- Windows 11 has a new preview build
- It cracks down on workarounds to install the OS with a local account
- This is a continued campaign to force people to use a Microsoft account, and Microsoft argues it’s necessary to ensure devices are set up correctly
If you prefer to install Windows 11 without linking it to a Microsoft account, those days are distinctly numbered, as Microsoft is busy closing more of the loopholes that allow for the use of what’s known as a local account.
Windows Central reports that in the blog post for preview build 26220.6772 of Windows 11, Microsoft informs us that it is “removing known mechanisms for creating a local account in the Windows Setup experience”.
A local account simply means a user account which is just on the PC, and isn’t linked online to a Microsoft account – and as some folks don’t want to sign up for the latter, they prefer to stick with a local installation.
It’s already the case that Windows 11’s setup forces you to use a Microsoft account, but the thing is, there are some clever fudges that can be leveraged to get around this requirement. This is what Microsoft is referring to when it talks about “known mechanisms” and so the idea is that it’s stamping out these popular workarounds to obtain a local account.
Microsoft further warns that these fudges could mean that important parts of Windows 11’s setup process could be accidentally skipped.
Microsoft explains: “While these mechanisms were often used to bypass Microsoft account setup, they also inadvertently skip critical setup screens, potentially causing users to exit OOBE [out of box experience, meaning initial setup] with a device that is not fully configured for use. Users will need to complete OOBE with internet and a Microsoft account, to ensure device is setup correctly.”
Analysis: the unpopular crackdown continues
This change isn’t happening yet – as noted, it’s in preview, so just the testing process for now. However, it’s very likely to come to fruition in the finished version of Windows 11, considering Microsoft has already been working to close the loopholes that allow for a local account in the recent past.
So, this is an ongoing effort to derail workarounds to use a local account with Windows 11, apparently so that users don’t accidentally “skip critical setup screens” and end up with a PC that isn’t “fully configured for use”.
I don’t know exactly what Microsoft means by that, but I can only guess it might be a reference to a device not having internet connectivity after setup (which is what the software giant has alluded to in the past when clamping down on these workarounds).
The cynical are, of course, already suggesting that what’s mostly missing in the way of setup screens is the opportunity for Microsoft to sell you its services and the like (which you may as well get used to – as you’ll encounter this upselling in daily life with Windows 11, too).
There may be other workarounds that are discovered going forward, of course. Now people are being forced to look outside of existing fudges, other side-steps to a Microsoft account may be found. And as Windows Central points out, you can tinker with a Windows 11 ISO to get a local installation – but this is pretty technical stuff, and beyond the reach of the average user (it’s likely any new fudges will unfortunately be technically complex, too).
It’s worth noting that those on Windows 11 Pro can use the ‘Domain join instead’ command to swerve Microsoft account creation. This is an enterprise option, but you can simply not join said domain – this isn’t a choice with Windows 11 Home, though, as you might guess.
What’s clear enough here is that Microsoft is not going to allow account-dodging, and if other ways to get a local installation with Windows 11 are found, we can likely expect more crackdowns in the future.
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