Windows 11: Microsoft Permanently Blocks Local Account Creation During Setup

Not long ago, a single command line was enough to bypass the mandatory Microsoft account requirement during the Windows 11 OOBE (Out-of-Box Experience) setup process. But that loophole is now closed for good.

In the latest preview builds, Microsoft has tightened restrictions even further: every known method of creating a local account during installation has been removed. Shortcuts like oobe\bypassnro, start ms-cxh:localonly, or unplugging the Ethernet cable at the right moment no longer work.

Local accounts during setup: gone for good

In the most recent builds — 24H2 (Beta, build 26120.6772) and 25H2 (Dev, build 26220.6772) — Microsoft officially ended the option to create a local account at installation.

The once-reliable oobe\bypassnro command was already disabled earlier this year, but users still had a fallback with start ms-cxh:localonly. That workaround now simply loops back to the main setup screen, leaving only two options:

• connect to the internet,
• sign in with a Microsoft account.

Even the old trick of unplugging the network cable mid-setup no longer works. Windows 11 now stalls until you provide Microsoft account credentials.

Microsoft’s official reasoning: preventing “incomplete configuration”

In its release notes, Microsoft claims these bypasses were removed because they “skipped critical setup screens,” which could leave devices “not fully configured for correct use.”

In practice, however, those “critical screens” mostly push users to:

• enable OneDrive,
• try Microsoft 365 or PC Game Pass,
• adopt Edge as the default browser.

Not exactly essential steps for running Windows properly.

Workarounds: local accounts are still possible

The good news: local accounts haven’t disappeared entirely — they just can’t be created directly during installation anymore.

👉 Current alternatives:

1. Standard method: Install Windows 11 with a Microsoft account, then switch to a local account afterward via Settings > Accounts.
2. Advanced methods (for power users):
   • using an unattended.xml auto-configuration file,
   • creating a custom ISO with Setup Patchium,
   • third-party tools like Flyoobe or Rufus (though not all are yet updated for the newest builds).

As always with Windows, it’s likely the community will soon find fresh tricks to bypass the restriction — continuing the usual game of cat and mouse with Microsoft.