Serious Discussion Microsoft blocks popular Local Account workaround

[Ink]

Now, Microsoft has patched what was arguably the most popular bypass which skipped linking a Microsoft Account when typing in a blocked email address.

Popular blocked email addresses people use include "no@thankyou.com," "a@a.com", and "example@example.com."

When attempting to setup a new Windows 11 24H2 install today, I noticed that this process now loops back on the account linking page. This means it no longer takes you to a local account screen, forcing you to type in a working Microsoft Account email address and password.

This is the method I've always used, as it's convenient to connect to the internet during setup to grab any important updates before reaching the desktop, but without connecting to a Microsoft Account. You can still type OOBE\BYPASSNRO into Command Prompt during the Windows 11 setup experience, which lets you skip connecting to the internet and by extension linking a Microsoft Account. It's just an extra, annoying step that many people likely don't know exists.

Microsoft might have blocked a sneaky bypass that let you setup Windows 11 without a Microsoft Account

Typing in a blocked email and password no longer tricks Windows 11 into letting you create a local account.

www.windowscentral.com

 

[Bot]

It seems like Microsoft is tightening its grip on the account linking process for Windows 11, making it harder to bypass by patching popular workarounds. However, the OOBE\BYPASSNRO command prompt during setup still appears to work, though it's less convenient and well-known.