Windows 11: Install without a Microsoft account (local machine)

Contributed by one of my clients. I’m pretty sure my IT people did this when I got my new Windows 11 laptop recently—they told me to NOT turn it on until they were on the phone with me to walk me through this.

1. Start the computer/laptop and get to the installation point where it asks for a WiFi connection. Unfortunately, there’s no option to choose ‘I don’t have internet’ as you could in previous Windows versions.
2. Press Shift+F10 to open the command prompt.
3. Type: oobe\bypassnro (no spaces, not case-sensitive)
4. Press Enter.
5. The computer will restart and begin the installation process again.
6. On the screen where you’re asked for a WiFi connection, there’s now an option to choose I don’t have internet. Click that option.
7. The next screen will also ask you to connect to the internet—don’t.
8. Set up a local account name, then follow any further prompts.
9. Once the desktop appears, you can connect to WiFi or LAN and download any Windows updates and continue on with your life.

This YouTube video from 2020 shows the steps above: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V-Ecj1eU6Uo

[Link last checked January 2024]