Microsoft removes even more Microsoft account workarounds from Windows 11 build
Among the many minor to medium annoyances of a modern Windows 11 install, the requirement to sign in with a Microsoft account is one of the most irritating. Of course, all operating systems (including those from Apple and Google) encourage signing into an account as part of their setup process and prevent you from using several operating system features until you sign in.
Various tools and workarounds, both approved and unapproved, existed to allow users to set up their PCs with old-fashioned local accounts, and these workarounds haven’t changed much in the past three years. But Microsoft is working to tighten the screws in pre-release versions of Windows, foreshadowing a future version of Windows where getting around the account requirement is even more difficult than it already is.
In a new update posted yesterday to the Windows Insider Preview Program’s Dev channel (build number 26220.6772), Microsoft announced that it is “removing the known mechanisms for creating a local account in the Windows Setup Experience (OOBE).” Microsoft says these workarounds “inadvertently skip critical configuration screens, which could cause users to leave OOBE with a device that is not fully configured for use.”
The removed commands include the “OOBE\BYPASSNRO” workaround that Microsoft announced its removal earlier this year, as well as a “start ms-cxh:localonly” workaround that was documented more recently. In current versions of Windows, users can open a Command Prompt window during installation with Shift+F10 and enter one of these commands to remove both the Microsoft account requirement and the Internet connection requirement.
Windows 11 Pro currently includes another workaround, where you can indicate that you plan to join your computer to a corporate domain and use it to create a local account. We don’t know if this mechanism has also been removed from the new version of Windows.
It’s unclear exactly what “critical configuration screens” Microsoft is referring to; When you use the workarounds to create a local account, Windows Setup Assistant still shows you all the screens you need to create an account and password, as well as toggle a few basic privacy settings. Signing in with a Microsoft account, however, adds several screens to this process: These screens will attempt to sell you Microsoft 365 and Xbox Game Pass subscriptions and grant you access to features like the Windows Delete Data Reminder on PCs that support it. I wouldn’t call any of them “critical” from a user perspective, but my priorities are not Microsoft’s.
