Microsoft removes documentation for switching to a local account in Windows 11

One of the most controversial changes in Windows 11 is that, by default, the Home and Pro editions of the operating system require users to sign in with a Microsoft account during installation. Signing in with an account gives you some benefits, at least if you’re a regular user of other Microsoft products like OneDrive, GamePass, or Microsoft 365 (aka Office). But if you don’t use these services, much of what a Microsoft account gets you in Windows 11 is repeated ads and reminders about signing up for these services. Using Windows with a traditional local account is still extremely possible, but it requires a bit of know-how beyond just clicking the right buttons.

On the know-how front, Microsoft has taken a minor but nonetheless irritating step further by allowing users to sign in with local accounts. This official Microsoft support page guides users with local accounts through the process of signing in to a Microsoft account. As recently as June 12, this page also contained instructions for converting a Microsoft account to a local account. But according to Tom’s Hardware and the Internet Wayback Machine, these instructions disappeared around June 17 and haven’t been seen since.

Despite the documentation change, most of the workarounds for creating a local account still work in Windows 11 23H2 (the public version of Windows 11 for most PCs) and 24H2 (available now on Copilot+ PCs, later this fall for everyone). The easiest way to do this on a PC you just took out of the box is to press Shift+F10 during the setup process to bring up a Command Prompt window, typing OOBE\BYPASSNROreboot, then click the “I don’t have internet” button when asked to connect to a Wi-Fi network.

Other workarounds include using the Rufus tool to create a USB installer that will automatically bypass the Microsoft account sign-in requirement, or (for Windows 11 Pro users) stating that you want to join the PC to a corporate domain without joining it. to a domain. Setting up the PC with a Microsoft account and then logging out afterwards is also always an option.

There is a workaround that would have stopped working: Previously, trying to “log in” with a non-existent email account got you a local login option. But as of earlier this month, according to Windows Central editor Zac Bowden, it appears that the Windows 11 setup screen will simply ask you to try a different email address instead.

To be fair to Microsoft, all the big tech companies want you to sign in with an account before you can use the full features of the software, but neither Apple nor Google go so far as to do that. mandate Log in to the account to access basic features. Macs, iPhones, and iPads will all let you complete the setup process without logging in, although you do need to know which buttons to click. Google will let you use Chromebooks in guest mode, and Android phones and tablets will still be usable without signing in (although it makes it harder to find and install apps). Microsoft’s insistence remains unique; there is certainly a difference between a company that Really prefer that you log in and the one who requires you to do so.