> Could You Imagine Being So Insane That You Refuse To Install Windows 11 And Instead Use An 11 Year Old OS?

Walter S Dempsey wrote:

Just get a Mac.
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Yes, as of the latest Windows 11 builds, a Microsoft account is effectively required during setup — though the situation depends slightly on which edition and build you have.

**The current state (as of early 2026):**

- Users installing Windows 11 are required to complete setup while connected to the internet with a Microsoft account. Microsoft frames this as necessary to ensure devices are fully configured.

- Microsoft has blocked `oobe\bypassnro`, `start ms-cxh:localonly`, and other methods that previously allowed bypassing the Microsoft account requirement during the first-time setup process (OOBE). Newer builds can no longer bypass the requirement using these commands.

**Still possible workarounds (with caveats):**

- You can still bypass the Microsoft account requirement using Domain Join (requires Windows 11 Pro) or by creating a custom ISO using third-party tools like Rufus.

- With Rufus, you can create a Windows 11 install USB drive with the "Remove requirement for an online Microsoft account" option toggled on, allowing setup with a local account.

**After setup**, you can switch to a local account — once Windows 11 is set up, you can go into Control Panel > User Accounts, create a new local account, and then delete the Microsoft account.

**One important note if you do use a Microsoft account during setup:** Windows 11 Home automatically enables BitLocker encryption, and the BitLocker recovery key is stored in your Microsoft account. If you abandon or delete that account later, you risk losing access to your drive if a trigger event occurs (like a BIOS update or hardware change). So if you plan to switch to a local account after setup, it's worth disabling BitLocker first.

In short: Microsoft is pushing hard toward requiring an account, and the easiest path for most users is to just use one — but workarounds like Rufus still exist if you prefer a local-only setup.

You can install W11 on a machine without a TPM
A kid could do it.

wrote:

Amen!  I'm typing on a Mac.
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Remember, the current CEO of Apple is literally a faggot.

wrote:

If I can't install Windows without a Microsoft Account, then a Microsoft Account is required.

But you can install it without a Microsoft account. Your own posts indicates that fact.

You don’t seem too smart.

wrote:

https://x.com/twtayaan/status/2044768018488816051

Sockpuppet wrote:

But you can install it without a Microsoft account. Your own posts indicates that fact.

You don’t seem too smart.

For non-enterprise Windows, Microsoft is shutting down installation without a Microsoft account.   For the hoi polloi, they're going to need an account.

Yes, I've installed without a Microsoft account, but eventually, that isn't going to work.