Microsoft blocks workaround that enabled users to create local accounts as part of the OOBE installer.

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Mazzspeed

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https://www.pcworld.com/article/2354686/microsoft-blocks-windows-11-workaround-local-accounts.html

Before PC users can enjoy everything Windows 11 has on tap, they must first enter an e-mail address that’s linked to a Microsoft account. If you don’t have one, you’ll be asked to create one before you can start setting it up.

A frequently used trick to circumvent this block is a small but ingenious step. By entering a random e-mail address and password, which doesn’t exist and causes the link to fail, you end up directly with the creation of a local account and can thus avoid creating an official account with Microsoft.
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Due to the fact that the OOBE is downloaded on the fly when performing a Windows install while connected to the internet, the fix may not be present just yet depending on the server hosting the OOBE.
 
Mazzspeed said:
This is the method I personally use. The problem I find is, when you use it, Windows no longer automatically downloads drivers when you do finally connect to the internet as the default networking driver no longer gets installed.
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How does it get online w/o nic drivers? Maybe under Advanced>Optional Updates OR System Properties>Hardware>Device Installation Settings>Yes.
 
PeaKr said:
How does it get online w/o nic drivers? Maybe under Advanced>Optional Updates OR System Properties>Hardware>Device Installation Settings>Yes.
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Well...When you don't bypass the default OOBE, the default networking driver is loaded as part of the OOBE installer. Bypass the default OOBE, and you get no default networking driver installed until you manually install it yourself off your own storage media once Windows has installed.
 
I did the domain method on a sandbox with 11 Pro this week and it worked.

Still, the writing is on the wall here.
 
Bah, this is annoying. I've been using this trick for years at work and it's the easiest and most convenient way to do it. Plus, in spite of our company email accounts being 365 accounts, MS doesn't consider 'em to be Microsoft accounts.
 
Mazzspeed said:
Bypass the default OOBE, and you get no default networking driver installed until you manually install it yourself off your own storage media once Windows has installed.
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Are there any other things like that to watch out for? As I've used the `oobe\bypassnro` method before for VMs but hadn't noticed anything out of the ordinary since they were for irregular use cases.
 
You'd think Microsoft would think to themselves... maybe we have gotten enough bad press lately... maybe we should chill?

guess not... Windows is really turning into a sh*t show... I am getting kinda turned off to the whole pc deal at this point, internet sucks now, games suck, windows 11 really sucks.... starting to not see the point. (blah blah blah Linux.... I know I have Mint on my Thinkpad it is great and all.) In general my interests in PCs is greatly reducing lately... don't want to have to constantly be trying to find workarounds for more and more telemetry bullsh*t.
 
What happened to all the people that said that Microsoft wouldn't fix this work around? Like it was intended.
atarione said:
You'd think Microsoft would think to themselves... maybe we have gotten enough bad press lately... maybe we should chill?
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This will make Microsoft more money in the long run, compared to what short term damage from bad press could do.
guess not... Windows is really turning into a sh*t show... I am getting kinda turned off to the whole pc deal at this point, internet sucks now, games suck, windows 11 really sucks.... starting to not see the point. (blah blah blah Linux.... I know I have Mint on my Thinkpad it is great and all.) In general my interests in PCs is greatly reducing lately... don't want to have to constantly be trying to find workarounds for more and more telemetry bullsh*t.
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As much as I'd love to see people go Linux, it's not going to be now. The first thing people will do is find work arounds. Already got some people posting work arounds for this, which will also likely be fixed in the future. Windows 11 is so bad that people are now installing custom ISO's, which anyone could tell you is a dangerous route to de-bloating Windows 11. I could totally see the community make a tool that automatically turns off telemetry data and checks periodically, because as we all know Microsoft is going to undo settings you've made with every update. So with an update, Microsoft will block those programs. It's going to be a cat and mouse game, but Microsoft is the cat and they'll win. For now, people are just going to deal with Microsoft's bullshit. Just remember that Linux is always here when you're done with Windows.


View: https://youtu.be/3B86sdQ8THk?si=rU5Ks_bIQYGrZJkd
 
jlbenedict said:
Install with the network cable unplugged ( this even works for Windows 11 Home ).

MS can f themselves
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On 23H2 if you try that, it just stays on the connect to network screen and prompts you to connect to the Internet.
 
Domingo said:
Bah, this is annoying. I've been using this trick for years at work and it's the easiest and most convenient way to do it. Plus, in spite of our company email accounts being 365 accounts, MS doesn't consider 'em to be Microsoft accounts.
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then you should be using pro and you can still use the domain join option to create a local account.

bigdogchris said:
On 23H2 if you try that, it just stays on the connect to network screen and prompts you to connect to the Internet.
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only on home.
 
bigdogchris said:
On 23H2 if you try that, it just stays on the connect to network screen and prompts you to connect to the Internet.
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Ugh.. F'ing MS...

Yup.. indeed it does.. Just pulled down a 22631.3672 ISO and tested this in a VM... had to do the OOBE\BypassNRO command...
Without that , it wouldn't prompt for "limited" setup..

1717521681759.png
 
jlbenedict said:
Absolutely nothing wrong with Home edition for 99% of users
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lol yeah and ive said that before. normies using home will just roll with all this. the ones that keep complaining here, the ones that claim to be pros, shouldnt be on home ed....

Domingo said:
New laptops ship with Home, so that's the option I have.
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then let the normies sign in.
 
I realize this isn't the point of the thread... but why teh actual FUCK did windows 11 just decide to turn my show Bluetooth icon in notification area off.. god damned actual piece of crap, windows 11 can Fuck right off.
 
bigdogchris said:
The ways around this is pretty simple on all other editions, so I'm just focusing on the edition that needs the most help.
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yet only a couple of us are making that distinction....

atarione said:
I realize this isn't the point of the thread... but why teh actual FUCK did windows 11 just decide to turn my show Bluetooth icon in notification area off.. god damned actual piece of crap, windows 11 can Fuck right off.
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did updates put in a new driver? that the only time ive seen it turn off, as its a "new device". otherwise you probably just hit a key-combo or button, or clicked something to hide it.
 
I install Home on new PC's I build as Pro has no features most users actually need.

jlbenedict said:
Install with the network cable unplugged ( this even works for Windows 11 Home ).
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Not my experience running Home, the OOBE simply stalls at the connect to network screen.
 
Mazzspeed said:
I install Home on new PC's I build as Pro has no features most users actually need.
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wouldnt "not having the problems home does" be enough of a feature? guess youll have to learn ways around all this, or just tell them to sign up for the ms account...
 
Mazzspeed said:
I install Home on new PC's I build as Pro has no features most users actually need.



Not my experience running Home, the OOBE simply stalls at the connect to network screen.
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Yes... it appears as indicated in a previous post.. 23H2 may have busted that workaround
 
pendragon1 said:
wouldnt "not having the problems home does" be enough of a feature? guess youll have to learn ways around all this, or just tell them to sign up for the ms account...
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Not when you're quoting on a PC build and the difference of $20.00 can mean getting a quote accepted by the client, and 'cheap' keys are not an option when building a PC as a professional business. As stated, there are ways around the use of a Microsoft account under Home, but there are caveats that I've mentioned in previous posts.

Stating everyone should just use Pro is not a solution when most do not need Pro.
 
Mazzspeed said:
Not when you're quoting on a PC build and the difference of $20.00 can mean getting a quote accepted by the client, and 'cheap' keys are not an option when building a PC as a professional business. As stated, there are ways around the use of a Microsoft account under Home, but there are caveats that I've mentioned in previous posts.

Stating everyone should just use Pro is not a solution when most do not need Pro.
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Didn't you know that you are supposed to get an upgraded version of windows SO YOU CAN WORKAROUND ITS BS?
 
techie81 said:
Didn't you know that you are supposed to get an upgraded version of windows SO YOU CAN WORKAROUND ITS BS?
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Yeah, I won't be doing that. If a client needs Pro, I quote on Pro. If most don't need Pro, I quote to their needs and include Home. I can still work around the need for a MS account on install with caveats.
 
Mazzspeed said:
Yeah, I won't be doing that. If a client needs Pro, I quote on Pro. If most don't need Pro, I quote to their needs and include Home. I can still work around the need for a MS account on install with caveats.
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Gotta figure out what the asian vendors like Beelink and Minisforum are doing, which, I dunno, is maybe using Rufus. They ship mini PCs with Windows with the MS account requirement disabled.
 
Mazzspeed said:
Not when you're quoting on a PC build and the difference of $20.00 can mean getting a quote accepted by the client, and 'cheap' keys are not an option when building a PC as a professional business. As stated, there are ways around the use of a Microsoft account under Home, but there are caveats that I've mentioned in previous posts.

Stating everyone should just use Pro is not a solution when most do not need Pro.
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lol ok. ive sold systems for many years, $20 was never a deal breaker. didnt say anything about "cheap keys". if youre an oem builder, you use oem keys, like youre supposed to.
yeah i know, posted about them plenty of times.
i never said that.

techie81 said:
Didn't you know that you are supposed to get an upgraded version of windows SO YOU CAN WORKAROUND ITS BS?
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most of us have been doing exactly that since the 90s....


leave home for the normie home users, they will sign up for an account, they dont care. that was my point.
 
1_rick said:
Gotta figure out what the asian vendors like Beelink and Minisforum are doing, which, I dunno, is maybe using Rufus. They ship mini PCs with Windows with the MS account requirement disabled.
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Mini PC's make up a majority of my PC build sales. using oobe\bypassnro still works, for now - I just keep a thumb drive with the WiFi driver to get me going once Windows has installed, TBH the false email address workaround never worked for me anyway.

pendragon1 said:
lol ok. ive sold systems for many years, $20 was never a deal breaker. didnt say anything about "cheap keys". if youre an oem builder, you use oem keys, like youre supposed to.
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Lol OK...

I use OEM keys, and an OEM Home key is cheaper than an OEM Pro key, it's not rocket science. In this day and age with cost of living issues out of control, $20.00 can mean the difference between getting the quote over the line and not getting the quote over the line, if a client has no need for the 'features' Pro offers, there's no point quoting on Pro - I know how to run my business.

Thanks for the insight, feel free to flush it down the toilet. I'm not interested in blind fanboyism.

pendragon1 said:
leave home for the normie home users, they will sign up for an account, they dont care. that was my point.
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And the fat portion of that Windows bell curve are normies that barely know how to install printer drivers.
 
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jlbenedict said:
Ugh.. F'ing MS...

Yup.. indeed it does.. Just pulled down a 22631.3672 ISO and tested this in a VM... had to do the OOBE\BypassNRO command...
Without that , it wouldn't prompt for "limited" setup..

View attachment 657840
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even disabling Ethernet and wifi in the bios, doesn't allow you to move forward. You have to use the command prompt to bypass OOBE.
 
Does Shift+F10 no longer work?
I’ve always just used that.
But it’s been a hot minute since I’ve installed home.
 
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