Verified new method to bypass requirement for Microsoft account


MisterEd

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Windows 11 Pro 24H2
On the shipping build of Windows 11, it was relatively easy to bypass the internet requirement on Windows 11 Home. However, the common workaround of killing "Network Connection Flow" via Task Manager no longer works in the latest Windows 11 preview builds, so users will have to find another way around the internet requirement, if there even is one.

Windows 11 Pro will soon require a Microsoft Account when setting up for the first time

I have verified the following using Insider build 22579. I did not have to have an Internet connection or use a Microsoft account to install Windows 11 Home or Pro. However, I did enable the Internet connection after the first login so I could get Windows updates and browse the Internet.

Windows 11 requires an internet connection to finish the initial setup (out-of-box experience (OOBE)) for the Home and Pro editions starting with build 22557 and higher, but there’s a way to bypass the requirement.

How to bypass internet connection to install Windows 11
 

My Computers

System One System Two

  • OS
    Windows 11 Pro 24H2
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    ASUS TUF Gaming A15 (2022)
    CPU
    AMD Ryzen 7 6800H with Radeon 680M GPU (486MB RAM)
    Memory
    Crucial DDR5-4800 (2400MHz) 32GB (2 x 16GB)
    Graphics Card(s)
    NVIDIA RTX 3060 Laptop (6GB RAM)
    Sound Card
    n/a
    Monitor(s) Displays
    15.6-inch
    Screen Resolution
    1920x1080 300Hz
    Hard Drives
    2 x Samsung 980 (1TB M.2 NVME SSD)
    PSU
    n/a
    Mouse
    Wireless Mouse M510
    Internet Speed
    2000Mbps/300Mbps
    Browser
    Firefox
    Antivirus
    Malwarebytes
  • Operating System
    Windows 11 Pro 24H2
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Custom build
    CPU
    AMD Ryzen 7 3700X
    Motherboard
    ASUS ROG Strix B550-F Gaming WiFi II
    Memory
    G.SKILL Flare X 32GB (2x16GB) DDR4
    Graphics card(s)
    ASUS ROG-STRIX-RTX3060TI-08G-V2-GAMING (RTX 3060-Ti, 8GB RAM)
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Samsung S23A300B (23-in LED)
    Screen Resolution
    1080p 60Hz
    Hard Drives
    2TB XPG SX8200 Pro (M2. PCIe SSD) || 2TB Intel 660P (M2. PCIe SSD)
    PSU
    Corsair RM750x (750 watts)
    Case
    Cooler Master MasterCase 5
    Cooling
    Scythe Mugen 6
    Mouse
    Logitech K350 (wireless)
    Keyboard
    Logitech M510 (wireless)
    Internet Speed
    2000 Mbps down / 300 Mbps up
    Browser
    Firefox, Edge, Chrome
    Antivirus
    Malwarebytes (Premium)
    Other Info
    ASUS Blu-ray Burner BW-16D1HT (SATA) || Western Digital Easystore 20TB USB 3.0 external hard drive used with Acronis True Image 2025 backup software || HP OfficeJet Pro 6975 Printer/Scanner
Windows 11 Pro will soon require a Microsoft Account when setting up for the first time

I have verified the following using Insider build 22579. I did not have to have an Internet connection or use a Microsoft account to install Windows 11 Home or Pro. However, I did enable the Internet connection after the first login so I could get Windows updates and browse the Internet.



How to bypass internet connection to install Windows 11
This has been discussed a number of times - key point is you can only do it at the screen when it is asking for internet connection - if you do it earlier e.g. at 1st keyboard entry screen, it gets overridden.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 11 Pro + Win11 Canary VM.
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    ASUS Zenbook 14
    CPU
    I9 13th gen i9-13900H 2.60 GHZ
    Motherboard
    Yep, Laptop has one.
    Memory
    16 GB soldered
    Graphics Card(s)
    Integrated Intel Iris XE
    Sound Card
    Realtek built in
    Monitor(s) Displays
    laptop OLED screen
    Screen Resolution
    2880x1800 touchscreen
    Hard Drives
    1 TB NVME SSD (only weakness is only one slot)
    PSU
    Internal + 65W thunderbolt USB4 charger
    Case
    Yep, got one
    Cooling
    Stella Artois (UK pint cans - 568 ml) - extra cost.
    Keyboard
    Built in UK keybd
    Mouse
    Bluetooth , wireless dongled, wired
    Internet Speed
    900 mbs (ethernet), wifi 6 typical 350-450 mb/s both up and down
    Browser
    Edge
    Antivirus
    Defender
    Other Info
    TPM 2.0, 2xUSB4 thunderbolt, 1xUsb3 (usb a), 1xUsb-c, hdmi out, 3.5 mm audio out/in combo, ASUS backlit trackpad (inc. switchable number pad)

    Macrium Reflect Home V8
    Office 365 Family (6 users each 1TB onedrive space)
    Hyper-V (a vm runs almost as fast as my older laptop)
This works for Windows 10 Home
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 11 Insider Beta
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Dell Optiplex 7020
    CPU
    Intel Core i5-4590
    Motherboard
    OEM Motherboard
    Memory
    12GB
    Graphics Card(s)
    Intel HD Graphics 4600
    Sound Card
    Realtek HD Audio
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Philips 242V
    Screen Resolution
    1920 x 1080
    Hard Drives
    HP 500GB
    Browser
    Chrome
    Antivirus
    Bitdefender Total Security

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