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Windows 11 Setup Now Requires Microsoft Account, Blocks Offline Options

Microsoft

Business Honor
10 October, 2025

Microsoft has removed methods to create local accounts during Windows 11 setup, demanding users to sign in with Microsoft accounts.

Microsoft is making it more difficult to create a local account when setting up Windows 11. The organization removed a number of popular methods that allow users to get around the need for an internet connection and Microsoft account sign-in in the most recent Windows Insider Dev Channel build 26220.6772. Previously, users could run commands like OOBE\BYPASSNRO or start ms-cxh:localonly by pressing Shift + F10 during the Out-of-Box Experience (OOBE). Users were able to create a local account and complete the setup offline due to these commands, without logging in with a Microsoft account. However, as stated by Ars Technica, these methods are no longer working in the latest release.

In order to justify this change, Microsoft claims that these commands allow users to skip "critical setup screens." Yet, a lot of users claim that those windows mostly advertise Microsoft services like Xbox Game Pass, Microsoft 365, and the newly introduced Windows Recall function, the latter of which creates privacy issues due to its data-tracking capabilities. Users could still create a local account in previous versions of Windows 11 Pro by choosing to join a work or school domain upon setup. Given Microsoft's continuous push on cloud-based account connection, it's unclear at this time if that option is still present in the most recent version.

The Release Preview version of the next Windows 11 25H2 update still supports these bypass commands that first appeared in test releases in early 2025. However, it seems likely that they will be removed from all versions as Microsoft plans to phase them out in future updates. This suggests Microsoft's continuous shift to an operating system that is completely connected to the cloud. Offline local accounts might soon be outdated if the current trend continues. In the future, Windows could demand all users stay online and logged in unless there is strong user opposition, which would make offline computing more difficult.