Windows 11 install with local account instead of Microsoft account

If you don't want to use a Microsoft account, Windows 11 lets you set up a new installation with a local account, and here's how to do it.

Windows 11 install with local account
Windows 11 install with local account
  • To install Windows 11 (Home or Pro) without an online Microsoft account, on the account setup page, use a fake email and password, click “Next,” and create a local account. (Works in 2024.)
  • To install Windows 11 (Pro) without a Microsoft account, proceed with the normal installation, then choose the “Set up for work or school” option, click “Next,” “Sign-in options,” “Domain join instead,” and create a local account.
  • You don’t need to reinstall the operating system if you have a new computer. In the OOBE, use the fake email and password option.

You can install Windows 11 without a Microsoft account using a local account instead during the setup, and in this guide, I’ll show you the steps to complete this process on Windows 11 Pro and Home. The trick is to select the “Set up for work or school” and “Domain join instead” options during the out-of-the-box experience (OOBE) for the “Pro” edition. If you have the “Home” edition, the easiest way to bypass the requirement is to use a fake email and password to trigger the local account configuration.

Although it is recommended to use a Microsoft account since it offers integration with various services and files and settings syncing across devices, some people still prefer the more traditional account experience. Also, setting up a local account during the out-of-box experience (OOBE) after a clean install allows you to create a more personalized folder name for your profile since it won’t use part of the email address and if you plan to use remote access, starting with a local account will help to avoid problems establishing the connection.

If you create a local account during the installation, you can always connect it to a Microsoft account through the Settings app at a later time.

In this guide, I will teach you how to install Windows 11 Pro and Home with a local account for a more private and traditional experience. I’m also including the steps to set up a laptop or desktop computer that came pre-installed with the operating system. 

Important: This process will delete everything on your device. It’s recommended to make a full backup of your computer before proceeding. You’ve been warned. If you choose one of these installation methods, you must make sure the device can start from USB, which means you must change the BIOS or UEFI settings. Since most devices have different settings, refer to your manufacturer support website for more specific details.

Install Windows 11 Home without a Microsoft account

To install Windows 11 without a Microsoft account, use these steps:

  1. Start the PC with the Windows 11 USB flash drive.

  2. Press any key to continue.

  3. Click the Next button.

    Windows 11 Setup

  4. Click the Install now button.

    Windows 11 install option

  5. Click the “I don’t have a product key” option if you are doing a reinstallation. If the setup was previously activated, reactivation would happen automatically after the installation.

    Skip license key option

  6. Select the edition of “Windows 11” that your license key activates (if applicable).

  7. Check the “I accept the license terms” option.

  8. Click the Next button.

  9. Select the “Custom: Install Windows only (advanced)” option.

    Windows 11 custom install option

  10. Select each partition in the hard drive to install Windows 11 and click the Delete button. (Usually, the “Drive 0” is the drive that contains all the installation files.)

    Delete partitions Windows 11 setup

    Warning: When you delete a partition, it also deletes all data on the drive. Also, deleting the partitions from a secondary hard drive is unnecessary.
  11. Select the hard drive (Drive 0 Unallocated Space) to install Windows 11.

    Clean install Windows 11 on unallocated space

  12. Click the Next button.

  13. Select your region setting after the installation on the first page of the out-of-the-box experience (OOBE).

    Windows 11 OOBE region

  14. Click the Yes button.

  15. Select your keyboard layout setting.

    Keyboard layout

  16. Click the Yes button.

  17. Click the Skip button if you do not need to configure a second layout.

  18. If the computer uses an Ethernet connection, it automatically connects to the network. If you have a wireless connection, you will need to set up the connection manually (a security key may be required).

  19. (Optional) Confirm a name for the computer.

    Windows 11 OOBE name PC

  20. Click the Next button. (The computer will restart automatically.) 

  21. Click the Sign in button.

  22. (Important) Type “admin” in the “Sign in” field.

    Windows 11 OOBE fake email

    Quick note: The easiest way to bypass the Microsoft account requirement is to type in a fake account, which will trigger the ability to create a local account.
  23. Click the Next button.

  24. (Important) Type “1234” for the password.

    Windows 11 OOBE fake password

  25. Click the Sing in button.

  26. Click the Next button to continue with a local account creation.

    Oops, something went wrong

  27. Confirm the name of the local default account on Windows 11.

    Create local account

  28. Click the Next button.

  29. Create a password for the account.

    Create local account password

  30. Click the Next button.

  31. Confirm the account password.

  32. Click the Next button.

  33. Select and complete the three security questions to recover the account.

    Configure local account security questions

  34. Click the Next button.

  35. Choose the privacy settings.

    Windows 11 OOBE privacy settings

  36. Click the Next button.

  37. Click the Next button again.

  38. Click the Accept button.

After you complete the steps, the Windows 11 Home setup will be complete without a Microsoft account.

This last option works with Home as well as with the Pro edition of the operating system. 

Install Windows 11 Pro without a Microsoft account

To install Windows 11 Pro without a Microsoft account but with a local account instead, use these steps:

  1. Start the PC with the Windows 11 USB flash drive.

  2. Press any key to continue.

  3. Click the Next button.

    Windows 11 Setup

  4. Click the Install now button.

    Windows 11 install option

  5. Click the “I don’t have a product key” option if you are doing a reinstallation. If the setup was previously activated, reactivation would happen automatically after the installation.

    Skip license key option

  6. Select the edition of “Windows 11” that your license key activates (if applicable).

  7. Check the “I accept the license terms” option.

  8. Click the Next button.

  9. Select the “Custom: Install Windows only (advanced)” option.

    Windows 11 custom install option

  10. Select each partition in the hard drive to install Windows 11 and click the Delete button. (Usually, the “Drive 0” is the drive that contains all the installation files.)

    Delete partitions Windows 11 setup

    Warning: When you delete a partition, it also deletes all data on the drive. Also, deleting the partitions from a secondary hard drive is unnecessary.
  11. Select the hard drive (Drive 0 Unallocated Space) to install Windows 11.

    Clean install Windows 11 on unallocated space

  12. Click the Next button.

  13. Select your region setting after the installation on the first page of the out-of-the-box experience (OOBE).

    Windows 11 OOBE region

  14. Click the Yes button.

  15. Select your keyboard layout setting.

    Keyboard layout

  16. Click the Yes button.

  17. Click the Skip button if you do not need to configure a second layout.

  18. If the computer uses an Ethernet connection, it automatically connects to the network. If you have a wireless connection, you will need to set up the connection manually (a security key may be required).

  19. (Optional) Confirm a name for the computer.

    Windows 11 OOBE name PC

  20. Click the Next button. (The computer will restart automatically.) 

  21. (Important) Select the “Set up for work or school” option to continue without a Microsoft account.

    Windows 11 setup types

  22. Click the Next button.

  23. Click the “Sign-in options” setting.

    Local account setup option

  24. Click the “Domain join instead” option to bypass the Microsoft account and continue with a local account.

    Domain join instead

  25. Specify a name to create a local account on Windows 11.

    Create local account during OOBE

  26. Create a strong password for the local account.

    Create an account password

  27. Click the Next button.

  28. Confirm the password.

  29. Click the Next button.

  30. Complete the three security questions in case you forget your password.

  31. Click the Next button.

    Account security questions

  32. Confirm the privacy settings that best suit your situation by turning on or off the toggle switch for each setting.

  33. Click the Accept button.

    Privacy settings continued

Once you complete the steps, Windows 11 completes the installation with a local account not connected to any Microsoft products.

Although Microsoft makes it difficult to configure Windows 11 without an online Microsoft account, you have multiple ways to bypass this requirement. For example, you can disable the internet connection requirement during the setup, and it is also possible to create a USB bootable media with Rufus that bypasses all the requirements during the installation process.

Set up new Windows 11 PC without a Microsoft account

If you’re setting up a new computer pre-installed with Windows 11 Home or Pro, you can also use either method, as shown in the Out-of-box Experience (OOBE) instructions. However, the easiest way for both cases is to use the fake email method to trigger the local account creation.

To set up a new Windows 11 laptop or desktop computer without a Microsoft account, use these steps:

  1. Power on the Windows 11 computer or laptop to load the Out-of-box Experience (OOBE).

    Windows 11 OOBE region

  2. Click the Yes button.

  3. Select your keyboard layout setting.

    Keyboard layout

  4. Click the Yes button.

  5. Click the Skip button if you do not need to configure a second layout.

  6. If the computer uses an Ethernet connection, it automatically connects to the network. If you have a wireless connection, you will need to set up the connection manually (a security key may be required).

  7. (Optional) Confirm a name for the computer.

    Windows 11 OOBE name PC

  8. Click the Next button. (The computer will restart automatically.) 

  9. Click the Sign in button.

  10. (Important) Type “admin” in the “Sign in” field.

    Windows 11 OOBE fake email

  11. Click the Next button.

  12. (Important) Type “1234” for the password.

    Windows 11 OOBE fake password

  13. Click the Sing in button.

  14. Click the Next button to continue with a local account creation.

    Oops, something went wrong

  15. Confirm the name of the local default account on Windows 11.

    Create local account

  16. Click the Next button.

  17. Create a password for the account.

    Create local account password

  18. Click the Next button.

  19. Confirm the account password.

  20. Click the Next button.

  21. Select and complete the three security questions to recover the account.

    Configure local account security questions

  22. Click the Next button.

  23. Choose the privacy settings.

    Windows 11 OOBE privacy settings

  24. Click the Next button.

  25. Click the Next button again.

  26. Click the Accept button.

Once you complete the steps, you will be able to proceed with the Windows 11 desktop with a local account instead of a Microsoft account.

Update February 29, 2024: This guide has been updated to ensure accuracy and reflect changes to the process.

About the author

Mauro Huculak is a Windows How-To Expert who started Pureinfotech in 2010 as an independent online publication. He has also been a Windows Central contributor for nearly a decade. Mauro has over 14 years of experience writing comprehensive guides and creating professional videos about Windows and software, including Android and Linux. Before becoming a technology writer, he was an IT administrator for seven years. In total, Mauro has over 20 years of combined experience in technology. Throughout his career, he achieved different professional certifications from Microsoft (MSCA), Cisco (CCNP), VMware (VCP), and CompTIA (A+ and Network+), and he has been recognized as a Microsoft MVP for many years. You can follow him on X (Twitter), YouTube, LinkedIn and About.me.