Last year, Microsoft made it mandatory to sign in with a Microsoft account on all consumer editions of Windows 11 during the setup process. However, people found a quick hack that allowed users to set up Windows 11 without a Microsoft account. You could just launch Command Prompt during the setup process and run “oobe\bypassnro” to skip the online account requirement.
Now, Microsoft on its Windows Insider blog has mentioned that the company is removing the bypassnro.cmd script that allowed users to skip the Microsoft account requirement during the installation process.
Microsoft notes, “We’re removing the bypassnro.cmd script from the build to enhance security and user experience of Windows 11. This change ensures that all users exit setup with internet connectivity and a Microsoft Account.“
Currently, the update is rolling out to Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26200.5516 in the Dev channel. However, it’s quite likely that Microsoft will apply the change to all builds including the stable channel. So in the future, you won’t be able to bypass the Microsoft account requirement during Windows 11 setup.
Having said that, there is still a way to bypass the Microsoft account requirement using bypassnro. Windows watcher @phantomofearth has shared on X that only the script has been removed. You can open Regedit and manually add the BypassNRO DWORD to skip the online account requirement, just like before.
By the way, you can also use Rufus to bypass Windows 11 hardware requirements including the Microsoft account requirement, by following our guide.