If you don’t want to use a Microsoft account, Windows 11 lets you set up a new installation with a local account, and here’s how to do it.
Set up Windows 11 Home without a Microsoft account
To set up Windows 11 without a Microsoft account, use these steps:
- Start the PC with the Windows 11 USB flash drive.
- Press any key to continue.
- Choose the installation language and format.
- Click the Next button.
- Choose the keyboard and input method.
- Click the Next button.
- Select the “Install Windows 11” option.
- Check the “I agree everything” option to confirm this process will delete everything on the computer.
- Click the “I don’t have a product key” option.Quick note: The computer will activate automatically after reinstallation. If this is a new computer, you must provide a product key. You can always provide the product key to activate later through the Settings app.
- Select the edition of “Windows 11” your license key activates (if applicable).
- Click the Next button.
- Click the Accept button
- Select each partition on the hard drive where you want to install Windows 11 and click the Delete button. (Usually, “Drive 0” contains all the installation files.)
- Select the hard drive (Drive 0 Unallocated Space) to install the operating system.
- Click the Next button.
- Click the Install button.
- Open Command Prompt using the “Shift + F10” keyboard shortcut on the region settings page.
- Type the
OOBE\BYPASSNRO
command to bypass network requirements on Windows 11, press Enter to apply the configuration, and restart the computer. - Up on restart, open Command Prompt again using the “Shift + F10” keyboard shortcut on the region settings page.
- Type the
ipconfig /release
command and press Enter to disconnect from the network.Quick tip: You can also disable the Wi-Fi connection, unplug the Ethernet cable from the computer, or power off the router or access point temporarily to disconnect from the internet. - Select your region setting after the installation on the first page of the out-of-the-box experience (OOBE).
- Click the Yes button.
- Select your keyboard layout setting.
- Click the Yes button.
- Click the Skip button if you do not need to configure a second layout.
- Click the “I don’t have internet” option.
- Click the “Continue with limited setup” option.
- Click the Accept button (if applicable).
- Confirm the name of the local default account on Windows 11.
- Click the Next button.
- Create a password for the account.
- Click the Next button.
- Confirm the account password.
- Click the Next button.
- Select and complete the three security questions to recover the account.
- Click the Next button.
- Choose the privacy settings.
- Click the Next button.
- Click the Next button again.
- Click the Accept button.
After you complete the steps, the Windows 11 Home setup will be complete without a Microsoft account.
This method works with Home as well as with the Pro edition of the operating system.
Set up Windows 11 Pro without a Microsoft account
To install Windows 11 Pro without a Microsoft account but with a local account instead, use these steps:
- Start the PC with the Windows 11 USB flash drive.
- Press any key to continue.
- Choose the installation language and format.
- Click the Next button.
- Choose the keyboard and input method.
- Click the Next button.
- Select the “Install Windows 11” option.
- Check the “I agree everything” option to confirm this process will delete everything on the computer.
- Click the “I don’t have a product key” option.Quick note: The computer will activate automatically after reinstallation. If this is a new computer, you must provide a product key. You can always provide the product key to activate later through the Settings app.
- Select the edition of “Windows 11” your license key activates (if applicable).
- Click the Next button.
- Click the Accept button
- Select each partition on the hard drive where you want to install Windows 11 and click the Delete button. (Usually, “Drive 0” contains all the installation files.)
- Select the hard drive (Drive 0 Unallocated Space) to install the operating system.
- Click the Next button.
- Click the Install button.
- Open Command Prompt using the “Shift + F10” keyboard shortcut on the region settings page.
- Select your region setting after the installation on the first page of the out-of-the-box experience (OOBE).
- Click the Yes button.
- Select your keyboard layout setting.
- Click the Yes button.
- Click the Skip button if you do not need to configure a second layout.
- If the computer uses an Ethernet connection, it automatically connects to the network. If you have a wireless connection, you will need to set up the connection manually (a security key may be required).
- (Optional) Confirm a name for the computer.
- Click the Next button. (The computer will restart automatically.)
- (Important) Select the “Set up for work or school” option to continue without a Microsoft account.
- Click the Next button.
- Click the “Sign-in options” setting.
- Click the “Domain join instead” option to bypass the Microsoft account and continue with a local account.
- Specify a name to create a local account on Windows 11.
- Create a strong password for the local account.
- Click the Next button.
- Confirm the password.
- Click the Next button.
- Complete the three security questions in case you forget your password.
- Click the Next button.
- Confirm the privacy settings that best suit your situation by turning on or off the toggle switch for each setting.
- Click the Accept button.
Once you complete the steps, Windows 11 completes the installation with a local account that is not connected to any Microsoft products.
Set up Windows 11 with local account using Rufus
To set up a new Windows 11 (Home or Pro) installation without a Microsoft account with the Rufus tool, connect a USB flash drive of 8GB and use these steps:
- Open Rufus website.
- Click the link to download the latest version.
- Double-click the rufus.4.xx.exe file to launch the tool.
- Select the flash drive to create the Windows 11 bootable USB media from the “Device” setting.
- Click the Select button.Quick tip: If you don’t have the ISO file, click the arrow button next to “Select,” choose the “Download” option, click the “Download” option, and continue with the on-screen directions to get the latest ISO file for Windows 11.
- Select the Windows 11 ISO file.
- Click the Open button.
- Select the “Standard Windows Partition” option in the “Image option” setting.
- Select the GPT option in the “Partition scheme” setting.
- Select the UEFI (non CSM) option in the “Target system” setting.
- (Optional) Confirm a descriptive name for the bootable USB flash drive in the “Volume label” setting.
- Use the default settings for the File system and Cluster size options.
- Check the Quick format option.
- Check the “Create extended label and icon files” option.
- Click the Start button.
- (Optional) Check the “Remove requirement for 4GB RAM, Secure Boot, and TPM 2.0” option to install Windows 11 on unsupported hardware.
- (Important) Check the “Remove requirement for an online Microsoft account” option to use a local account and bypass the internet requirements.
- (Recommended) Check the “Create a local account with username” option and specify a name for the account.
Quick note: If you want to create a local account during the setup, you don’t need to check this option.
- Click the OK button.
- Start the PC with the Windows 11 USB flash drive created with Rufus.
- Press any key to continue.
- Choose the installation language and format.
- Click the Next button.
- Choose the keyboard and input method.
- Click the Next button.
- Select the “Install Windows 11” option.
- Check the “I agree everything” option to confirm this process will delete everything on the computer.
- Click the “I don’t have a product key” option.Quick note: The computer will activate automatically after reinstallation. If this is a new computer, you must provide a product key. You can always provide the product key to activate later through the Settings app.
- Select the edition of “Windows 11” your license key activates (if applicable).
- Click the Next button.
- Click the Accept button
- Select each partition on the hard drive where you want to install Windows 11 and click the Delete button. (Usually, “Drive 0” contains all the installation files.)
- Select the hard drive (Drive 0 Unallocated Space) to install the operating system.
- Click the Next button.
- Click the Install button.
- Open Command Prompt using the “Shift + F10” keyboard shortcut on the region settings page.
- Select your region setting after the installation on the first page of the out-of-the-box experience (OOBE).
- Click the Yes button.
- Select your keyboard layout setting.
- Click the Yes button.
- Click the Skip button if you do not need to configure a second layout.
Quick note: Since you have created a custom USB bootable media, after this step, the setup will skip the Microsoft account configuration and create a local account automatically. If you didn’t select the option to create an account, you will have to set up the local account before configuring the privacy settings.
- Choose the privacy settings.
- Click the Next button.
- Click the Next button again.
- Click the Accept button.
After you complete the steps, the system will set up the installation with a local account, skipping the Microsoft account requirement.
If you select the option to create a local account, the account will not have a password configured. You can protect your account by going to Settings > Accounts > Sign-in options and clicking the “Add” button from the “Password” setting.
Set up new PC without a Microsoft account
If you’re setting up a new computer pre-installed with Windows 11 Home or Pro, you can also use either method, as shown in the Out-of-box Experience (OOBE) instructions.
To set up a new Windows 11 laptop or desktop computer without a Microsoft account, use these steps:
- Power on the computer to boot into the Out-of-box Experience (OOBE).
- Open Command Prompt using the “Shift + F10” keyboard shortcut on the region settings page.
- Type the
OOBE\BYPASSNRO
command to bypass network requirements on Windows 11, press Enter to apply the configuration, and restart the computer. - Up on restart, open Command Prompt again using the “Shift + F10” keyboard shortcut on the region settings page.
- Type the
ipconfig /release
command and press Enter to disconnect from the network.Quick tip: You can also disable the Wi-Fi connection, unplug the Ethernet cable from the computer, or power off the router or access point temporarily to disconnect from the internet. - Select your region setting after the installation on the first page of the out-of-the-box experience (OOBE).
- Click the Yes button.
- Select your keyboard layout setting.
- Click the Yes button.
- Click the Skip button if you do not need to configure a second layout.
- Click the “I don’t have internet” option.
- Click the “Continue with limited setup” option.
- Click the Accept button (if applicable).
- Confirm the name of the local default account on Windows 11.
- Click the Next button.
- Create a password for the account.
- Click the Next button.
- Confirm the account password.
- Click the Next button.
- Select and complete the three security questions to recover the account.
- Click the Next button.
- Choose the privacy settings.
- Click the Next button.
- Click the Next button again.
- Click the Accept button.
Once you complete the steps, you will be able to proceed with the Windows 11 desktop with a local account instead of a Microsoft account.
Pureinfortech.