Summary:
In the past, you could bypass the sign-in requirement by choosing ‘Offline Account’ or ‘Sign in with a local account instead.’ However, Microsoft removed this option in recent years, meaning you would need an active internet connection to create a Microsoft account for a new Windows 11 install.
Some users discovered that they could bypass this requirement by using the following blocked email addresses: [email protected], [email protected], or [email protected], and then typing in a random password. While this would let you fall back to proceeding with an offline account until recently, it now results in an ‘Oops, something went wrong’ message, which will return you to the same email input screen.
Thankfully, there remains another way to install Windows 11 without a Microsoft account. When you’re at the log-in screen, you can hit Shift + F10 and type OOBE/BYPASSNRO, which will let you create a local account instead if you do not have an internet connection (so disconnect the internet for this). However, non-tech-savvy users will likely not know this, so many would likely end up creating another unwanted online account.
This is just one of the controversial steps Microsoft has recently been taking, like including ads in the Start Menu, nagging Windows 10 users to upgrade, or adding a watermark if your PC does not support AI features.
That’s a crazy secret code requirement there
If it doesn’t work, make sure to type his first:
⬆️⬆️⬇️⬇️⬅️➡️⬅️➡️ B A Select StartDo not quote the ancient magicks to me . . .
Select
Ah, a co-op install.
I wasn’t able to open the console last time Windows updated itself and attempted to force me to link an email address. The solution was to disconnect from the network.
Brazenly forcing anti-consumer features like this is an obvious sign of monopoly and abuse of their dominating position on the market. They should have been broken up a long time ago along with all the other big tech companies who have been pulling this sort of crap.
They were convicted of being a monopoly over 20 years ago.
I remember when it happened. Back then we were concerned about how Microsoft was pushing Internet Explorer as a browser on its platform. And then we just gave up on enforcing Antitrust laws let them do whatever they want along with the rest of big tech. Since then they’ve been doing so much worse than that.
You can blame lobbying for that.
deleted by creator
No we didn’t.
Don’t connect to the internet.
Open a cmd window with F10 (maybe it’s shift-F10?) and type the following:
OOBE\\BYPASSNROYou can thank me later.
I thought we couldn’t use Linux because people don’t want to use a command prompt.
Funny thing is, I find myself forced to use the command prompt more in Windows than I do the terminal in Linux. And don’t get me started on the absolute nightmare that the windows registry is.
Guck you. I’ll thank you NOW.
I’m pretty sure they have removed this recently.
Do you have a source? First time I’m hearing about it
I know some folks on the SysAdmin discord mentioned it wasn’t working for them anymore. It also stopped working for me about 2 months ago. (I work in IT and set to up new computers fairly often)
But looking online real quick, several sources including Tom’s Hardware claim it still works. So I’m not sure what’s going on with it. Maybe your milage may vary?
I definitely used it 2 months ago, maybe it changed since then, or maybe it depends on something.
I used it to set up a company laptop less than a month ago.
And if you do connect to the Internet type ipconfig /release
Why?
If you connect to the Internet, windows thinks it’s good to go. By typing the cmd you’ll disconnect the connection and be able to use the bypass
Congrats in building stalking software right into the OS.
A bunch of abusive relationships about to get a whole lot worse when the other party can track literally everything they do.
Fuck you, MS, for making people create an account to use something they paid for.
So stick it to them, stop giving them money and data.
This is just for Home edition, yeah? Pretty sure Professional still allows you to create offline accounts without a Microsoft account before joining a domain.
Last time I tried it let me create a local account, then about a week later I got called because Windows threw a full-screen blocker on boot saying a Microsoft account was required to continue with “I’ll do it later” being greyed out. Oddly enough, ALT+F4 worked to close it and continue.
before joining a domain.
You do it essentially while joining the domain. If you hit the “work” option instead of “home” it immediately goes to a “sign into your domain” screen.
Huh? What if you’re installing windows on a machine with no internet connection? Which is an entirely normal legitimate thing to do. It’s not a requirement after all.
I have a number of machines that use a local account, they don’t need a Microsoft account and will never be linked to one, it’s unnecessary.
I had to do exactly this for a family friend in his 70s, it was a fucking nightmare. I think ultimately I caved and hotspotted it to my phone just long enough for it to be happy, and disconnected it while it was still loading the sign up page so it fell back to local account creation (at the time I didn’t know about a@a or bypassnro)
There’s this workaround that works well : https://www.tomshardware.com/how-to/install-windows-11-without-microsoft-account
It’s definitely not for lambda users and a real pity that we have to resort to this, but it does the job (for now).
For W10 you can still do offline installs with the media creation tool and telling it you dont have an internet connection, for W11 even enterprise users are all tied into autopilot, Intune MDM, and/or a microsoft account. I do not believe there is a method to install W11 without an internet connection and account. If there some some way to get the install tools to do that, I dont know what it is, and I do IT for a job…
Honestly, making the switch to linux full time is not that bad. Every tool, utility and program other than the most niche propriatary applications have a FOSS variant, and it is starting to sound like a bad relationship when people wait for MS to make a policy, change or product that isnt comedicly evil…
Just break up… If you need to talk at the hivemind of the internet for advice, we got ya.
Time for Linux. I don’t like to change, I’ve used windows from 3.1. But I see no other option. They will pull the plug on 10 while at the same time are trying their best to make their shitty 11 even worse.
Nothing new.
How is seemingly everybody blind to the actual workaround but “knows” about a supposed “bypass” email??
Actual solution/workaround: https://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/insider/forum/all/set-up-windows-11-without-internet-oobebypassnro/4fc44554-b416-4ecb-8961-6f79fd55ae0f
They’re really trying their best to make windows as unfriendly as possible, pretty annoying when they’ve already been paid, bunch of pricks
OOBE\BYPASSNRO FTW
Wow… it’s like Microsoft really does want to lose customers. Welp… I guess I have to find a linux distro as my main driver. Ubuntu seems so damn user friendly and “mainstream” I might just stick to that. I’d play around with ArchLinux or Fedora, but fkin lol at a noob trying to setup either one through terminal/commands.
You set up Fedora desktop distros with a GUI installer.
If Ubuntu works for you then by all means use it, but if you’re a computer guy already installing Arch the long way isn’t that hard and they even have an install script now.
Oh nice! I think it was around 2018 when I attempted to install Arch. I’ll check it out again sometime this week.
So glad I’m a Linux user…
Wow, exactly the feature I wanted. An account that Microsoft can link its spyware too. I’m sure that database won’t be sold or stolen.
Don’t mind me. Just setting up a Windows 10 torrent to download while I’m at work.
Christ I am sick of Win11.
