New Windows 11 PC setup — can I start over in the middle to set up a local id?

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Out of the box, I connected to network during setup and missed how I should avoid creating a Microsoft ID.    I’m stuck on the screen where it wants me to create an account.  I really want a local account.

It has no back-button, and disconnecting just waits for the network.

Any way to start over?

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Assuming you are on Win11 23H2:
Once you get to the screen where connection is required, press SHIFT+F10 and the Command Prompt will open.
Type:

OOBE\BYPASSNRO

and press the [ENTER] key.
The system should restart and the OoBE will show “I dont have an internet access” button further on in proceedings.

For Win11 24H2:
press SHIFT+F10 and the Command Prompt will open.
within cmd input:

start ms-cxh:localonly

followed by pressing [ENTER] key.

OR if a new device with W11:
Choose the “Work or school” option during the OOBE.

Windows - commercial by definition and now function...

1 user thanked author for this post.

ctRanger

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Thank you so much. I assumed 24H2 and I’m in.

I haven’t had a new PC in 6 years.

I think this is going to take a while.

 

 

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Microfix wrote:

OR if a new device with W11: Choose the “Work or school” option during the OOBE.

OR if a new device with W11 Pro:

cheers, Paul

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It IS w11 Pro, but I think I just put “home” in that option.   I didn’t know it made a difference in the setup.

 

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I have a local admin id and nothing else, but GPEDIT shows no business options .

It would not let me change from personal to work, and I don’t know what that affects going forward.

Can I simply “Reset this PC” and start the setup over again?

 

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You do not need to change from personal to work if you have the Pro Edition. A Local ID is all you need. If you have Group Policy, it is the Pro Edition. You can verify it at Settings App\System\About. Let us know what Version and Build you have.

One thing you do need to check – is you disk Encrypted? You may want to turn it OFF, but at the very least you need to know if it is or is not. Locate the information in two places:

Control Panel\Bitlocker Drive Encryption
Settings App\Privacy & Security\Device Encryption

 

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24H2   26100.1301

Device encryption > “sign in with microsoft account to finish encrypting”  (I only have a local account)

Encrypted is set to “on”

(I still haven’t connected to internet, wanted to set up group policy first )

 

 

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Your disk is encrypted and you may have problems later. See this thread for more details.

cheers, Paul

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I turned off encryption; it went through decryption.

I read the thread, but I thought what I did avoids future problems?  I still have no MS account.

 

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You will not have problems with encryption keys.

If you want the disk encrypted you can always turn it back on – I have all my disks encrypted.

cheers, Paul

1 user thanked author for this post.

ctRanger

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