Microsoft Cracks Down on Local Accounts in Windows 11, But Did It Close All Workarounds?

In yet another move, Microsoft is cracking down on methods that let users bypass the online Microsoft account requirement during Windows 11 installation. The latest Windows 11 Insider Preview Build (26220.6772) released in the Dev channel comes with patches that block local account creation during the Windows 11 setup process.

In its blog post, Microsoft writes:

We are removing known mechanisms for creating a local account in the Windows Setup experience (OOBE). 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. Users will need to complete OOBE with internet and a Microsoft account, to ensure device is setup correctly.

In March this year, Microsoft had blocked the popular “bypassnro” command that allowed users to create a local account on Windows 11 during installation. At that time, the Windows community came up with another start ms-cxh:localonly command that worked even better.

Now, Microsoft says that it’s removing all “known mechanisms” for creating a local account. That said, there is still a workaround which works on the latest Dev build of Windows 11. First of all, make sure your PC is not connected to the internet. After that, while you are on the setup screen, press “Shift + F10” to open the Command Prompt window.

Now, run the below commands and you will be able to bypass the online account requirement during Windows 11 setup.

reg add HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\OOBE /v BypassNRO /t REG_DWORD /d 1 /f 
shutdown /r /t 0

Apart from that, you can still use Rufus to skip Microsoft account on the OOBE screen. In the end, it’s another round of cat-and-mouse game between Microsoft and Windows users. While Microsoft is blocking one loophole, the community is already looking for the next workaround.