News How to Install Windows 11 Without a Microsoft Account

[Gzy]

the no@thankyou.com worked great, thanks SO MUCH!!!

 

[Nim_Chimpsky]

I created a new Tom's Hardware account just so I could come here and say "THANK YOU!" The "no@thankyou.com" trick worked for me.

Exactly! Me too!

 

[Ronski]

Bizarrely after getting into the the cmd window my keyboard didn't work, it had worked earlier in the install as I had to use the cmd window to edit the registry to make it install on old hardware, and of course press shift F10 to get into the cmd window.

But the no@thankyou.com trick worked.

I don't mind having an MS account, but on a machine thats not used for general use or an admin account it doesn't need it.

PS. My forum account still worked after all these years, second post since 2009, just had to reset the password

 

[BillyBuerger]

Bizarrely after getting into the the cmd window my keyboard didn't work, it had worked earlier in the install as I had to use the cmd window to edit the registry to make it install on old hardware, and of course press shift F10 to get into the cmd window.

I've noticed in recent installs that after using shift F10 to get the command prompt that yes, the keyboard doesn't work. But that's only because the window is in front but not active so key strokes are being sent to something else. Clicking on the command prompt window then fully activates it and you can enter the required commands.

 

[coyote2]

Is there any way (if there is any advantage to) avoid a MS account if one simply uses Windows Update from within Windows 10 Pro to update to 11 (and er, does 10 Pro update to 11 Pro)?

Note that I wish to NOT do a fresh/clean install, I want to merely upgrade Win10 in place to Win11 (I know all the reasons not to choose this, in fact it will be my first time ever NOT doing a fresh/clean install).

Or does creating a bootable ISO and thus being able to follow these instructions provide the exact same upgrade install (as Windows Update provides)?

 

[JPWhite]

All this freakout about an MS account makes me laugh.

Ya know, it does NOT have to be JoeBlow@microsoft.com.

My "MS account" is a rarely used gmail address. Yes, really.
Only used for license issues, or in the incredibly rare instances I need something from the MS Store.

Daily use on the PCs is via a local Standard user or local Admin user.

The issue is you are selling the PC say on eBay which I do quite a bit. Cleaning out all my old junk. Sure you could "reset" the PC but then you'l get questions, how do I set it up, I want to return it etc. Just easier to have it boot right into Windows and let the purchaser worry about having the benefits of an account, or not. Some people simply don't want a password or may have forgotten their password.

I just finished up installing Win 11 on a HP Pavilion. There were 10 devices not recognized in device manager, running windows update before its sold and being able to say this is a clean install of windows, its activated, all devices are good etc is golden.

 

[Shlomo Lev]

I try using RUFUS version4.0 to build the Disk On Key with the image of Win 11 But the dialog box that allow me to select the options shown in the article did not show up ?
Any hint how to get it work as shown ?

 

[Shlomo Lev]

Ok solved it I download the latest RUFUS version 4.2 and now it show the options