Upgrading to Windows 11 is still possible even after Windows 10 reached the end of support on October 14, 2025. Although many devices continue to run the retired operating system, switching to Windows ...

A workaround has been found to bypass needing a Microsoft account on Windows 11. By pressing Shift + F10 during setup, users can input "start ms-cxh:localonly" to create a local account.

Fans of local computer accounts everywhere, rejoice, for when a door closes, another one opens. Windows 11 hackers have found yet another way to bypass the installer's Microsoft account requirement, ...

Microsoft has fired its latest salvo in the battle against Windows 11 customers who would rather sign in with a local account than a Microsoft account. Announcing a new Windows 11 Insider build, the ...

A newly discovered trick allows Windows 11 users to bypass Microsoft’s online account requirement during setup, raising questions around user control and privacy. The workaround, shared by X user ...

A previously unknown trick lets you easily bypass using a Microsoft Account in Windows 11, just as Microsoft tries to make it harder to use local accounts. Since the release of Windows 11, Microsoft ...

hands on Redmond really – and I mean really – wants you to log into Windows 11 with a Microsoft account.… If you're setting up your own computer, rather than using a centrally managed one, Windows 11 ...

TL;DR: Microsoft recently blocked a common workaround for installing Windows 11 with a local account instead of linking it to a Microsoft account. However, two new methods have since been highlighted, ...

Microsoft is removing known workarounds for local account creation in Windows 11 setup (OOBE), effectively making a Microsoft Account (MSA) mandatory for most users. The company cites proper ...

Microsoft's latest Insider Preview, Build 26220.6772, introduces a significant policy change: removal of known workarounds to skip Microsoft Account setup during Windows 11 installation (OOBE).

Of the many minor to medium-size annoyances that come with a modern Windows 11 installation, the requirement that you sign in with a Microsoft account is one of the most irritating. Sure, all ...