No account? No Windows 11, Microsoft says as another loophole snaps shut

The Register ^ | Oct 7, 2025 | Richard Speed

[dayglored]

Microsoft is closing a popular loophole that allowed users to install Windows 11 without a Microsoft account.

The change has appeared in recent Insider builds of Windows 11, indicating it is likely to be included in the production version soon.

Microsoft refers to these loopholes as "known mechanisms" and is talking about local commands in this instance. You can learn all about these in our piece for getting Windows 11 installed with a local account, but suffice to say start ms-cxh:localonly is no more.

"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," Microsoft said.

"Users will need to complete OOBE with internet and a Microsoft account, to ensure [the] device is set up correctly."

As far as Redmond is concerned, this is all for the user's own good. It is also important to note that managed devices are not directly affected, just hardware that users want to get running with Windows 11 without having to deal with a Microsoft Account during setup.

The change is part of Microsoft's ongoing game of Whac-A-Mole with users trying to find ways of avoiding its online services. In March, it removed the bypassnro.cmd script that allowed users to get through the Windows 11 setup without needing an internet connection. That time, Microsoft said the change was to "enhance security and user experience of Windows 11."

There remain a number of ways to avoid the Microsoft account requirement during setup, including setting up an unattended installation, but these are more complicated. It is also clear that Microsoft is determined to continue closing loopholes where it can.

It is getting increasingly difficult to use Windows 11 on an unmanaged device without a Microsoft account. Users who don't want to sign up should perhaps consider whether it's time to look at an alternative operating system instead. ®

[dennisw]

Linux mint cinnamon download https://www.linuxmint.com/download.php

[Pollard]

Thinkpads were an IBM thing before becoming Lenovo. I still have a IBM Thinkpad T60 model. IBM/Lenovo has supported Linux forever, especially Red Hat Linux and SUSE(Enterprise) but also Ubuntu.

https://www.thinkwiki.org/wiki/ThinkWiki

Check out the list - https://www.lenovo.com/linux

Archived systems including my W530 that supported Ubuntu 11.10 - https://support.lenovo.com/us/en/solutions/PD500269

I’m currently running Kubuntu 22.04 which is based on Ubuntu 22.04 - still runs great.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Linux_adoption#History

[Openurmind]

“Thinkpads were an IBM thing before becoming Lenovo. I still have a IBM Thinkpad T60 model. IBM/Lenovo has supported Linux forever, especially Red Hat Linux and SUSE(Enterprise) but also Ubuntu.”

I did not know that, thank you!

[dayglored]

> I just signed in with my old hotmail Microsoft account on each of my 5 W10 laptops to extend updates for a year, can I sign back out now and still get the updates?

I don't know for sure, since I've never had a hotmail account, but I wouldn't think that whether you're currently signed in or out makes a difference to the updates. AFAIK it's just whether you have an account, and whether a hotmail account is considered a Microsoft account (I think it is).

[Pollard]

IBM Supports Linux 100% (Old IBM commercial uploaded to youtube 19 years ago) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KwEWxpOWOok

Like Dell, IBM/Lenovo leases large numbers of laptops to big businesses. I've been buying off-lease workstation Thinkpads for nearly 20 years. I select one with a clean outer case because I figure it was either used by someone who takes care of things or someone who didn't use it much. I think the lease terms are 5-7 years so I always have an old computer. The P series which replaced the W series of workstation laptops will probably be my next model.

The specs on my W530(2012–2015) are fine at 8 × Intel® Core™ i7-3820QM CPU @ 2.70GHz with 16 GiB of RAM but the LCD display is older tech and getting permanent ghosts. All the P series through 2023 were available with Ubuntu Linux as an OS.

[Openurmind]

OK, that is seriously cool info! I have been kind of fortunate in that my kids have more money than I do and keep buying new ones all the time and give me their old “broken” ones... :)

I can fix it... “No, I’ll just get a new one”. lol

[taxcontrol]

Linux

[Gene Eric]

>> Now that is just ignorance.

you’re obviously just a user and not a maintainer

[Gene Eric]

contributors/maintainers of major distros are being routed out should they show the slightest indication of being conservative — while their Woke antagonists are being brazenly hostile

[Openurmind]

You do not have to be either a user or maintainer to know that everything tech was and is woke. All of it, hardware, software, all of it from woke companies and developers.

No way to escape that reality. So to try and make a claim about one product being woke is negated by the fact they are ALL woke products.

It is an ignorant argument that carriers zero weight considering the reality of the true circumstances. It is like claiming that a particular Dairy produces milk when ALL dairies produce Milk.

[charleywhiskey]

Keep your old Windows OS but add a Linux version to your machine. Boot it into Windows when you want work with your old files and apps or re-boot into Linux when you want to be completely free of Microsoft’s games. I’ve been running a dual boot system with no problems for over 12 years. I find Ubuntu to be fast and easy to use.

[Songcraft]

Thanks to all of you for your advice and information.

[Openurmind]

We Linux folks are a helpful lot... That is one thing about it, there is usually a lot of help no matter where you ask.

I can’t speak for them, but it is my privilege. Please let us know how it goes if you give it a shot... :)

[Bob434]

[[I’ve never had a hotmail account,]]

Gotta have a hotmail acount- that’s where ALL the spam emails end up- whenever it’s requireed for me to use an email to sign up for a site- it either gets the hotmail addy or mailinator.com address (a throwaway email site- no sign up- just give em a name such as superman434@mailinator.com [use a unique-ish one so you don’t get someone else’s spam mail too], then go there are get the ‘confirm’ email- all email thetre is deleted after 2 days or so)

[Gene Eric]

specious generalities

[EVO X]

Thanks for the reminder about dual boot. I will likely go just Linux since all I do is browse the web when I travel.

[Openurmind]

#58 in this thread... I shared a step by step how to install Linux on any machine.

https://freerepublic.com/focus/chat/4344987/posts?page=58#58

[miliantnutcase]

CachyOS is my new favorite. Extremely quick.

[dayglored]

> CachyOS is my new favorite. Extremely quick.

That's a new one to me, hadn't heard of it before. But I'm not a gamer, and it appears that its optimization and speed benefits are tuned for gaming and similar quick-response applications. Thanks for the tip!

[Bob434]

Vwry interesting lowdown on ms account requirements., shortish video (26 mins). Wow! Seriously 5hinking about taking my windows 11 OFFLINE for good! It does all kinds of crap behind the scenes when you sogn yp for an account, even down to the hardware changes apparenrly.

IF i keep it online, Ive gotta find a way to run it completely in a sandbox so that any new updates that are sneakily done without my consent will be undone once i shut down. Not sure though how ill be able to update programs which would be the onky reas9n for me go8ng online with it though)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XH96CJ-ZLaI

The shift-f/10 to bypass account setup still wo4ks for now, but it wont work for long. The video go3s into how to work around the requirement for ms account