Microsoft is making it more and more troublesome to arrange Home windows 11 with out signing right into a Microsoft Account. A preferred workaround that beforehand allowed customers to bypass the obligatory login is being eliminated, successfully requiring an web connection and Microsoft Account throughout the preliminary setup.

Goodbye, bypass trick

For years, Home windows customers who most well-liked native accounts — or just didn’t wish to hyperlink their PC to a Microsoft Account — relied on a easy command referred to as “bypassnro.” By typing this throughout setup, customers may skip the web and Microsoft Account requirement, maintaining their set up offline and unbiased.

Nonetheless, within the newest Home windows 11 Insider construct, Microsoft has eliminated this command solely, calling it a transfer to “improve safety and person expertise.”

“We’re eradicating the bypassnro.cmd script from the construct to reinforce safety and person expertise of Home windows 11,” stated Amanda Langowski and Brandon LeBlanc, heads of the Home windows Insider Program. “This transformation ensures that each one customers exit setup with web connectivity and a Microsoft Account.”

The brand new coverage would require all customers — even these with no intention of utilizing Microsoft’s cloud-based companies — to arrange an account linked to the web. Whereas the corporate insists that forcing an internet account ensures higher safety and smoother setup, critics argue it’s simply one other solution to push customers into Microsoft’s ecosystem.

Remaining workarounds

For now, tech-savvy customers can nonetheless bypass the restriction by manually enhancing the registry throughout setup (utilizing Shift + F10 to open Command Immediate and getting into the command “reg add HKLMSOFTWAREMicrosoftWindowsCurrentVersionOOBE /v BypassNRO /t REG_DWORD /d 1 /f shutdown /r /t 0”). Nonetheless, Microsoft may block this workaround quickly, leaving solely complicated strategies like unattended.xml installations, a trouble for common customers however nonetheless an possibility for IT professionals.

Why is Microsoft doing this?

Microsoft has been regularly tightening Home windows 11’s necessities, from forcing TPM 2.0 for set up to phasing out Home windows 10 assist. The push for Microsoft Accounts means customers are extra probably to make use of OneDrive, Microsoft 365, and different companies, locking them deeper into the corporate’s ecosystem. Whereas Microsoft claims this improves safety, many customers see it as a lack of management. Native accounts supply extra privateness and fewer advertisements, however quickly, they may be a factor of the previous.

When will this hit all customers?

The change is at the moment in testing with Home windows Insiders, nevertheless it’s anticipated to roll out to all Home windows 11 customers within the coming weeks or months, probably with the 25H2 replace later this 12 months. For now, customers organising a brand new PC and need a native account, do it quickly — earlier than Microsoft slams the door shut for good.