Microsoft has released a new Windows Insider Preview Build 26220.6772 that could make it harder or impossible to set up Windows 11 without first signing in to a Microsoft account. Spotted by our ...

Microsoft's latest Insider Preview, Build 26220.6772, introduces a significant policy change: removal of known workarounds to skip Microsoft Account setup during Windows 11 installation (OOBE).

TL;DR: Microsoft's latest Windows 11 preview build enforces mandatory Microsoft account sign-in during setup, removing previous local account bypasses. This change targets power users and ...

It's no secret that Microsoft would prefer you not to use local accounts on Windows. While you'd usually log into Windows with a Microsoft account, people have found ways to use a local account ...

It keeps getting harder to set up a Windows 11 installation without a Microsoft account — here's why it's a step in the wrong direction. When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an ...

This is important because: Microsoft is closing the side doors to offline setup. As familiar workarounds disappear, most people are guided toward a Microsoft account on day one, which narrows choice ...

A popular method to bypass a Microsoft Account during setup is to use a script named 'C:\windows\system32\oobe\BypassNRO.cmd.' When run during Windows 11 setup, it creates a Registry value that ...