Windows 11 without a Microsoft account: oobe\bypassnro and its replacements

TL;DR

On the OOBE “Let’s connect you to a network” screen, open the console with Shift + F10 and run:

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oobe\bypassnro

The PC reboots and the “I don’t have internet” → “Continue with limited setup” path comes back, letting you create a local account.

Command gone (Windows 11 24H2 and later)? Bring it back via registry:

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reg add "HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\OOBE" /v BypassNRO /t REG_DWORD /d 1 /f
shutdown /r /t 0

Or use the direct alternative (no reboot):

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start ms-cxh:localonly

Why

Windows 11 pushes OOBE (Out-of-Box Experience) to require an internet connection + a Microsoft account. For a lab box, a desktop server, or any machine you want to run on a local account, that is friction. oobe\bypassnro was the long-standing shortcut to skip the network requirement — and with it, the MS account.

Classic procedure

1. Advance OOBE to “Let’s connect you to a network”.

2. Shift + F10 to open Command Prompt.

3. Type (case-insensitive, use the backslash):

   1	oobe\bypassnro

4. The PC reboots into OOBE again.

5. Now “I don’t have internet” → “Continue with limited setup” appears.

6. Create your local username and password. Done, no Microsoft account.

Same-spirit trick: if you simply disconnect the network (unplug Ethernet / don’t pick Wi-Fi) before this screen, several builds already offer the local-account path with no command.

If the command was removed (24H2+)

In March 2025 Microsoft removed the bypassnro.cmd script from new Windows 11 builds (24H2 and preview builds). If oobe\bypassnro reports “not recognized”, re-enable it via the registry and restart OOBE:

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reg add "HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\OOBE" /v BypassNRO /t REG_DWORD /d 1 /f
shutdown /r /t 0

After the reboot, the “I don’t have internet” path returns.

Modern alternative: start ms-cxh:localonly

Instead of rebooting, this hidden OOBE URI opens the local-account creation dialog directly:

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start ms-cxh:localonly

From Shift + F10 on the network screen. Fill in a local name and password and OOBE continues without asking for a Microsoft account.

Traps

• It’s a moving target. Microsoft keeps closing these paths: it announced removing bypassnro.cmd (March 2025) and later stated it was blocking oobe\bypassnro, start ms-cxh:localonly, and other OOBE bypass methods (late 2025). Whether it works depends on the exact build of your ISO.
• Try the short command first. If start ms-cxh:localonly does nothing, fall back to the registry method; if the registry fails too, fall back to disconnecting the network.
• The ISO matters. An older ISO (or one built with tools like Rufus, which can pre-answer OOBE and strip the MS-account requirement when it writes the USB) usually saves you this whole fight.
• Plan B is always there: finish OOBE with a throwaway Microsoft account, then convert to a local account under Settings → Accounts → Your info → Sign in with a local account instead.
• All of this runs on your own hardware; it does not bypass activation or licensing, only the online-account requirement.

Mental map