Microsoft is plugging more holes that let you use Windows 11 without an online account

Microsoft is cracking down on bypass methods that let Windows 11 installs use a local account, and avoid an internet requirement during the setup process. In a new Windows 11 test build released today, Microsoft says it’s removing known workarounds for creating local accounts as they can apparently cause issues during the setup process. “We are removing known mechanisms for creating a local account in the Windows Setup experience (OOBE),” says Amanda Langowski, the lead for the Windows Insider Program. “While these mechanisms were often used to bypass Microsoft account setup, they also inadvertently skip critical setup screens, potentially causing users to exit OOBE with a device that is not fully configured for use.” The changes mean Windows 11 users will need to complete the OOBE screens with an internet connection and Microsoft account in future versions of the OS. Microsoft already removed the “bypassnro” workaround earlier this year, and today’s changes also disable the “start ms-cxh:localonly” command that Windows 11 users discovered after Microsoft’s previous changes. Using this command now resets the OOBE process and it fails to bypass the Microsoft account requirement. These workarounds have been widely used to avoid a Microsoft account or internet access on Windows 11 Pro and Home installs in recent years. They’re easy to use, so you don’t have to create a custom unattended answer file to force Windows 11 to create a local account. A lot of Windows users simply want to avoid using a Microsoft account or just want to customize the user folder name that Windows 11 creates from the email address of a Microsoft account. Thankfully, Microsoft is now adding a way to name your default user folder during the setup process, although you’ll need to use a command to get a custom folder name. Hopefully this will eventually become a simple option during the setup process.