Windows 11 Blocks a Loophole That Allowed You to Avoid Making a Microsoft Account

If you want to avoid creating a Microsoft account when installing Windows, you might be running out of options. Microsoft is removing a popular workaround that allowed users to set up Windows 11 without connecting to the internet and creating a Microsoft account first.

Since February 2023, when Windows 11 version 22H2 launched, Microsoft has forced both Windows 11 Home and Windows 11 Pro users to have an internet connection and a Microsoft account to complete the setup process.

Users had been getting past these requirements by opening up their devices’ command prompt and simply entering “bypassnro,” but this loophole will soon no longer work, according to a blog post first spotted by Windows Central. The workaround has so far been removed from the latest beta build as per the blog post, meaning it will likely be pushed to production versions within weeks. Microsoft explained the decision to remove the loophole as improving the “security and user experience of Windows 11.”

The good news is that if you’ve already set up your PC without creating a Microsoft account, this shouldn’t change much. You’ll still be able to receive and install updates without creating a Microsoft account.

But if you have to install Windows 11 on a new device, and if you are still desperate to avoid creating a Microsoft account, the Windows community has continued to post new workarounds on social media like X and Reddit (though these seem slightly more complicated to execute). It’s important to note that there is a chance that Microsoft could remove any new workarounds that do appear, so these can’t necessarily be relied on going forward.

Microsoft’s attempts to shoehorn users into creating Microsoft accounts have already attracted plenty of criticism. Tesla CEO Elon Musk even directly tweeted Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella asking for advice on the installation, before getting in a spat with his own platform’s Community Notes feature. But plenty of normal Windows users have taken to the internet to complain about the requirement since it was introduced, voicing a variety of privacy concerns.

We’ve already seen Microsoft tighten up its control over how users install Windows in 2025. Last month, Microsoft deleted its official instructions on how to install Windows 11 on an unsupported Windows 10 machine, which doesn’t meet the newer OS’s required specs, such as the TPM 2.0 security-related chip. 

About Will McCurdy

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I’m a reporter covering weekend news. Before joining PCMag in 2024, I picked up bylines in BBC News, The Guardian, The Times of London, The Daily Beast, Vice, Slate, Fast Company, The Evening Standard, The i, TechRadar, and Decrypt Media.

I’ve been a PC gamer since you had to install games from multiple CD-ROMs by hand. As a reporter, I’m passionate about the intersection of tech and human lives. I’ve covered everything from crypto scandals to the art world, as well as conspiracy theories, UK politics, and Russia and foreign affairs.

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