No way to make offline accounts to Windows?

B00nie

B00nie

[H]F Junkie
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Nov 1, 2012
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I inadvertedly discovered a way to bypass the online account requirement. You just need to create an account online, disable it and then try to install Windows. The system will detect that you are registered but it can't let you log in so it will offer you an offline account.
 
For W10 Pro it's possible by simply disconnecting the internet during install but for W10 Home I read by a certain build they stopped allowing it (perhaps others can speak to their experience with the latter).
 
For 10 Home you should be able to enter a fake email address and fake password for connecting to a Microsoft account. When it fails it will give you the option to make a local account.

Alternatively you can setup the user account before connecting the PC to the internet. Unfortunately if you are just entering information on autopilot, and connect to WiFi when asked, then this method won't work even if you disconnect or reboot lol.
 
Disconnecting the from the internet while installing doesn't work on the home version? I would just buy a cheap pro key and be done with it if that is the case.
 
Wtf. Why do you actually have to work around it now? Even a small button in the corner is leaps better then forcing a unknowing user to find a workaround for what they are looking for.
 
ng4ever said:
This is stupid. No one wants a online account.
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I fail to see why anyone would care. The differences between an online and offline account are minimal. Win10 at least synced the background and theme, Win11 doesn't even do that anymore. Aside from what, OneDrive.. uh.. syncing Edge stuff across devices.. uh.. folder backups.. uh.. ...?
 
I have literally never encountered a situation where I didn't have the option to create a local account. Then again, I don't usually install the Home edition of Windows unless I have no choice, and keeping the network disconnected until after the install has been part of my install routine since the XP days.

ZodaEX said:
I recommend that everyone just go ahead and block Pendragon. His posts are literally never helpful in the slightest.
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Ironic that you would call out someone else's posts for not being helpful, considering you dropped into this thread just to threadcrap.
 
GotNoRice said:
Ironic that you would call out someone else's posts for not being helpful, considering you dropped into this thread just to threadcrap.
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The dude is a mac/linux hater just because he can't use them, that's never very helpful.
 
blackmomba said:
Nah, he's posted plenty solutions for a lot of members, good guy pendragron
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me calling out shit posting and trolls is "not helpful"

but as stated before all this, all versions except home can create offline accounts. so either op is using home or missing the link/button to create it.
 
GotNoRice said:
I have literally never encountered a situation where I didn't have the option to create a local account. Then again, I don't usually install the Home edition of Windows unless I have no choice, and keeping the network disconnected until after the install has been part of my install routine since the XP days.



Ironic that you would call out someone else's posts for not being helpful, considering you dropped into this thread just to threadcrap.
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You're wrong. I dropped the info in to try and be helpful. I guess that goes to show how little you know.
 
Executioner said:
For 11: https://hothardware.com/news/bypass-windows-11-internet-setup-requirement-local-account

Switching to a local account: https://www.elevenforum.com/t/switch-to-local-account-from-microsoft-account-in-windows-11.1219/
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Hmmm have you even tried that Alt F4 method? It doesn't work.

The correct way to bypass online account for 11 Home is to unplug the network adapter, then on the screen that forces you to connect to the Internet, you open up a CMD box with Shift+F10, run taskmgr, and kill the Network Connection Flow service.
 
ZodaEX said:
I recommend that everyone just go ahead and block Pendragon. His posts are literally never helpful in the slightest.
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I have personally been helped by him on a few occasions and even corrected once or twice albeit a bit abrasively at times. Still he’s always tried help anyone who’s asked for help on many occasions in this forum so what’s with the animosity?
 
pendragon1 said:
me calling out shit posting and trolls is "not helpful"

but as stated before all this, all versions except home can create offline accounts. so either op is using home or missing the link/button to create it.
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The box I referred to is a prebuilt HP box I bought for mixed gaming/mining use. I might end up booting it on linux since hash rates are better on it.
 
learners permit said:
I have personally been helped by him on a few occasions and even corrected once or twice albeit a bit abrasively at times. Still he’s always tried help anyone who’s asked for help on many occasions in this forum so what’s with the animosity?
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What animosity?
 
pendragon1 said:
me calling out shit posting and trolls is "not helpful"

but as stated before all this, all versions except home can create offline accounts. so either op is using home or missing the link/button to create it.
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Not under Windows 11 Home. Installing Windows 11 Home there is no 'limited account' option and there is no way to proceed with the install until you get online and create a Microsoft account. It's also much harder to change your default browser away from Edge.
 
Mazzspeed said:
Not under Windows 11 Home. Installing Windows 11 Home there is no 'limited account' option and there is no way to proceed with the install until you get online and create a Microsoft account. It's also much harder to change your default browser away from Edge.
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1637447954751.png


also, edge wasnt part of the conversation.
 
B00nie said:
Unfortunately the HP box comes with Win10 home which I upgraded to Win11 just for shits and giggles. I'll probably boot it to linux from a USB drive in the end, Windows just rubs me off in the wrong way.
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you can always use a dummy ms account and then create a local account and then turf the dummy. see below...
 
Last edited:
Kardonxt said:
For 10 Home you should be able to enter a fake email address and fake password for connecting to a Microsoft account. When it fails it will give you the option to make a local account.
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I bought a Windows 11 Home laptop this weekend and can confirm this method works in 11 too.

No need to make dummy accounts, Just intentionally punch in some dummy info and create a local account when login fails.
 
Kardonxt said:
I bought a Windows 11 Home laptop this weekend and can confirm this method works in 11 too.

No need to make dummy accounts, Just intentionally punch in some dummy info and create a local account when login fails.
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good tip, i missed your first post. so ignore my last post and do that ^.
 
I can confirm for Windows 10 21H1 and 21H2 Home, that if the network is disconnected during the install, you can still create a local account only. In fact, I forgot to disconnect the Ethernet cable from a recent install I did, and when i got to the "Login with an Account" screen, disconnected the Ethernet, was able to click "Previous" (or something like that) then go back forward and do a local account.

I haven't installed Windows 11 on anything to know how it works.

Also, don't forget that if you are doing the OOBE from a computer with Windows pre-installed, the OEM may have customized the OOBE away from what the standard Windows installer provides, and may add or remove options.
 
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jardows said:
I haven't installed Windows 11 on anything to know how it works.
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There is no offline option under Windows 11 Home at all, even if networking is disconnected, so it's MS account only. You can perform the workaround above, but I haven't tried that yet. Worse still, I couldn't find a real way to change your default browser, you have to set all file associations to another browser manually.
 
jardows said:
Also, don't forget that if you are doing the OOBE from a computer with Windows pre-installed, the OEM may have customized the OOBE away from what the standard Windows installer provides, and may add or remove options.
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The OOBE isn't fixed, MS changed it even in offline mode from the time Windows 10 was released up until the present a number of times. So there's absolutely no guarantee local account workarounds will always work, especially under Windows 11.
 
Mazzspeed said:
There is no offline option under Windows 11 Home at all, even if networking is disconnected, so it's MS account only. You can perform the workaround above, but I haven't tried that yet. Worse still, I couldn't find a real way to change your default browser, you have to set all file associations to another browser manually.
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For me it was enough to install Firefox, on first start it asked if I want to change the default browser and that was it.
 
B00nie said:
For me it was enough to install Firefox, on first start it asked if I want to change the default browser and that was it.
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My Daughter prefers Chrome (don't ask), upon installing Chrome under Windows 11 Home I didn't get the option to change the default browser. Were you using Home or Pro?
 
Mazzspeed said:
My Daughter prefers Chrome (don't ask), upon installing Chrome under Windows 11 Home I didn't get the option to change the default browser. Were you using Home or Pro?
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this was covered in one of the win11 threads around here. firefox found a work around to that, chrome was waiting to see if ms would patch it before implementing it. yes its a pita to change to any other browser, hopefully theyll bring back the one click button.
doenst matter which version, thats how it is now.
 
Mazzspeed said:
My Daughter prefers Chrome (don't ask), upon installing Chrome under Windows 11 Home I didn't get the option to change the default browser. Were you using Home or Pro?
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I was using the home version (On my HP Pavilion 3060ti rig)
 
pendragon1 said:
this was covered in one of the win11 threads around here. firefox found a work around to that, chrome was waiting to see if ms would patch it before implementing it. yes its a pita to change to any other browser, hopefully theyll bring back the one click button.
doenst matter which version, thats how it is now.
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At least I know it wasn't just me! I thought I was going crazy.
 
Here's a Youtube.com video created by Susan Bradley on November 27, 2021 and posted November 28, 2021 explaining and walking through how to install Windows Home 11 using a Local Account without creating a Microsoft Account. Hope this helps.
 
Chuklr said:
Here's a Youtube.com video created by Susan Bradley on November 27, 2021 and posted November 28, 2021 explaining and walking through how to install Windows Home 11 using a Local Account without creating a Microsoft Account. Hope this helps.
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We talked about it earlier in this thread that. It didn't work when I tried it. The only workaround was using the task manager to kill the screen.

Has anyone got the alt+F4 method to work?
 
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