• Installing Windows 11 without a Microsoft account

    Post courtesy of Netdef

    Here’s a visual step by step on how to install Windows 11 Pro with a private local account – hint it’s buried deeply now!!  No tricks with network connection needed.

    Install and OOBE sequence:

    Capture1FinalSetupStage

    With no network you get a warning:

    Capture2NoNIC

    NIC connected, lets go!

    Capture3NICAttached

    Select Work or School:

    Capture5OOBEWorkOrSchool

    Looks like we are being highly encouraged to use a MSA for a Work or School selection.

    Click Sign in options on this screen!

    Capture6OOBEWorkOrSchoolOptions

    On the Sign in Options screen, select Domain Join.  Don’t worry if you are not on a AD network here, it will not force you to use an actual corporate domain account!

    Capture7OOBEWorkOrSchoolDomainJoin

    Give the account a name, this will be a local private account.

    Capture8OOBEWorkOrSchoolDomainJoinPrivateAccount

    . . . and create a password

    Capture9OOBEWorkOrSchoolDomainJoinPrivateAccount

    And finally create three security questions and answers (just like before when creating local admin accounts on a new install)

    Capture9yOOBEWorkOrSchoolDomainJoinPrivateAccount

    Following that are the typical privacy settings screens . . .

    Capture9zOOBEWorkOrSchoolDomainJoinPrivateAccount

    And finally a login screen:

    CaptureLogin

    And here’s the new install with a local admin account ONLY, no MSA required.

    CaptureLoginAccountInfo

    The only change is that they buried the option one level deeper than before.  Used to be if you selected Work or School the option to create a local account was on the following screen.  Now it’s one layer deeper under Domain Join (even though you don’t have to join a domain.)

     

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