Windows 11 without a MS Acct

I might be getting a new laptop. I have never created a MS account. And now, I definitely don't want to create one. It's my understanding that not only has MS rigged Windows 11 to force people to create a MS account, but doing so means your computer (?) will be inundated with advertising, tracking and data collecting - all perpetrated by MS.

I have read that in the case of a computer pre-loaded with Windows 11, a person can create a MS account, then delete it after creating a local account with administrative privileges. So, I have a few questions:
1. Can a local account actually be assigned FULL adminstrative privileges?
2. If I create a local account, and log in only to that account (without deleting the MS account), would that work the same as having never created a MS account? In other words, will the data collection, ads, tracking, etc by MS be thwarted?
3. If I create a local account, and then delete the MS account, will I receive updates, or will I have to manually check for updates on occasion? Or will killing the MS account keep me from getting updates all together whether automatically or manually?

Thanks

Tell you the true it does not matter if you have local or Microsoft account tracking works on both account anyhow use Rufus utility to create yourself bootable USB with local account.

Hi, welcome.

You don’t need to delete the Microsoft account Admin
Yes you will still receive updates.

This tutorial.


Freebooter is correct though. Windows is only a fraction of the problem. Every app, every website… data collection.

He’s also right about Rufus doing the work for you. I’d recommend using the Beta version 4.6

I gotta disagree with both of you. He's getting a new computer, not installing Windows. He needs to know how to set up a local account during OOBE.

By the way @THISisMyUzrName, welcome to the forum. Please say if the computer you are getting is Windows Home or Pro. Please say if you want your files backed up to Onedrive.

I’d just switch to local after the fact. Takes 2 minutes.

Or I’d install from scratch just for the benefit of losing all the bloatware.

The bottom line here, is that the member is overly concerned about being…

THISisMyUzrName said:

inundated with advertising, tracking and data collecting - all perpetrated by MS.

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This is where I tell people to use Linux.
Being concerned about this… in my opinion, is futile.

At least the ads can be dealt with. But the rest, all the recommendations in here about telemetry blockers etc, are to me a placebo.

Hmm if I recall... If you set your region to "The world" most bloat would be not installed

antspants said:

I’d just switch to local after the fact. Takes 2 minutes.

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True that. It's really the easiest. Then , if he wants his files on his system drive rather than onedrive, he can do that , too.
I also always clean instll Windows on a new system, if it's mine. But most normal everyday kind of users don't want or expect to have to do that on a brand new computer....depending on their skill level.

THISisMyUzrName said:

might be getting a new laptop. I have never created a MS account. And now, I definitely don't want to create one. It's my understanding that not only has MS rigged Windows 11 to force people to create a MS account, but doing so means your computer (?) will be inundated with advertising, tracking and data collecting - all perpetrated by MS.

Click to expand...

When starting a new laptop for the first time you'll go through the 'Out of Box Experience' (OOBE) to set it up. To set it up with a local account you need to bypass the requirement to connect to the internet. See Step 16 in this tutorial for how to use the OOBE\BYPASSNRO command to do that.


As others have said, you'll get tracked with a local account too. You can cut down ads and tips by going into Settings, search for 'suggest', click 'show all results' and go through each result and turn them off.

glasskuter said:

True that. It's really the easiest. Then , if he wants his files on his system drive rather than onedrive, he can do that , too.
I also always clean instll Windows on a new system, if it's mine. But most normal everyday kind of users don't want or expect to have to do that on a brand new computer....depending on their skill level.

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Reads to me like they're going to need help. I know you have a list of how to disable OneDrive that’s pretty efficient.

THISisMyUzrName said:

I might be getting a new laptop.

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If it comes with Windows 11 in S Mode then you can only use it with a Microsoft account. The official way to get out of S Mode requires you to sign in with an MS account.


The unofficial way is to make a few registry changes at OOBE. See this post.

Microsoft blocks all options to bypass MS Account on new Installs - post #131.

glasskuter said:

I gotta disagree with both of you. He's getting a new computer, not installing Windows. He needs to know how to set up a local account during OOBE.

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I just setup my wife's new laptop that came with Win 11 Home. The oobe\bypassnro work around worked like a charm.

Edit: I did have to turn off Device Encryption.

Hello, Everyone, and thank you for your welcome and replies.

FreeBooter said:

.....use Rufus utility to create yourself bootable USB with local account.

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antspants said:

He’s also right about Rufus doing the work for you. I’d recommend using the Beta version 4.6

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I am not real tech savvy. I know just enough to get into trouble. But I'm also not sure if I should try something I've never done before, especially if doing so might void some warranty on a brand new computer if I screw it up.

glasskuter said:

Please say if the computer you are getting is Windows Home or Pro.

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Windows 11 Home.

glasskuter said:

Please say if you want your files backed up to Onedrive.

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To be honest, I really don't know much about OneDrive except it is one of those things I found with Win10 that you don't need - I uninstall it each time it shows up. That said however, on a new computer, I will not have created any files yet, so I should not have to worry about backing anything up yet, I would think.

antspants said:

I’d just switch to local after the fact. Takes 2 minutes.

Click to expand...

antspants said:

Or I’d install from scratch just for the benefit of losing all the bloatware.

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Sounds good...
Guess it would be nice without all the crap that comes on a pre-loaded machine, but I also try to uninstall anything I know I don't want, and learn that I don't need. The rest I keep until I can check it out - then if I don't like it or see no need for it, I get rid of that too. If I can't uninstall it, I try to disable it.

antspants said:

Being concerned about this… in my opinion, is futile.

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Yer probably right. I've lived with some of it for this long.... just seems that such invasions are getting worse. Maybe I should have learned long ago how to build my own computer.

WAI said:

If you set your region to "The world" most bloat would be not installed

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Wouldn't that be applicable only if you were actually installing the O/S yourself, and not a pre-loaded system?

glasskuter said:

But most normal everyday kind of users don't want or expect to have to do that on a brand new computer....depending on their skill level.

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I have always done what I could to have MY computer the way I want it. But as mentioned above, I'm not overly tech savvy. So though I'm sure my computer is probably more "customized" than the next non-tech-savvy person, I should probably stick to the pre-loaded environment and tweak where I know how to tweak....LOL

Bree said:

To set it up with a local account you need to bypass the requirement to connect to the internet.

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I thought this could be done only with Windows 11 Pro.... ?

Bree said:

You can cut down ads and tips by going into Settings, search for 'suggest', click 'show all results' and go through each result and turn them off.

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Yes, I did a lot of stuff like that in Windows 10 as soon as I got my current computer. I've always unintalled stuff I didn't want, or disabled it (if possible) if I couldn't get rid of it.

Bree said:

If it comes with Windows 11 in S Mode

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No S Mode! It's my understanding that version of Windows allows only MS software. I use very little MS software.

I appreciate the time, suggestions and recommendations from everyone. As I've said, I'm not terribly tech savvy, and it definitely sounds to me that you all know a lot more than I do. And lately, a lot of my time is taken up helping an aging parent - I have so little time to myself lately. That said, I will probably tweak settings, uninstall unwanted/unneeded programs/apps and disable that which can not be removed. In the meantime, I may do some reading on the links and tutorials you all have posted here in this thread. Maybe I can learn more for the next time.

Thank you all very much!

THISisMyUzrName said:

I really don't know much about OneDrive except it is one of those things I found with Win10 that you don't need - I uninstall it each time it shows up. T

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A couple of things you need to be aware of.
By default when using a MS account, the default location for a user's documents, desktop, pictures, and videos folders is Onedrive, not your system drive. In this case, the account and PC has to be be unlinked from Onedrive, the default folder location changed back to your system drive before Onedrive can be uninstalled. With a local account, files are stored in your c:\users\yourusername folder

Also be aware if using a MS account and Home version, on laptops device encryption will be enabled by default on all fixed drives. Your recovery key will be stored in your MS account. If you're using a local account, Device Encryption isn't turned on automatically.

THISisMyUzrName said:

Yer probably right. I've lived with some of it for this long.... just seems that such invasions are getting worse. Maybe I should have learned long ago how to build my own computer.

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Hey, there is help in here

If you are concerned about anything in particular, want something removed, added or just need your butt saved or want to learn something — Jump on and create a thread. members will help you.

THISisMyUzrName said:

If I create a local account, and then delete the MS account, will I receive updates, or will I have to manually check for updates on occasion? Or will killing the MS account keep me from getting updates all together whether automatically or manually?

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Here is solution of ur problem. Enjoy 2024-10-11 01-44-08.mp4

PressF5 said:

Here is solution of ur problem. Enjoy

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We basically have tutorials here for nearly everything you need to do, or can do in Windows, thanks to Brink

1) no, you don’t have to create a Microsoft account

2) you can set up a brand new pc out of the box with a local account very easily

3) when you get the pc, post here before doing anything and myself or another can provide you with step by step instructions

THISisMyUzrName said:

bree said:

To set it up with a local account you need to bypass the requirement to connect to the internet.

Click to expand...

I thought this could be done only with Windows 11 Pro.... ?

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It used to be that for the OOBE in Pro there was an 'I don't have internet' option, while for Home there wasn't. Recently that option has been removed in both. The OOBE\BypassNRO command restarts the OOBE and restores this option for both Home and Pro.

THISisMyUzrName said:

Bree said:

If it comes with Windows 11 in S Mode

Click to expand...

No S Mode! It's my understanding that version of Windows allows only MS software. I use very little MS software.

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You'd be surprised how many consumer laptops come with S Mode these days, it's more common at the lower end of the price range but some quite decent machines come with it too. S Mode restricts you to Store apps only. Not all are from Microsoft. You can get Firefox from the store, for example. You can always switch out of S Mode, the only difference between S Mode and normal Windows is in the registry. Easier though not to buy an S Mode laptop in the first place.

For Pro and above the easiest way to continue with a local account is to select school / work computer and at sign in options choose domain join.

For Home -- I don't think that works -- haven't got W11 Home so can't test - but some here might be able to do it.

I don't think the Internet connection though can be bypassed -- at least not via the OOBE screens. Again there might be some hack.

BUT the ist thing to do before installing / running the setup from a new laptop is to back up it's install disk - use a stand alone system to backup the system. That way if anything goes wrong you can restore it to the "Shop state" - i.e as it was when you received the computer.


Cheers
jimbo