How to Set up Windows 11 Without a Microsoft Account
Using a Microsoft account with Windows 11 is the best way to access all of its features, including Microsoft Copilot, OneDrive, and more. But some people just don’t want to use a Microsoft account and store all their data in the cloud, and that’s okay. If you’re one of those people, or just planning to give the computer you’re setting up to a friend, you can follow a few simple steps to use a local account instead.
How to set up a local account in Windows 11
Previously, you could use the command in the Windows Command Prompt, but Microsoft seems to have fixed this trick in the latest updates. So, the easiest way to bypass the Microsoft account requirement is to follow these steps:
Set up Windows 11 as usual. However, when you go to the “Unlock your Microsoft Experience” section, select “Sign in “ and then enter the fake email address. This could be anything, but try to choose something that is unlikely to be a real email, since you don’t want to activate any account security features on anyone’s real Microsoft account.
Select Next and then enter your fake password before selecting Sign In . Wait a few minutes and then the installer should send you to a screen that says “Sorry, something went wrong.” Clicking “Next” here will take you to a new screen asking, “Who will use this device?” Enter the desired name and click Next . Now enter your password and let Microsoft continue setting up Windows 11.
The important thing to remember here is that Microsoft can fix this method at any time. You may have to turn your local account into an online account one day. If this happens, you can easily do so by going to Settings > Your Profile Name > Your Information > Sign In with Online Account and then follow the steps that appear on the screen.
What features am I missing out on when using a local account?
One of the key reasons why Microsoft is trying to get you to sign up for an online account is because it offers many different features. I’m not going to rant about how these features relate to privacy standards, because like any online account, these features are designed to collect some data that will help you help Microsoft in some way – be it advertising or training. Co-pilot or just improving the functionality in general.
That being said, here’s a list of some really key Windows 11 features that you’ll be missing out on if you don’t sign up for an online account:
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Co-pilot access
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OneDrive Sync
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Microsoft Store (lots of apps you can download)
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Restore Windows from OneDrive backups
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Sync personalization
Whether these features are important to you or not is entirely up to you. But if you want to get the most out of Windows 11 and everything Microsoft is adding to it, you’ll probably want to sign up for an online account instead.