Revised procedure for setting up a local user account during Win 11 setup

In the past, I have seen different instructions for setting up Windows with a local account rather than a Microsoft account depending upon whether you are connected to the Internet or not.

Here is a very simple step that you can take to allow you to use the same procedure whether or not you have an Internet connection. Very simply, this procedure makes sure that you don't have an Internet connection, thus eliminating the need to remember a second procedure.

So, here is the step-by-step procedure:

1) Run Windows Setup up to the point where you are asked if you want to set up for personal use or set up for work or school.

2) Press SHIFT + F10 to open a command prompt.

3) Run the command "OOBE\BYPASSNRO".

4) The system will reboot.

5) After the reboot, proceed to the point where you are once again asked if you want to set up for personal use or for work / school.

6) Once again, open a command prompt by pressing SHIFT + F10, but this time run the command "ipconfig /release".

NOTE: After running this command, you definitely do not have Internet access, so the procedure is now the same whether you originally had Internet access or not.

7) Close the command prompt.

8) Continue through setup the same as usual.

I know that in the past, others have suggested simply disconnecting your network cable which effectively does the same thing, but this is helpful in those situations where getting to the back of the machine to disconnect the cable might be awkward and allows the user to follow the exact same steps whether they even know if they have Internet access or not.

That method above indeed does work great.

If you prefer to not quite remember as much, this is how I do it

Install Windows like normal, leave everything connected

When you get to adding your account use something like simple@simple.com (just make up something)




For the password, just use the number 1 (or anything else you like)



Hit sign in and it will say Oops something went wrong



Click on Next and you can then create your local account

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

Brink said:

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

Clean Install Windows 11 Tutorial

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

Click to expand...

Yep, that's the way I do it. Nothing to remember, you can make everything up. Just gotta remember to make up a fake email address and bogus password.

Rufus has the option to apply BypassRNO ("Remove requirement for a Microsoft Account"), before creating your ISO.

garlin said:

Rufus has the option to apply BypassRNO ("Remove requirement for a Microsoft Account"), before creating your ISO.

Click to expand...

I do that as well.

There are actually a whole lot of ways to skin this cat. For example, you can create an unattended answer file that does NOTHING other than bypass the requirement to create a Microsoft account. Or, you can create an answer file that bypasses the Windows 11 system requirements and creates a local account, but other than that, allows for the usual manual installation of Windows.

Personally, what I use most frequently is a full unattended install that bypasses Win 11 requirements, creates a local account, and uses the "English (World)" Time and currency format trick to avoid all the crapware placeholders from ever being created in Start. At least for my personal preferences, I've settled on that as my "go to", default installation method.

After the initial installation, I run a script that performs all my Windows personalization tasks and installs all my drivers. It even installs a lot of apps for me.

Bottom line is that I can go from bare metal to a complete Windows installation, with much of the usual configuration after installation already completed in about a half hour.

Rufus creates a hidden Panther answer file, which does a reg add. The convenience is if you're bypassing HW requirements, it's on the same pop-up dialog.

garlin said:

Rufus creates a hidden Panther answer file, which does a reg add. The convenience is if you're bypassing HW requirements, it's on the same pop-up dialog.

Click to expand...

I queried the author of Rufus on exactly what it was that he was doing and he was kind enough to cofirm the details for me. As a result, I now do the same thing in my program: