neutral" versionScope="nonSxS" xmlns:wcm="http://schemas.microsoft.com/WMIConfig/2002/State" xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance">
            <ImageInstall>
                <OSImage>
                    <InstallFrom>
                        <Path>\install.wim</Path>
                    </InstallFrom>
                </OSImage>
            </ImageInstall>
            <UserData>
                <ProductKey>
                    <Key>VK7JG-NPHTM-C97JM-9MPGT-3V66T</Key>
                </ProductKey>
                <AcceptEula>true</AcceptEula>
            </UserData>
        </component>
    </settings>
    <settings pass="oobeSystem">
        <component name="Microsoft-Windows-Shell-Setup" processorArchitecture="amd64" publicKeyToken="31bf3856ad364e35" language="neutral" versionScope="nonSxS" xmlns:wcm="http://schemas.microsoft.com/WMIConfig/2002/State" xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance">
            <UserAccounts>
                <LocalAccounts>
                    <LocalAccount wcm:action="add">
                        <Password>
                            <Value>UABhAHMAcwB3AG8AcgBkADEAUABhAHMAcwB3AG8AcgBkAA==</Value>
                            <PlainText>false</PlainText>
                        </Password>
                        <DisplayName>Windows User</DisplayName>
                        <Group>Administrators</Group>
                        <Name>WinUser</Name>
                    </LocalAccount>
                </LocalAccounts>
            </UserAccounts>
            <OOBE>
                <HideWirelessSetupInOOBE>true</HideWirelessSetupInOOBE>
                <UnattendEnableRetailDemo>false</UnattendEnableRetailDemo>
                <HideEULAPage>true</HideEULAPage>
                <HideOEMRegistrationScreen>true</HideOEMRegistrationScreen>
                <HideOnlineAccountScreens>true</HideOnlineAccountScreens>
                <ProtectYourPC>1</ProtectYourPC>
            </OOBE>
        </component>
    </settings>
</unattend>
 

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Edit to update: Okay just tried to install with a brand new created Flash drive using Media Creation Tool. The Shift + F10 worked as advertised for me. I'm kinda curious whether on that Laptop the Function key(s), F10, might need to use an extra key to activate? Just curious.
It depend on which laptop it is. On mine there is an option in the bios for the the behaviour of the F1 to F12 keys, whether they have their F1-F12 function or their alternative functions when the Fn key is pressed. The default was to require the Fn key to use F1-F12.
 

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    UPDATE - 11 April 2026: due to lid hinges starting to break up this laptop has been retired from active duty. The OS with all software and files has been migrated to my System Seven in 'Other systems' to carry on as my general purpose 'main machine'.

    I've now clean installed 25H2 and used Garlin's scripts to update Secure Boot to CA 2023 and revoke the PCA 2011 certificates. It's new role is to test secure boot issues.

    Info for 2021-2026:
    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 2021 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, 24H2 on 3rd October 2024 through Windows Update by setting the Target Release Version for 24H2, and 25H2 on 30th September 2025 through Windows Update by setting the Target Release Version for 25H2.
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    Dell Latitude E4310
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    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.
    In-place upgrade to 24H2 using hybrid 23H2/24H2 install media.
    Upgraded to 25H2 by Enablement Package.

    Also running Insider Experimental 263xx and 29xxx builds and Windows 10 as native boot .vhdx.
  • My SYSTEM THREE is a Dell Latitude 5410, i7-10610U, 32GB RAM, 512GB NVMe ssd, supported device running Windows 11 Pro.

    My SYSTEM FOUR was a 2-in-1 convertible Lenovo Yoga 11e (1st gen) type 20DA, Celeron N2930, 8GB RAM, 256GB ssd. Unsupported device. This has now been sold. It has been replaced by my System Eight.

    My SYSTEM FIVE is a Dell Latitude 3190 2-in-1, Pentium Silver N5030, 8GB RAM, 1TB NVMe ssd, supported device running Windows 11 Pro, plus Insider Beta, Experimental 263xx and 29xxx builds (and a few others) as a native boot .vhdx.

    My SYSTEM SIX is a Dell Latitude 5550, Core Ultra 7 165H, 64GB RAM, 1TB NVMe SSD, supported device, Windows 11 Pro, Hyper-V host machine. Updated to 25H2 on 30th September 2025.

    My SYSTEM SEVEN is a Lenovo Thinkpad T580, 1920x1080 touchscreen, Intel Core i7-8650U, 16GB RAM, 512GB NVMe SSD + 2nd 512GB NVMe SSD, a supported device for Windows 11. This is my current general purpose 'main machine'. The installed Windows 11 Home from my System One has been migrated to this machine. As its new home has an existing digital licence for Pro I've been able to upgrade the migrated OS from Home to Pro.

    My SYSTEM EIGHT is a 2-in-1 convertible Lenovo Yoga 11e (5th gen) type 20LN, Celeron N4120, 8GB RAM, 512GB NVMe ssd, a supported device for Windows 11. Currently running Windows 11 Pro, plus Insider Beta, Experimental 263xx and 29xxx builds as native boot vhdx.
Just go to Settings > Accounts > Your info > Account settings click on the link for Local Account.
The dialogues are the usual weasel worded MS warning stuff, but it is not difficult.

You will need to know anyway as you can quite easily fall in to signing in with an MS Account whilst using a Local Account.
I have done this accidently many times from 2014 with Windows 8/10/11 for 9 years. I have several MS Accounts.

With a new Windows 11 Laptop the OOBE was done with the method you show. I had no Ethernet, WAP switched off. Windows was configured appropriately before connecting the internet.
 

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