Can You Install Windows 11 Without a Microsoft Account?

Last updated on October 27th, 2026 at 03:48 pm

For Windows 11 Home and Windows 11 Pro for personal use, Microsoft requires an internet connection and a Microsoft account during initial device setup, so there is no Microsoft-supported way to finish a personal installation with only a local account. The documented route to a local account is to complete setup with a Microsoft account, then open Settings > Accounts > Your info and select Sign in with a local account instead. PCs that belong to an organization can instead be set up with a work or school account.

Applies to: Windows 11 Home, Pro, and organization-managed editions (Pro, Enterprise, Education).

What Microsoft requires during Windows 11 setup

Under the Windows 11 specifications, Windows 11 Home and Windows 11 Pro for personal use need internet connectivity and a Microsoft account during initial device setup. “Initial device setup” is the first-run screens you see after installing Windows or turning on a new PC, where you choose a region, keyboard, network, and account. It’s also called the out-of-box experience, or OOBE.

In October 2025, Microsoft announced in its Windows Insider release notes that it was removing known mechanisms for creating a local account during setup. Its stated reason is that those mechanisms skip important setup screens and can leave a device not fully configured, so users need to complete setup with internet and a Microsoft account.

That is why this guide does not include setup tricks, commands, modified installation media, or third-party tools. They are not Microsoft-supported, Microsoft has been closing them off, and a method that works on one build can fail on the next. The routes below are the ones Microsoft documents, and they still let you use Windows 11 day to day with a local account.

Choose the right route

• Personal PC (Home or Pro for personal use): sign in with a Microsoft account during setup, then switch that account to a local account in Settings. This changes your existing account instead of creating a new user.
• Personal PC, separate local user: after setup, create a new local account, make it an administrator, and stop using the Microsoft account user. This is useful if you want a fresh profile.
• Work or school PC (Pro, Enterprise, or Education): choose the work or school option during setup and sign in with the account your organization gave you, or have the PC joined to your organization’s domain. You need credentials from your IT department.

Before you start

• A Microsoft account. You need one to finish setup on a personal PC. If you do not have one, create it before you begin. The What is a Microsoft account page explains what the account covers.
• An internet connection for setup. Keep your Wi-Fi password handy.
• Installation media, if you are reinstalling. Microsoft’s Windows 11 download page offers the Windows 11 Installation Assistant (to install on the PC you are using), Create Windows 11 Installation Media (a tool that makes a bootable USB drive of at least 8GB, and erases what is on it), and Download Windows 11 Disk Image (ISO). The full installation is walked through in doing a clean install of Windows 11.
• A backup. A clean install removes everything on the drive you install to. Copy personal files elsewhere first.

Set up with a Microsoft account, then switch to a local account

This is the main method for personal PCs. Both directions of the switch are covered in Change from a local account to a Microsoft account in Windows.

1. Finish Windows setup with your Microsoft account. Follow the setup screens, connect to your network, and sign in with your Microsoft account when asked. When setup ends, you arrive at the desktop signed in as that account.
2. Save your device encryption recovery key. If device encryption turned on during setup, its recovery key is attached to your Microsoft account. Keep a copy somewhere other than the PC before you change accounts (see the section on recovery keys below).
3. Open Settings. Select Start, then Settings.
4. Go to Accounts > Your info. Select Accounts, then Your info.
5. Select Sign in with a local account instead. This link appears only when you are signed in with a Microsoft account.
6. Create the local account details. Enter a user name, password, and password hint. The user name must be different from any other account on the PC.
7. Select Next, then Sign out and finish. Windows signs you out. Sign back in with the new local user name and password.

Microsoft’s own advice is to keep using a Microsoft account. If you go local, create a password reset disk, because a forgotten local password cannot be recovered through Microsoft. Write your new password down somewhere safe.

Alternative: create a separate local account after setup

If you would rather start with a clean profile, add a new local user and make it the main administrator. The same steps appear on Manage user accounts in Windows.

1. Open the Other users page. Go to Settings > Accounts > Other users.
2. Select Add account. It is next to Add other user.
3. Choose a local account. When Windows asks for the person’s sign-in information, follow the prompts to Add a user without a Microsoft account, then enter a user name and password.
4. Make the new account an administrator. Under Other users, open the new account, select Change account type next to Account options, pick the administrator type, and select OK.
5. Sign in to the new account and move your files. Sign out, sign in as the local user, and copy anything you need from the old profile.
6. Remove the Microsoft account user, if you want. Signed in as the local administrator, go back to Other users, open the old account, and select Remove next to Account and data. This removes that user’s sign-in and data from the PC but does not close the Microsoft account itself.

Removing an account deletes that user’s files on the PC, so confirm your files are copied before step 6. Keep at least one administrator account at all times.

Set up a work or school PC

If your organization manages the PC, you can sign in with your organization account instead of a personal Microsoft account. These options are not available on Windows 11 Home and require credentials from your IT department.

Join Microsoft Entra ID during setup

Microsoft Entra ID is Microsoft’s cloud directory service for organizations. The device must be connected to the internet, and Home editions do not support Entra join. These steps follow the Entra join guide.

1. Turn on the PC and follow the setup prompts.
2. At How would you like to set up this device?, select Set up for work or school.
3. On Let’s set things up for your work or school, sign in with the credentials your organization provided.
4. Continue through the prompts. The PC may restart several times and may be enrolled in your organization’s device management.

To confirm, open Settings > Accounts > Access work or school; it should show the connection to your organization.

Join an on-premises domain after setup

Organizations that use Active Directory join PCs to a domain. Supported editions include Pro, Pro Education, Pro for Workstations, and Enterprise, and you need local administrator rights, according to the domain join documentation. The Settings route is Settings > Accounts > Access work or school > Connect > Join this device to a local Active Directory domain, then enter the domain name and the credentials IT gives you, and restart.

Protect your recovery key before you switch

When you set up a device with a Microsoft account or a work or school account, device encryption is turned on (on supported hardware) and a recovery key is attached to that account, as the device encryption page explains. With a local account, device encryption is not turned on automatically.

If you ever see a recovery key prompt and cannot reach that key, you can lose access to your data. Before switching to a local account, back the key up, following back up your BitLocker recovery key: search Start for BitLocker, open Manage BitLocker, and select Back up your recovery key. The options are Save to your Microsoft Account, Save to a USB flash drive, Save to a file, and Print the recovery key. Keep at least one copy off the PC. The recovery key choices are compared in enabling BitLocker in Windows 11.

After switching, you can check encryption under Settings > Privacy & security > Device encryption. You must be signed in with an administrator account to turn it on.

What changes with a local account

A local account exists only on that PC. Your user name and password are stored on the device and are not tied to Microsoft’s online services. OneDrive, Microsoft Store, Microsoft 365, Outlook.com, Xbox, and Family Safety all use a Microsoft account, so with a local account you sign in to those services separately inside each app or website, where they allow it. Settings and files do not sync between your PCs through Windows sign-in. Keep this in mind for a child’s PC: Microsoft Family Safety can’t manage a local account, so parental controls on Windows 11 need the child to sign in with a Microsoft account.

Item	Microsoft account sign-in	Local account sign-in
Needed to finish personal setup	Yes	No (switch after setup)
Device encryption	Turned on automatically on supported devices; key attached to the account	Not turned on automatically; an administrator can turn it on
Microsoft services	Signed in through Windows	Sign in separately where needed

Day-to-day sign-in options are covered in signing in to a local account in Windows 11.

Confirm it worked or undo it

• Confirm: open Settings > Accounts > Your info. When you are using a local account, the page offers Sign in with a Microsoft account instead. This link appears only for local accounts, so seeing it confirms the switch.
• Undo: select Sign in with a Microsoft account instead, follow the prompts, then select Next and Sign out and finish. Sign back in with your Microsoft account.

Troubleshooting

“Sign in with a local account instead” is missing

The link only appears when the current user is signed in with a Microsoft account. If you already use a local account, you will see the Microsoft account link instead. If the PC is managed by work or school, your organization may control sign-in options; ask IT.

The user name is rejected

The local user name must be different from every other account on the PC. Pick a name not already listed under Other users.

There is no work or school option during setup

Microsoft Entra join is not supported on Windows 11 Home. On Pro or higher, it also needs an account from an organization that has enabled device registration. A personal Microsoft account cannot be used here.

Device encryption is not listed in Settings

The page is missing when the device does not support device encryption or when you are signed in with a standard account. Sign in as an administrator and check again.

A setup command from another guide did not work

Microsoft is removing ways to create a local account during setup, so commands and tricks that used to skip the account screen may fail or behave unpredictably. Use the Microsoft account route and switch afterward.

You cannot add or remove accounts

Changing account types and removing users requires an administrator account. If you are the only administrator, create and promote the local account before removing anything.

Frequently asked questions

Can I install Windows 11 Home without a Microsoft account?

Not through any method Microsoft supports. Microsoft requires a Microsoft account and internet during initial setup for Home. You can switch to a local account in Settings once setup is complete. Windows 10 setup handles this differently, and the steps for that version are in installing Windows 10 without a Microsoft account.

Does Windows 11 Pro let me skip the Microsoft account?

For personal use, the requirement is the same as Home. For organization-managed PCs, Pro supports signing in with a work or school account during setup or joining a domain afterward, using credentials from IT.

Will I lose my files if I switch to a local account?

Switching with Sign in with a local account instead changes how your existing account signs in; it does not remove the user or its files. Removing a user account, by contrast, deletes that user’s files from the PC.

Does a local account still get Windows updates?

Yes. The Windows 11 specifications list internet access as the requirement for updates on all editions, and a Microsoft account is not on that list.

Can I still use the Microsoft Store or OneDrive?

Those services use a Microsoft account, so you sign in to them within the app instead of through Windows. Your Windows sign-in can stay local.

Next, back up your recovery key, then make the switch in Settings > Accounts > Your info once your new PC is set up. The rest of the first-day checklist, from Windows Update to saving your recovery key, is in how to set up a new Windows 11 laptop.

If you’d rather keep a Microsoft account but use a different one, you can change the Microsoft account in Windows 11. For setups with no connection at hand, read about installing Windows 11 without internet.