Microsoft kills more Microsoft Account bypasses in Windows 11

Microsoft is removing more methods that help users create local Windows accounts and bypass the Microsoft account requirement when installing Windows 11. The change was introduced in the Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26220.6772 (KB5065797) for Insiders in the Dev Channel, indicating that it will likely be included in future production builds. The company claimed that this decision was taken because bypassing the Microsoft account setup while installing Windows 11 would lead to devices not being "fully configured." "We are removing known mechanisms for creating a local account in the Windows Setup experience (OOBE)," Microsoft's Amanda Langowski said on Monday. "While these mechanisms were often used to bypass Microsoft account setup, they also inadvertently skip critical setup screens, potentially causing users to exit OOBE with a device that is not fully configured for use." Once this change goes live, "users will need to complete OOBE with internet and a Microsoft account" so that their PC is "setup correctly." This comes after Microsoft also removed the 'BypassNRO.cmd' script from Windows 11 earlier this year, when Redmond said the change was prompted by a need "to enhance security and user experience of Windows 11." As BleepingComputer previously reported, while the company has removed BypassNRO, it didn't remove the BypassNRO Registry value, which was reportedly still working as an option to set up a local account and skip networking. This means that you could (in theory) still skip the Microsoft account requirement by manually entering the following commands using Regedit, which can be launched from the Shift+F10 command prompt that can be opened at the "Let's connect you to a network" screen during the Windows installation process: reg add HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\OOBE /v BypassNRO /t REG_DWORD /d 1 /f shutdown /r /t 0 However, we haven't tested this yet, and even if it still works, Microsoft may remove it in a future release to enhance security and ensure that PCs are fully configured.