How to install Windows 11 without the internet and a Microsoft account

 

Why does Microsoft prohibit this?

For the company, your account is the entry point into the ecosystem: synchronization with OneDrive, history in Edge, purchases in the Store, and, of course, telemetry collection for AI functions. That is why the corporation tries to make the process of setting up the system "offline" as difficult as possible.

 

Method 1: Forced creation of a local account

This method works on all editions of Windows 11 (Pro, Home, LTSC) and is universal. To use it, follow these steps:

1. Get to the network connection stage.

2. Press the Shift + F10 key combination (on some laptops, Shift + Fn + F10). A command prompt will open.

3. Enter the command: start ms-cxh:localonlyand press Enter.

4. After that, a standard window for creating a local account will instantly open on top of the settings screen.

5. Enter a username, a password if desired, and click "Next."

6. Once the setup is complete, you will be taken directly to the desktop.

 

Method 2. Preparing a flash drive using Rufus

If you are just going to write the image, it is better to do it using the Rufus utility. When creating a bootable flash drive, the program will offer the "Windows Experience" menu, where you can check the following boxes in advance:

• Remove the 4 GB RAM, Secure Boot, and TPM 2.0 requirements.
• Remove the Microsoft account requirement.
• Automatically create a local user with your name.

 

Method 3. Answer file

If you already have a USB flash drive with the image ready, this method will be the easiest.

Instructions for use:

1. First of all, use an online generator (for example, schneegans.de) so you don't have to write the code manually.

2. In the Setup settings section, select "Allow Windows 11 to be installed without internet connection". In addition, you can also bypass hardware requirements (TPM, Secure Boot) here

3. Below, in the User accounts section, select "Add a local ("offline") user account interactively during Windows Setup."

4. Then scroll down the page and click "Download .xml file". A file named autounattend.xml will be downloaded.

5. Finally, copy this file directly to the root of your bootable USB flash drive (where the sources, boot, and other folders are located).

Now, when installing Windows, it will "see" the file and skip all the annoying setup steps, creating a local user without any unnecessary questions.

 

Conclusion

In summary, although Microsoft strives to tie every user to its online services, there are still ways to maintain privacy and use a local account. Choose the method that is most convenient for you: a quick command during installation or automation via Rufus and the answer file.