Microsoft is planning to make it harder than ever to install Windows without an internet connection and a Microsoft account
The latest Insider Preview build of Windows 11 includes a rather ominous update. Ominous, that is, for anyone who prefers to install Windows without being hooked up to the internet and signing up for a Microsoft account.
According the to accompanying Microsoft blog post (via The Verge), Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26220.6772 dispenses with local-only commands. To quote Microsoft directly, "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."
Yuck. This change is just the latest in a series that make it ever harder to set up Windows 11 without an internet connection and a Microsoft account. Back in March, ye olde "bypassnro" workaround was nixed.
The Verge says that this new measure means that the “start ms-cxh:localonly” command that replaced bypassnro as the weapon of choice for the internet and Microsoft-account avoidant will also no longer work. Now it will simply reset the OOBE process and fail to bypass the Microsoft account requirement.
So, does this mean you'll absolutely must have a functional internet connection and a Microsoft account to install Windows 11 once this Insider Build rolls out to the masses? Possibly not.
According to this Reddit post, there may be another work around. "In OOBE, go through MS account creation. Tell it you were born today. It'll let you set a password for the MS account before rejecting you due to COPA requirements. At this point, you can make an offline account without having even created an MS account, let alone having to use one.
"This will not go away - it's a legal thing. MS doesn't want to deal with COPA stuff for very young kids, so this flow exists. Enjoy."
We haven't had the opportunity to try that workaround yet. But we're generally hopeful that methods to install Windows 11 without an internet connection and a Microsoft account will remain. Given the broader Swiss-cheese like qualities of Windows, it seems unlikely that Microsoft has nailed down every single possible workaround.
It's also likely that enterprise editions of Windows will continue to support initial local accounts before joining corporate domains. And there's the Rufus method, which Andy describes here, and may still work even after this update.
Speaking of which, Andy called it when he said, "I can't help but feel, however, that this may just be the beginning of a crackdown on these sorts of workarounds." That does indeed seem to be the case and the days of internet-free installs without a Microsoft account look distinctly numbered.