A newly discovered trick allows users to easily bypass the Microsoft Account requirement when setting up Windows 11, just as Microsoft continues making it harder to use local accounts.
Since Windows 11’s release, Microsoft has been closing loopholes that let users install the operating system without signing in with a Microsoft Account. Many Windows features rely on cloud services, so the company encourages users to link their devices to an account.
Last week, Microsoft removed the BypassNRO.cmd script from Windows 11 preview builds, which had been a popular method for skipping the Microsoft Account requirement. While the Registry commands from the script still work, they now require manual entry, making the process more difficult.
However, a much simpler workaround has been found. Over the weekend, X user Wither OrNot shared a method that has been confirmed by BleepingComputer to work. During Windows 11 setup, when the “Let’s connect you to a network” screen appears, pressing Shift + F10 opens a Command Prompt. By typing start ms-cxh:localonly and pressing Enter, a “Microsoft account” window appears, allowing the creation of a local user account instead of a Microsoft Account.
Once the setup is complete, Windows 11 will continue using the local account without prompting for a Microsoft Account. Users can confirm this by clicking the Start button and checking the account settings. This method is even easier than the previous BypassNRO technique.
It’s unclear whether Microsoft will remove this command in future updates. However, since it appears to be more deeply intA newly discovered trick allows users to easily bypass the Microsoft Account requirement when setting up Windows 11, just as Microsoft continues making it harder to use local accounts.
Since Windows 11’s release, Microsoft has been closing loopholes that let users install the operating system without signing in with a Microsoft Account. Many Windows features rely on cloud services, so the company encourages users to link their devices to an account. Last week, Microsoft removed the BypassNRO.cmd script from Windows 11 preview builds, which had been a popular method for skipping the Microsoft Account requirement. While the Registry commands from the script still work, they now require manual entry, making the process more difficult.
However, a much simpler workaround has been found. Over the weekend, X user Wither OrNot shared a method that has been confirmed by BleepingComputer to work. During Windows 11 setup, when the “Let’s connect you to a network” screen appears, pressing Shift + F10 opens a Command Prompt. By typing start ms-cxh:localonly and pressing Enter, a “Microsoft account” window appears, allowing the creation of a local user account instead of a Microsoft Account.
Once the setup is complete, Windows 11 will continue using the local account without prompting for a Microsoft Account. Users can confirm this by clicking the Start button and checking the account settings. This method is even easier than the previous BypassNRO technique.
It’s unclear whether Microsoft will remove this command in future updates. However, since it appears to be more deeply integrated into Windows rather than just a script, removing it could be more challenging.egrated into Windows rather than just a script, removing it could be more challenging.
