MS makes it even more difficult to use a Local Account

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See ghacks https://www.ghacks.net/2022/05/06/how-to-use-local-accounts-on-windows-11-version-22h2-devices/

Microsoft making it even more difficult to use a Local Account!

Windows 11 Pro v24H2 and Windows 10 Pro x64 v22H2

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Average-Jane, TechTango, Mele20, Sky, Cybertooth, windbg

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They really are doing everything they can to push me away from Windows 11. Am I going to need a throwaway MS account in work to deploy Pro machines now?

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Microsoft would prefer you used their deployment tools or purchase machines already setup by one of their paid partners.
We use Enterprise at work. I’ve been able to still use the domain account load, at least as of yesterday.

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Welcome to “we don’t care about how you smaller partners do your thing”.  Enterprises still have lots of tools to go straight to domain join – they use image files.

Let me see if I can find a single user friendly answer file/deployment tool to get around the MS account.

 

Susan Bradley Patch Lady/Prudent patcher

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TechTango, steeviebops, Average-Jane, Mike, Sky, windbg

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On Windows 11 Pro, you don’t need to make throwaway Microsoft accounts. In fact, during the OOBE process, select “Set up for work or school” on the “How would you like to set up this device?” screen, and then click “Next”. On the “Let’s set things up for your work or school” screen, click on “Sign in options”, and then click on “Domain join instead”. After clicking on “Domain join instead”, you should see the “Who’s going to use this PC?” screen. When you see “Who’s going to use this PC?”, you can make a local account. Until you see “Choose privacy settings for your device” screen, do not click on “Even better, use an online account”. If you do this, you’ll be forced to use a Microsoft account.

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Cybertooth

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Does this still work?  I missed the news last month but it sounded like MS pushed the requirement for Pro licenses to set up with MSA out of Preview and into the wild.

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This works OK for now (it’s how I’ve done it from day one) but everything I’ve read suggests that 22H2 won’t allow it.

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no. I just setup 2 w11 pro machines with only a local account. bad reporting.

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Which version?

This thread is about 22H2 which hasn’t been released yet.

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Average-Jane

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22H2 is not going to allow initial setup with local accounts at all, officially.

Now if Rufus works, if the command prompt getaround works, or if faking out the email address enough works, then yes, you *can*, after way too much effort than setup deserves!

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Cybertooth

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Does it still remember the source Microsoft count if you drop the source machine to audit mode, sysprep prepare and FFU image the source drive to create the installation image for application on the destination hardware? That wouldn’t make sense as the installation  should go through the out of box process again.

Of course to prepare that image you need to work without the BIOS instigated bitlocker in force which gets a bit tricky as you need to have the ability to turn off secure boot / SMM / PTT which is getting a bit better hidden.

You could mount the volumes which are encrypted (manage-bde) and image them unencrypted as WIM files to the destination drive, but that’s far too much messing around making your own disk layout for deployment though I have done it… In theory Windows setup should behave as if a FFU has been loaded and start encrypting the installation with the new hardware’s parameters at the end of the out of box process.. I didn’t need to do that but I’m talking of Windows 10 platforms two or more years ago.

Afraid I would have to acquire some hardware with a TPM to give better advice, as turning that off is another way of preventing the installation from applying bitlocker automatically- you need to mess around as the method to defeat the process changes between BIOS vendors..

You could turn off UEFI, create a base image, and use PNPutil (or DISM) to add any extra  drivers to that image for UEFI mode, but that wouldn’t be a situation the drivers would be tested for so something strange could happen as you might get a conflict between the UEFI “boot time” drivers and those in the installation if the matching to the hardware was poor so to be honest I would avoid that at all costs.

 

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Bypass Microsoft Account requirement when setting up Windows 11 with internet

Microsoft has seemingly got it in for power users lately, what with the company now blocking the ability to bypass setting up Windows 11 without a Microsoft Account (MSA) entirely, even in the Pro Edition. Although it is still possible to invoke the OOBE\BYPASSNRO workaround, which will truly let you continue setup without being connected to the internet, there’s also another easier and quicker option that lets you create a local account instead of the required MSA, even when you are connected to the internet during setup….

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Average-Jane, TechTango, Cybertooth

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bad reporting…

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Can you expand on your comment?

I’m waiting for the final build before documenting this.  I’m still tracking ways to install without a Microsoft account.

Susan Bradley Patch Lady/Prudent patcher

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Sorry, I was commenting on the opinion “Microsoft has seemingly got it in for power users lately, what with the company now blocking the ability to bypass setting up Windows 11 without a Microsoft Account (MSA) entirely, even in the Pro Edition. ” The author (a reporter?) then goes on to say how it can be handled, both with a command line and a workaround not needing the command line. So it is not blocking anything.

As someone who routinely sets up machines for small business clients, I always setup an WSADMIN account and a user account. Yes, this  new Windows issue is a bit of a PIA, but nothing I can’t work around. As an admin level pro, I am familiar with command line issues, so I’m not daunted by this. Also, I can clearly setup an admin user of any variety and then go in as local admin and delete it. I would agree that I would prefer that Microsoft takes an easier way of simply choosing to be a MSFT account or local user. Apple currently has an easy way to bypass the setup of an Apple Account to the user. So does Linux. Virtually all my clients end up on Azure AD anyway, so they are registered MSFT business users. For those not, I try and explain the benefits of having the account, just like with Apple. Anyone with a cell phone should be able to understand that as they usually need to login to the Android or Apple store for their apps.

I hope you can take it to MSFT in your article that the vast army of supporters of small businesses out there are not happy with this change. We expect more of MSFT than this. Just make it easy for us to implement their product.

 

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use Rufus v3.19 or newer to create a Win11 22H2 ISO install media that allows bypassing the requirement for a Microsoft account in 22H2 (must NOT be connected to internet or be “offline” for that to work – I ALWAYS perform “offline” Win10/Win11 installs)
https://github.com/pbatard/rufus/releases/tag/v3.19

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Average-Jane, Cybertooth

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Still, sad day, that this is required just to set up an account the way you want.

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Whatever happens, it’s remarkably easy to fix after the event:

b wrote:

Even on Windows 11, even with version 22H2, and whether Home or Pro, it only takes six or seven clicks to change from an “enforced” Microsoft account to a local account:

You can sign in to Windows 11 with a local account or a Microsoft account. However, you can easily switch between using a local account or a Microsoft account to sign in to Windows 11.
…
This tutorial will show you how to switch to a local account from a Microsoft account to sign in to Windows 11 with instead.

Switch to Local Account from Microsoft Account in Windows 11 [ElevenForum.com]

Anyone who really doesn’t appreciate the many convenience and security advantages of signing in with a Microsoft Account can downgrade to local only within a minute or two.

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8string

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Yes, after the event.  I can only speak for myself, but I’d prefer “the event” not happen.

Apple macs and Chromebooks both allow accounts to be created without logging in.  They are limited experiences, but they allow it.  Microsoft is enforcing this mostly because people won’t know or care to revert back, and they want everyone on Microsoft accounts presumably for their own good, but also because they collect richer data.

Nowadays, I would be more suspicious of the possibility that linking any Microsoft account marks a device in some way that even reverting to local account or deleting the original account from a device entirely, can’t remove.  Surveillance, after all, is only getting more granular and more invasive.  “For our own good”, of course.

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samak, Cybertooth, windbg, 8string

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Average-Jane wrote:

they want everyone on Microsoft accounts presumably for their own good

I presume it’s for my own good (since there are so many benefits).

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And that’s wonderful for you.  Those advantages do not appeal to me and others, so I resent being funneled through such a process.

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For some recent work, my computer was connected to internet while built a profile. Somewhere in the profile dance to avoid a Microsoft account, there is an unchecked box (lower-left hand corner of the screen):
Limited Experience

Make sure you check the box as limited experience avoids the Microsoft account experience.

On permanent hiatus {with backup and coffee}
offline▸ Win10Pro 2004.19041.572 x64 i3-3220 RAM8GB HDD Firefox83.0b3 WindowsDefender
offline▸ Acer TravelMate P215-52 RAM8GB Win11Pro 22H2.22621.1265 x64 i5-10210U SSD Firefox106.0 MicrosoftDefender
online▸ Win11Pro 22H2.22621.1992 x64 i5-9400 RAM16GB HDD Firefox116.0b3 MicrosoftDefender

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Just another Forum Poster, Average-Jane, Cybertooth

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geekdom wrote:

Limited Experience

Make sure you check the box as limited experience avoids the Microsoft account experience.

“Limited experience” must have been on Windows 10 Pro.

This thread is about Windows 11 Version 22H2.

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A screen shot from the How to Use Windows 11 without a Microsoft Account website shows it’s for Windows 11.

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8string

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That was written 10 months ago, so it’s not Windows 11 Version 22H2.

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Cybertooth

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