Setup is where the Microsoft account demand feels absolute — but it is also where advice goes stale fastest. Commands get removed from install media, registry tricks get blocked in new builds, and yesterday's clever shortcut becomes today's dead end. Here are the during-setup routes, each labelled with what it actually does on current Windows.
The honest starting point: there is no single trick that works on every Windows 11 build any more — and any guide that promises one is out of date. Microsoft is closing these mechanisms deliberately and has said so. What remains is a small set of routes with different requirements: one needs older media, one needs the Pro edition, one needs you to prepare your own USB. Match the route to your situation and you will not waste an evening typing commands into a build that has already removed them.
👆 The video's command, honestly labelled: real, demonstrated — and being switched off build by build. Do not confuse "worked in the video" with "works on media made this month".
start ms-cxh:localonly and press EnterWhy the honesty: Microsoft has stated publicly it is removing setup mechanisms that create local accounts, because they can skip configuration screens. Testers confirmed this command, start ms-cxh://setaddlocalonly, the BypassNRO registry value and the fake-email route all blocked in current preview builds. Blocks land in preview builds first — which is why reports disagree — but the direction is one-way.
Windows 11 Pro setup contains a supported offline path because businesses genuinely need it:
Because this is a real deployment feature rather than a loophole, it is the during-setup route most likely to still be there next year. It needs Pro; most consumer laptops ship with Home, and Home does not show it.
If you are creating your own install media, the decision can be made before setup starts, using documented options in the free Rufus tool:
Honest limits: Rufus modifies the install media, so use ISOs from Microsoft only, and in a company, check your IT policy before using customised media. For a single home PC it is the most predictable during-setup route that exists today.
oobe\bypassnro — the script file was removed from newer Windows install media entirely. The command now simply failsNotice the pattern: every route that depends on Microsoft not noticing is temporary. The two routes above that survive — domain join and pre-built media — survive because they are deployment features, not bugs.
The video demonstrates the setup command live - watch it, and keep this page open to pick the fallback route if your build has moved on.
▶️ Watch Full VideoNo — your install media is simply newer than the build in the video. Microsoft announced it is removing local-account mechanisms from setup, and current builds block start ms-cxh:localonly. On Windows 11 Pro, use Set up for work or school, then Sign-in options, then Domain join instead. On Home, finish setup with a Microsoft account and switch to a local account afterwards in Settings, Accounts, Your info.
The bypassnro script was removed from Windows install media in newer builds, so the command fails outright. The registry value that did the same job was later tested as blocked in current preview builds as well. Some older ISOs still accept one or both, which is why old guides seem to work for some people — but neither is a route to plan a new install around.
Rufus is a long-standing, widely used tool, and the two options — removing the online account requirement and creating a local account with a username — are documented features of it. Download Rufus and the Windows ISO only from their official sources, and know that the USB it writes is customised media: fine for your own PC, but check policy before using it on company machines.