Win 11 (pro) install WITHOUT using an online MSFT account...

sdkid

sdkid

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Dec 6, 2014
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This is probably easily googled I suppose, but I accidentally found this while setting up a few computers today...

In the setup process, Choose Work or School, Then choose ADDITIONAL Sign-in options, then choose DOMAIN JOIN instead. You will not actually be prompted to join a domain and you can set up a local admin account.

 
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Cannot recommend this anymore.

If you dont have bios-windows key you may be never be able to use your key again without microsoft account.

When enter key manual, it will be locked to the hardware. You can change your hardware and reset the key, but ONLY if you used a microsoft account.

Here in germany used software keys (even VL key) can be sold and microsoft cant do anything against it. Its legal and allowed by law.

I used a retail key and the laptop was changed under warranty. I couldnt use the key for the new laptop. I spend hours and days on telephone with microsoft support. They were not able to reset the key. The key was gone.
 
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I guess things have changed, when I was prompted about a MS account during install I would just reboot/power down-up and it would go past it to finish install. I would then activate it. I have never logged into MS on any of my machines and I have two WIN11, one PC and one Laptop...and several older WIN10 machines...
Last install was about a year in a half ago...try rebooting when prompted, worse case you wipe and reinstall...

Also I don't join any domain, just have a local account...
 
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For the last several years (and up to about a month ago) to bypass not needing MS Account, these worked for me when installing 10 or 11, Home and Pro:
  • 10 or 11 Home: insure your Internet is coming in on Ethernet, not Wi-Fi, when prompted for MS account, go back one step; unplug Ethernet cable; go forward again, prompt gone. If you were not on Ethernet but on Wi-Fi, go back one step, turn off router or unplug Internet WAN on router, go forward again.
  • 10 or 11 Pro: chose "domain"
 
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TonyR said:
For the last several years (and up to about a month ago) to bypass not needing MS Account, these worked for me when installing 10 or 11, Home and Pro:
  • 10 or 11 Home: insure your Internet is coming in on Ethernet, not Wi-Fi, when prompted for MS account, go back one step; unplug Ethernet cable; go forward again, prompt gone. If you were not on Ethernet but on Wi-Fi, go back one step, turn off router or unplug Internet WAN on router, go forward again.
  • 10 or 11 Pro: chose "domain"
Click to expand...
For computers like this its easier to start with Windows server standard. They keys are cheap from gamer's outlet ($15.88). And install using the desktop experience. Which is the workstation install of windows without all the consumer junk.
 
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tech_junkie said:
For computers like this its easier to start with Windows server standard. They keys are cheap from gamer's outlet ($15.88). And install using the desktop experience. Which is the workstation install of windows without all the consumer junk.
Click to expand...
Out of about 2 dozen Windows 10 installs only had to purchase 1 key from softkeyworld, the rest were free "upgrades" from Windows 7.
The 9 or 10 Windows 11 installs I've done were "upgrades" from 10, no keys needed there either.
All activated with no issues, none required MS Account.
In all cases I did complete re-format and fresh installs, not "upgrades", with MS Media Creation Tool from a USB flash drive, no consumer junk on it.
Takes about 10 to 15 minutes tops. :cool:
 
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duplo said:
Cannot recommend this anymore.

If you dont have bios-windows key you may be never be able to use your key again without microsoft account.

When enter key manual, it will be locked to the hardware. You can change your hardware and reset the key, but ONLY if you used a microsoft account.

Here in germany used software keys (even VL key) can be sold and microsoft cant do anything against it. Its legal and allowed by law.

I used a retail key and the laptop was changed under warranty. I couldnt use the key for the new laptop. I spend hours and days on telephone with microsoft support. They were not able to reset the key. The key was gone.
Click to expand...
These are all used HP machines. Two Z2 workstations, a Prodesk 600 G4, and an Elitedesk 800 G4. Two of those came without drives-- So I am reliant on the key being in bios.
 
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tech_junkie said:
That is what sysprep /oobe is for. If you want to move the drive into a different computer.
Click to expand...

good luck trying that on broken computer which doesnt turn on. then you send it in and receive brand new computer.

more luck trying that on computer with bios home licence and entered pro licence.
 
I have been out of IT for awhile, just curious having every workstation with a MS Login??? Sounds like a Profile nightmare...there will always be a Domain option...
 
looktall said:
In what way?
Click to expand...
100s to thousands of accounts, dealing with a separate MS logins

I helped managed a 25,000 node network back in the day and logins were our number 1 problem, we had them set to 3 month password change...add MS login to that nightmare...
 
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David L said:
100s to thousands of accounts, dealing with a separate MS logins

I helped managed a 25,000 node network back in the day and logins were our number 1 problem, we had them set to 3 month password change...add MS login to that nightmare...
Click to expand...
Aren't all your user accounts currently all separate logins?

An account is an account it makes no difference if the account is on a domain controller or a cloud server.
It's the same thing.

3 monthly password changes are a waste of time too.
Increase your password complexity and at the same time increase the time between changes.
Ours have 12 months between forced changes but the passwords must be longer than 15 characters and have complexity.
 
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Tinman said:
I just use Rufus and it will take care of all that for you when you build the install thumb drive.
Click to expand...


Rufus is great with what it does.
I also use Shift-F10 early in the install to open a command window, then use oobe/nrobypass command (all one word, no spaces) and it will reboot and bring back the option for "I have no Internet" so a local account can be used. I suspect Rufus uses the same mechanism when it burns the iso to usb drive.
Useful for setting up new pc with preloaded windows
 
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looktall said:
Aren't all your user accounts currently all separate logins?

An account is an account it makes no difference if the account is on a domain controller or a cloud server.
It's the same thing.

3 monthly password changes are a waste of time too.
Increase your password complexity and at the same time increase the time between changes.
Ours have 12 months between forced changes but the passwords must be longer than 15 characters and have complexity.
Click to expand...
Since it has been over a decade since I was in IT I would assume that multiple logins would be controlled by the domain server now. But without being connected to a domain server if I had a MS account to their cloud, it would be a second account separate to my local account. When you connect to MS you are connecting to their domain server.

Password changes and lengths depends on the Security level of the business. I knew of a company that had monthly p/w changes, which the IT guy I knew there said it was a nightmare with Users. When I got out of IT, the company I worked for was just starting to use USB Key/Card access. Just not sure how that would work if someone needed to gain access on another workstation. Maybe Level access would of been implemented...

I use to always have a Windows Server running at home along with an Exchange Server so my workstations would login to the Domain. Now being out of IT, that hobby fizzled for me. Though I will be setting up a Windows Server to run Blue Iris on, Windows has become ridiculous over the years following the trend of everyone else after our data...thank God for Linux...which btw reminds me, is anyone here running Linux programs in Windows? WSL or is setting up a VM still the way to go? I am running Home Assistant on a VM which runs Great...
 
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