Fix “Let’s Connect You to a Network” Error 🔥 Windows 11 Installation Solution

What This Screen Is — Setup Stops Here by Design

During Windows 11 setup, the “Let’s connect you to a network” screen appears before account creation. On most builds there is no Skip or Next button while the PC is offline, because setup wants an internet connection and, after it, a Microsoft account sign-in. Nothing is broken — your PC, your ISO and your network are fine. The screen is a gate Microsoft put in the setup flow, and this guide covers every honest way through it, in the order the video shows them.

Route One — Just Connect and Finish Setup

The simplest route, and the one that works on every build: connect the PC. Pick your Wi-Fi network from the list on this very screen, or plug in a LAN cable. No router nearby? Your phone’s mobile hotspot is enough — setup only needs the internet for a few minutes. Once connected, setup continues normally to the account screens.

Sign In, Then Switch — the Account Switch That Always Works

If you connected in Step 2 but do not want to keep a Microsoft account on the PC, finish setup by signing in, reach the desktop, and then switch the account to a local one: open Settings → Accounts → Your info and choose “Sign in with a local account instead”, then follow the prompts. Your files, apps and settings stay exactly as they are — only the sign-in changes. This route needs no commands and works on every build, which is why the video calls it the account switch that always works.

First Check Your Build with winver

The remaining routes are commands typed into setup — and whether they work depends entirely on your Windows build, because Microsoft has been removing them one by one. So before trusting any command, check the build. On the network screen, press Shift + F10 to open a Command Prompt window, and run:

winver

A small window shows the Windows 11 version and OS build. Note that build number down — it decides which of the next two routes can still work on your PC, exactly as the video demonstrates.

Older Builds — the oobe\bypassnro Command

On older builds, in the same Command Prompt (opened with Shift + F10 on the network screen), run:

oobe\bypassnro

The PC restarts. If it does not restart on its own, run this command in the same window and it will:

shutdown /r /t 0

Setup comes back to the same network screen — but this time it offers an “I don’t have internet” option. Choose it, then “Continue with limited setup”, and setup lets you create a local account and reach the desktop without any connection.

The Local-Only Command — start ms-cxh:localonly

On builds where bypassnro is gone, the video shows the newer command. In the Command Prompt at the setup screen (Shift + F10), run:

start ms-cxh:localonly

Instead of the Microsoft account screen, a local account creation window opens — set a user name and password, and setup finishes with that local account.

Plan Ahead — Rufus Install Media

If you have not installed yet, the cleanest offline route is decided before setup even starts. When you create the Windows 11 bootable USB with Rufus (using an official Microsoft ISO), Rufus offers customization options for the installation — including removing the requirement for an online Microsoft account. Tick that option while writing the USB, then install from that media: setup goes straight to creating a local account, with no network gate to pass. This is a plan-ahead route only — it cannot change a setup that is already running.

Windows 11 Pro — the Domain Join Route

On Windows 11 Pro there is one more supported route. At the account screen choose “Set up for work or school”, then open Sign-in options and select “Domain join instead”. Setup then creates a local account — the domain itself can be joined later, or never; the account you made stays local. This route exists only on Pro (and higher editions); Windows 11 Home does not offer domain join, so on Home use the routes above.