We’ve all experienced the long and often tedious process of setting up a fresh Windows 11 installation. The setup steps also known as the “Out of Box Experience” can feel like they go on forever. On top of that, it requires an active internet connection and insists on signing in with a Microsoft account. While it may seem unavoidable, there are actually two effective ways to bypass this requirement and set up Windows 11 without a Microsoft account. Here’s how you can do it.
Method 1: Setting Up Windows 11 Without Microsoft Account Using a New Command
For those who might not know, Microsoft has recently tightened restrictions around bypassing the Microsoft account requirement during the Windows 11 setup. The once-popular “bypassnro” command, which allowed users to skip account sign-in, has now been blocked. However, the community continues to find new and better workarounds. The latest method uses a simple keyboard shortcut along with a specific command that lets you bypass the OOBE (Out of Box Experience) as if it never existed.
- Once Windows 11 finishes installing, you’ll land on the onboarding setup screen.
- Press Shift + F10 to open the Command Prompt.
- Type the command
start ms-cxh:localonlyand hit Enter.
- A window will appear prompting you to create a local account. Fill in your details and click Next.
Windows 11 will then proceed to boot straight to the desktop. You’re all set, enjoy!
Method 2: Setting Up Windows 11 Without Microsoft Account Using BYPASSNRO Command
Although the popular “bypassnro” command has been blocked in newer Windows 11 builds, it still works on older versions. It follows a similar approach to the method above but uses a different command to bypass the Microsoft account requirement.
- When you reach the Windows onboarding screen, press Shift + F10 to open the Command Prompt.
- Enter the command
oobe\bypassnroand press Enter to prompt the system to skip the out-of-box experience.
- Your PC will restart automatically. After rebooting, proceed through the setup steps. You should now see the Continue with limited setup option.
- For best results, turn off your router this will take you directly to the local account setup screen. Enter your desired username and password.
- After a few moments, you’ll boot into Windows 11 no Microsoft account needed.
Method 3: Bypass Microsoft Account Using the Rufus Tool
Rufus is a powerful tool for creating bootable USB drives, and it comes with several customization options one of which lets you bypass Windows’ Out of Box Experience (OOBE). This means you can skip the Microsoft account sign-in during setup. To do this, you’ll need a Windows 11 ISO file, which you can download directly from Microsoft. Here’s how to use Rufus to skip the Microsoft account requirement during installation.
- Go to the official Rufus website and download the latest version of the installer.
- Once downloaded, double-click the installer to launch Rufus.
- Insert your USB drive Rufus should detect it automatically.
- Under the Boot selection section, click SELECT and choose the Windows 11 ISO you previously downloaded.
- Click START, and a dialog box will appear with several customization options.
- Check the boxes for Remove requirement for an online Microsoft account and Disable data collection.
- You can also check Create a local account with username: to skip even more setup steps.
- When the warning prompt appears, click OK. Rufus will format the USB and create a bootable Windows installer no Microsoft account required.
Once Rufus finishes writing to your USB drive, simply boot into your PC’s boot options and select the USB as the boot device. From there, proceed with the standard Windows installation process. When prompted, you’ll be able to set up a local administrator account and skip the Microsoft account entirely leading straight into the Windows desktop.
And that’s it! These are the two effective methods to set up Windows 11 without signing in to a Microsoft account. Got questions or need help? Let us know in the comments below!
