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I bought a new Lenovo with Windows 11 preinstalled and apparently if I want to use this laptop I need to have a Microsoft account (lemmy.world)

submitted 10 months ago* (last edited 10 months ago) by [email protected] to c/[email protected]

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Is there any way around this? Why is Windows doing this? Don't get me wrong, I got the laptop to install a Linux distro anyway, but it's helpful for others (especially my older family members) to just use Windows when they need to print a paper or do a small task, so I would have liked to keep it. Microsoft really lost me here.

Edit:

Thanks everyone for the answers. For reasons I will not delve into now, I ended up installing Windows 10 from the official iso Image, then upgrading to Windows 11. This is the longest and shittiest way to avoid the login as it simply used the local account I created on Windows 10, and that's the road I took (not recommended). Also I ended up installing Mint with dual boot and I love it. I have windows on the smallest partition size possible (about 66G).

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[-] [email protected] 72 points 10 months ago

Just type a user name without an @address and a password and click sign-in. When it fails you should have an option to proceed with a local account.

[-] [email protected] 7 points 10 months ago

This. If it is windows pro, you will need to select for personal use, and after entering something like [email protected] and a gibberish password it will prompt you for a local account.

[-] [email protected] 67 points 10 months ago* (last edited 10 months ago)

Use the email "[email protected]", and anything as the password. It'll reject it and give you a way to just use a local account instead of a Microsoft account.

[-] [email protected] 27 points 10 months ago

Ladies and gentlemen, my first bookmarked Lemmy comment

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[-] [email protected] 6 points 10 months ago* (last edited 10 months ago)

You can also use [email protected]

Or press shift+F10, which opens CMD, then type oobe\bypassnro which restarts windows installer and lets you use a local account

[-] [email protected] 60 points 10 months ago

Disconnect from the internet and you get an option to use a local account.

https://www.windowscentral.com/how-set-windows-11-without-microsoft-account

[-] [email protected] 30 points 10 months ago

Windows is so quirky™

[-] [email protected] 16 points 10 months ago

She's not like other OS.

[-] [email protected] 9 points 10 months ago

W11 when it has an issue: "Something went wrong. UwU"

[-] [email protected] 14 points 10 months ago

We can do it the easy way or the Microsoft way.

[-] [email protected] 8 points 10 months ago

This will forever be their new advertising motto:
We Can Do It The Easy Way Or The Microsoft Way.™

[-] [email protected] 5 points 10 months ago

Shit, you serious? Worth the attempt lol

[-] [email protected] 5 points 10 months ago

Yep, can't verify your ms account if the device doesn't have internet access.

[-] [email protected] 3 points 10 months ago

This is the answer

[-] [email protected] 2 points 10 months ago

This works! This is how I have my laptop and VMs setup.

[-] [email protected] 53 points 10 months ago* (last edited 10 months ago)

Use:

[email protected] as email

Anything as password. (Just type 1 or something)

Press OK

You will get an error saying it doesnt work and you can continue by creating an offline account, inatead of logging in

Its the easiest way. You can also do some command prompt bullshit and restart etc but.. my trick is easier and faster.

[-] zaph 10 points 10 months ago

Every time I tell people about this I get downvoted and called an idiot.

[-] [email protected] 6 points 10 months ago

It seems to be an unreliable method, sometimes it works but sometimes you can do it a dozen times and it'll still just keep looping back on itself. Never figured out what the exact reason was but I think the looping is more common with laptops.

[-] [email protected] 4 points 10 months ago

[email protected] always works

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[-] [email protected] 51 points 10 months ago* (last edited 10 months ago)

Yeah, but you can create local account.

Choose any of these 3 options:

A. Shift+F10 (opens cmd) > OOBE\BYPASSNRO

B. Continue until getting to creating account

B.1. Account > [email protected]/[email protected]/[email protected]/[email protected]/[email protected]/[email protected]/[email protected]/[email protected]

B.2. Password > *enter any random password*

C. […] > How would you like to set up this device > Set up for work or school

With an existing system:

• CMD > net user /add *

[-] [email protected] 16 points 10 months ago

I honestly can't tell if this is how you actually set up a local account or if it's a joke about how ridiculously difficult everything is getting that is not exactly the Microsoft way

[-] [email protected] 12 points 10 months ago

I just bypass it by trying to log into 'my Microsoft account' of "[email protected]" and it's always jumped to the local account creation process.

[-] ratman150 6 points 10 months ago

It is the actual way...I have to setup dozens of computers for my company with this method.

If you have another computer you can use a win11 iso + Rufus to automatically create a local account but be aware it by default will have your password expire after 6 months. To fix this (requires 11 pro) go to start menu and type "lusrmgr.msc" find your account, right click "properties" and uncheck "password expires"

[-] [email protected] 4 points 10 months ago

Its not.

[-] [email protected] 3 points 10 months ago

how ridiculously difficult everything is getting that is not exactly the Microsoft way

Always was.

[-] [email protected] 8 points 10 months ago

Just use option A. Shift+F10 (opens cmd) > OOBE\BYPASSNRO

Then tell it you don’t have internet when it asks for an MS account.

[-] [email protected] 40 points 10 months ago* (last edited 10 months ago)

Use email [email protected] and gibberish password. It will bug out and you can make a local account.

[-] [email protected] 8 points 10 months ago

It's unfortunate we need to do this to create a local account instead. It's smells of Dark pattern.

[-] [email protected] 5 points 10 months ago

You still need to be watchfull. Windows will ask like 4 times or more to make an account because 'its better'

[-] [email protected] 24 points 10 months ago

Leave cable unplugged and Wi-Fi off. Hit shift + F10 for a command prompt, type OOBE\BYPASSNR This removes the internet requirement and brings back the skip for now button. This is a new thing for Home edition in 22H2. I want to type out about how much I dislike both enterprise and consumer Microsoft products, but “if you don’t have anything nice to say then don’t say anything at all” something something. Good luck with your new computer!

[-] [email protected] 20 points 10 months ago* (last edited 10 months ago)

If you have another computer, download the Windows 11 iso from Microsoft.

Then download Rufus and use it to make a bootable USB key from the before mentioned Iso. It will ask if you want to disable Microsoft account requirement, as well as other things like TPM requirement and the likes.

Install Windows from that USB key

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[-] [email protected] 15 points 10 months ago

There are workarounds but if you're not comfortable with them, you can create a "burner" account and then create a new Local Account from there. After that, you can delete the user linked with the M$ account.

[-] [email protected] 14 points 10 months ago

Tricky, but yes:

https://www.windowscentral.com/how-set-windows-11-without-microsoft-account

[-] [email protected] 10 points 10 months ago

You could just install the other OS

[-] [email protected] 8 points 10 months ago

I absolutely hate Microsoft for this. It's been a thing since at least the middle part of Windows 10.

[-] [email protected] 6 points 10 months ago

Teach your older family members to print and do small tasks on linux. KDE and Gnome are really beginner friendly.

[-] [email protected] 5 points 10 months ago

Install Linux 😏

[-] [email protected] 4 points 10 months ago

100% Inloggningsalternativ. Literally means "Alternative ways of login"

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[-] [email protected] 4 points 10 months ago

Dont connect it yet to the network/internet until you finish the whole configuration stuff.

[-] [email protected] 3 points 10 months ago

At the previous step you should have an option to set up for an organisation/school. Follow that route and you can find options to create a local account.

[-] [email protected] 3 points 10 months ago

Use [email protected] as email

[-] [email protected] 3 points 10 months ago

i imagine that you can't just never turn on windows? like boot from usb on first boot and wipe that thing off.

[-] [email protected] 2 points 10 months ago

Sadly almost all of the answers below stopped working after updates closed those avenues of bypass. I'd just create a new account and ignore it.

[-] [email protected] 2 points 10 months ago

For anyone who struggles to get past the account creation email address, I've always entered "[email protected]" which isn't a valid email or is locked/banned.

Never caused me a problem, and I've even walked tech incompetent family members through that process.