What happens if you install Windows 11 without an online account?

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We refurbish computers and install Windows 10 or 11 (on wiped drives, legally). We do not know who our customers are at install time, so it is impossible to set up an online account. My question is not how to work around this (we know how).

We want to know if it is legal to do these workarounds. Does it violate the EULA? Will Microsoft accuse our customers of piracy some time in the future? Or make the computer harder to use?

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What MS choose to do in the future is not something even MS can predict.

If the software is licensed to that machine then users will be able to run it, subject to the whims of MS.

cheers, Paul

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As a system builder, you should by right be using Audit Mode as it takes the onus off you to provide any sort of personal information during setup.

When you are running the Windows 11 install and are presented with the EULA, press Ctrl+Shift+F3 and the machine will boot into a special mode which allows you to configure what you need, such as installing drivers, updates, applications, activation etc. It will temporarily enable the built-in Administrator account to remove the need for you to create any users yourself. You’ll notice Sysprep appearing on every startup, cancel it until you have everything set up as you want it.

When you’re done, in the Sysprep window, choose the Enter System Out-of-Box Experience (OOBE) option and choose Shutdown in the Shutdown options. When you click OK, it will “reseal” the system and shut it down. The next time it’s powered up, the Windows setup will run and the user can enter their own details.

FYI, the Generalize option is to be used if you’re cloning the image to another machine. If you’re not, you can leave this unchecked.

4 users thanked author for this post.

Sir_George, PL1, RetiredGeek, b

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One of the biggest differences between a local account and a Microsoft account is that the former is exclusive to the Windows PC you created it on. A Microsoft account exists on the internet, and you can access it on a range of devices, including computers, phones, and the Xbox family of consoles. So, having a local account provides less exposure to threats.

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Sounds good in theory, but what’s the increased threat of a Microsoft account in practice?

My Microsoft account has no password and is accessed via passkeys tied to my face or fingerprint on each device.

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Thank you, Steviebops, for a complete reply, as for various workarounds.

What I was trying to learn is (1) the safety and integrity of an OS without an online account, and (2) the end user’s security. Does anyone have any experience?

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b wrote:

Sounds good in theory, but what’s the increased threat of a Microsoft account in practice?

My Microsoft account has no password and is accessed via passkeys tied to my face or fingerprint on each device.

Based on your experience and additional security measures, I doubt there is much difference. I was simply providing an answer to the OP’s header “What happens if you install Windows 11 without an online account?” I was merely suggesting there is an increased risk of threat, not that it was imminent.

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