How to install Windows 11 with a local account

What is a local account?

A local account is a user account that resides entirely on your own computer, without linking to a Microsoft account or to the cloud. Your sign-in name, password, and settings remain on the device and are not synchronised with OneDrive or other devices.

With a Windows 11 local account, you log in without an email address. This gives you more control over your privacy and also works on a PC without a permanent internet connection. The downside is that you lose some conveniences: recovering your BitLocker recovery key via your account, automatically locating a lost device, and synchronising your desktop settings.

Important to know: a local account is separate from Windows activation. Whether you log in locally or with a Microsoft account, your licence is tied to your hardware or a product key, not to the account type. So you can comfortably work locally and still have a fully activated installation.

Since version 24H2, Microsoft strongly pushes you towards a Microsoft account during installation (the part called OOBE, Out-Of-Box Experience). The old tricks for skipping that screen no longer all work. Below are the routes that currently reliably lead to a local account, from the installation itself to switching afterwards.

Local or Microsoft account?

Before you choose a method, it's useful to know exactly what you're trading off. A local account and a Microsoft account differ on a few concrete points.

Choose a local account if you're setting up a shared or offline PC, if you deliberately want to send less data to the cloud, or if you're setting up a test machine. Choose a Microsoft account if you want to keep several devices in sync and rely on automatic storage of your recovery key. You can always switch between the two afterwards.

Preparation

Two things determine which method works for you: your Windows edition and the moment when you create the local account.

• Edition: the domain trick (method 1) only works in Windows 11 Pro, Enterprise, and Education. Windows 11 Home lacks that option.
• Version: check which build you are installing. In 24H2 the command from method 2 still works; in later preview builds, Microsoft has started removing it.
• Internet: only connect the PC to Wi-Fi or a network after you've made a choice. Some routes disappear as soon as Windows is online.
• Custom media: if you want to avoid any account screen altogether, use a tool like Rufus to create an installation USB where the Microsoft account requirement is disabled in advance. This requires more preparation and falls outside these four steps.

If you want to be sure of your licence before reinstalling, first read how to find your Windows product key before you wipe the drive, so you can activate without hassle afterwards. Also note which edition you have: with the wrong edition, activation will fail later.

Method 1: domain option in Pro

In Pro, Enterprise, and Education editions, the setup screen still lets you create a local account via the business route. This method is stable because Microsoft needs it for companies.

1. Complete the installation until you reach the screen that asks how you want to set up this device.
2. Choose Set up for work or school instead of for personal use.
3. On the sign-in screen, click Sign-in options at the bottom left.
4. Select Join a domain instead.
5. Windows now opens the screen where you can set a username, password, and three security questions. This is your local account.

After these steps you reach the desktop without ever having entered an email address. You haven't actually joined a domain – the button simply opens the local account wizard. This route remains reliable because businesses need it to roll out computers without a personal Microsoft account, so Microsoft has little reason to remove it.

The three security questions are mandatory. Choose answers you'll remember but that aren't easy to guess, as they're your only recovery route if you forget the local password. There's no online recovery like with a Microsoft account.

Method 2: the ms-cxh command

On recent versions, a shortcut exists that opens the local account screen directly. You call it from the Command Prompt during installation.

1. On the account screen, press Shift + F10 to open a Command Prompt.
2. Type the command below and press Enter.

start ms-cxh:localonly

A small window appears where you can directly create a local user with a password. Once you finish, the installation continues without asking for a Microsoft account. If the command doesn't work on your build, move on to method 1 or switch afterwards via method 3.

This command has become popular because it's faster than the domain workaround and also works in Windows 11 Home. The drawback is its shelf life: because it directly circumvents the account requirement, it's the sort of trick that Microsoft closes off in new versions. So always test it on your own build before relying on it for an important installation.

Method 3: switch afterwards

This route always works, regardless of edition or build. You complete setup with a Microsoft account, then replace it with a local account afterwards. If you don't want to use an existing account, quickly create a disposable one during OOBE and remove it later.

1. After installation, go to Settings > Accounts > Your info.
2. Under Account settings, click Sign in with a local account instead.
3. Confirm with your current password or PIN.
4. Enter a local username, password, and password hint.
5. Choose Sign out and finish. You will sign in again, now with the local account.

If you then want to completely remove the Microsoft account, delete it via Settings > Accounts > Email & accounts, as long as it's not the only administrator account. Make sure your local account has administrator rights before deleting anything.

Anyone who doesn't want to use an existing Microsoft account can create a temporary account during OOBE with a newly created email address, finish setup, and delete that account following the same steps. The PC remembers nothing of that disposable account once the local account is the only user. This detour takes a few extra minutes, but it works regardless of any blocks Microsoft adds in a future update.

Immediately after switching, check whether Windows is still activated via Settings > System > Activation. With a digital licence tied to the hardware, nothing changes, but it's good to confirm that switching accounts hasn't affected your activation.

Why bypassnro no longer works

For years, oobe\bypassnro was the standard trick: you opened a Command Prompt with Shift+F10, typed the command, the PC restarted, and the I don't have internet screen appeared. In March 2025, Microsoft removed the bypassnro.cmd script from the installation. Some users fell back to a registry tweak that had the same effect.

reg add HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\OOBE /v BypassNRO /t REG_DWORD /d 1 /f
shutdown /r /t 0

Microsoft is also closing off that route step by step. In preview builds of 25H2, bypassnro, the registry key, and the command from method 2 are all blocked. So expect that outdated guides mentioning only this trick no longer work. The methods above are therefore ordered from most to least future-proof: method 3 stays viable the longest because it's independent of the installation.

The reason for the tightening is partly security and partly Microsoft wanting every PC to be associated with an account for recovery and synchronisation. For home users, this means it's handy to know which build you are installing. If you download the installation file just before you start, you're on the newest version and only the more robust routes still work. If you're using an older installation medium, an older trick might still work.

Troubleshooting

If it gets stuck, the cause is usually the edition, the build, or an active internet connection. The table below links the symptom to the quickest solution.

If activation after reinstalling gets stuck with an error, look at the solution for Windows Update error 0x80070643, which often appears alongside a fresh installation. For the official steps on adjusting the OOBE screen, the documentation is on the Microsoft Learn page on OOBE customisation.