Install Windows 11 without Microsoft account (2024)

To install Windows 11 (Home or Pro) without an online Microsoft account, on the account setup page, disable the internet connection requirement and continue with limited connectivity to create a local account.
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.
Alternatively, you can also use Rufus to create a USB bootable media that bypasses a Microsoft account to set up Windows 11 as a local account.

UPDATED 7/12/2024: 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, disabling the internet connection is the easiest way to bypass the requirement.

In the past, you were to use a fake email (for example, “[email protected]” or “[email protected]”) and password to trigger the local account configuration, but this workaround no longer works.

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 24H2, 23H2, 22H2, and older versions 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.

Set up Windows 11 Home without a Microsoft account
Set up Windows 11 Pro without a Microsoft account
Set up Windows 11 a local account using Rufus
Set up new PC without a Microsoft account

Important: This process will delete everything on your device. It’s recommended that you 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.

Set up Windows 11 Home without a Microsoft account

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

Start the PC with the Windows 11 USB flash drive.
Press any key to continue.
Click the Next button.
Click the Install now button.
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.
Select the edition of “Windows 11” that your license key activates (if applicable).
Check the “I accept the license terms” option.
Click the Next button.
Select the “Custom: Install Windows only (advanced)” option.
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.)

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.
Select the hard drive (Drive 0 Unallocated Space) to install Windows 11.
Click the Next button.
Open Command Prompt using the “Shift + F10” keyboard shortcut on the region settings page.
Type the OOBE\BYPASSNRO command to bypass network requirements on Windows 11, press Enter to apply the configuration, and restart the computer.
Up on restart, open Command Prompt again using the “Shift + F10” keyboard shortcut on the region settings page.
Type the ipconfig /release command and press Enter to disconnect from the network.

Quick tip: You can also disable the Wi-Fi connection, unplug the Ethernet cable from the computer, or power off the router or access point temporarily to disconnect from the internet.
Select your region setting after the installation on the first page of the out-of-the-box experience (OOBE).
Click the Yes button.
Select your keyboard layout setting.
Click the Yes button.
Click the Skip button if you do not need to configure a second layout.
Click the “I don’t have internet” option.
Click the “Continue with limited setup” option.
Click the Accept button (if applicable).
Confirm the name of the local default account on Windows 11.
Click the Next button.
Create a password for the account.
Click the Next button.
Confirm the account password.
Click the Next button.
Select and complete the three security questions to recover the account.
Click the Next button.
Choose the privacy settings.
Click the Next button.
Click the Next button again.
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.

Set up 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:

Start the PC with the Windows 11 USB flash drive.
Press any key to continue.
Click the Next button.
Click the Install now button.
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.
Select the edition of “Windows 11” that your license key activates (if applicable).
Check the “I accept the license terms” option.
Click the Next button.
Select the “Custom: Install Windows only (advanced)” option.
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.)

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.
Select the hard drive (Drive 0 Unallocated Space) to install Windows 11.
Click the Next button.
Select your region setting after the installation on the first page of the out-of-the-box experience (OOBE).
Click the Yes button.
Select your keyboard layout setting.
Click the Yes button.
Click the Skip button if you do not need to configure a second layout.
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).
(Optional) Confirm a name for the computer.
Click the Next button. (The computer will restart automatically.)
(Important) Select the “Set up for work or school” option to continue without a Microsoft account.
Click the Next button.
Click the “Sign-in options” setting.
Click the “Domain join instead” option to bypass the Microsoft account and continue with a local account.
Specify a name to create a local account on Windows 11.
Create a strong password for the local account.
Click the Next button.
Confirm the password.
Click the Next button.
Complete the three security questions in case you forget your password.
Click the Next button.
Confirm the privacy settings that best suit your situation by turning on or off the toggle switch for each setting.
Click the Accept button.

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

Set up Windows 11 with local account using Rufus

To set up a new Windows 11 (Home or Pro) installation without a Microsoft account with the Rufus tool, connect a USB flash drive of 8GB, and use these steps:

Open Rufus website.
Click the link to download the latest version.
Double-click the rufus.4.xx.exe file to launch the tool.
Select the flash drive to create the Windows 11 bootable USB media from the “Device” setting.
Click the Select button.

Quick tip: If you don’t have the ISO file, click the arrow button next to “Select,” choose the “Download” option, click the “Download” option, and continue with the on-screen directions to get the latest ISO file for Windows 11.
Select the Windows 11 ISO file.
Click the Open button.
Select the “Standard Windows Partition” option in the “Image option” setting.
Select the GPT option in the “Partition scheme” setting.
Select the UEFI (non CSM) option in the “Target system” setting.
(Optional) Confirm a descriptive name for the bootable USB flash drive in the “Volume label” setting.
Use the default settings for the File system and Cluster size options.
Check the Quick format option.
Check the “Create extended label and icon files” option.
Click the Start button.
(Optional) Check the “Remove requirement for 4GB RAM, Secure Boot, and TPM 2.0” option to install Windows 11 on unsupported hardware.
(Important) Check the “Remove requirement for an online Microsoft account” option to use a local account and bypass the internet requirements.
(Recommended) Check the “Create a local account with username” option and specify a name for the account.

Quick note: If you want to create a local account during the setup, you don’t need to check this option.
Click the OK button.
Start the PC with the Windows 11 USB flash drive created with Rufus.
Press any key to continue.
Click the Next button.
Click the Install now button.
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.
Select the edition of “Windows 11” that your license key activates (if applicable).
Check the “I accept the license terms” option.
Click the Next button.
Select the “Custom: Install Windows only (advanced)” option.
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.)

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.
Select the hard drive (Drive 0 Unallocated Space) to install Windows 11.
Click the Next button.
Select your region setting after the installation on the first page of the out-of-the-box experience (OOBE).
Click the Yes button.
Select your keyboard layout setting.
Click the Yes button.
Click the Skip button if you do not need to configure a second layout.

Quick note: Since you have created a custom USB bootable media, after this step, the setup will skip the Microsoft account configuration and create a local account automatically. If you didn’t select the option to create an account, you will have to set up the local account before configuring the privacy settings.
Choose the privacy settings.
Click the Next button.
Click the Next button again.
Click the Accept button.

After you complete the steps, the system will set up the installation with a local account, skipping the Microsoft account requirement.

If you select the option to create a local account, the account will not have a password configured. You can protect your account by going to Settings > Accounts > Sign-in options and clicking the “Add” button from the “Password” setting.

Set up new 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.

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

Power on the computer to boot into the Out-of-box Experience (OOBE).
Open Command Prompt using the “Shift + F10” keyboard shortcut on the region settings page.
Type the OOBE\BYPASSNRO command to bypass network requirements on Windows 11, press Enter to apply the configuration, and restart the computer.
Up on restart, open Command Prompt again using the “Shift + F10” keyboard shortcut on the region settings page.
Type the ipconfig /release command and press Enter to disconnect from the network.

Quick tip: You can also disable the Wi-Fi connection, unplug the Ethernet cable from the computer, or power off the router or access point temporarily to disconnect from the internet.
Select your region setting after the installation on the first page of the out-of-the-box experience (OOBE).
Click the Yes button.
Select your keyboard layout setting.
Click the Yes button.
Click the Skip button if you do not need to configure a second layout.
Click the “I don’t have internet” option.
Click the “Continue with limited setup” option.
Click the Accept button (if applicable).
Confirm the name of the local default account on Windows 11.
Click the Next button.
Create a password for the account.
Click the Next button.
Confirm the account password.
Click the Next button.
Select and complete the three security questions to recover the account.
Click the Next button.
Choose the privacy settings.
Click the Next button.
Click the Next button again.
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.

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 always set up the device with a Microsoft account, create a local account, and delete the Windows 11 account that uses the Microsoft account credentials as an alternative.

Update July 12, 2024: This guide has been updated to ensure accuracy and reflect changes to the process.