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, ...

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 ...

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 ...

Microsoft has been cracking down on the use of local accounts since the launch of Windows 11, but it's now almost impossible to use a local account unless you log in to your Microsoft account for ...

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 ...

Microsoft is blocking another way to choose a local account in Windows 11. You'd force a local account by disconnecting from the network. The block is currently in place in the latest Windows 11 ...

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 is tightening the screws on local account creation in Windows 11, removing well-known workarounds that let users skip the Microsoft account requirement during setup, with an active internet ...

One of the downgrades that Windows 10 users experience when moving to Windows 11, especially when clean-installing the newer operating system, is the inability to create a local account and set up ...

Microsoft has published fresh Windows preview versions in the Insider channels. In it, the company removes familiar ways of creating a local account in the “Windows Setup Experience” (OOBE, Out-of-the ...