Microsoft's latest Insider Preview, Build 26220.6772, introduces a significant policy change: removal of known workarounds to skip Microsoft Account setup during Windows 11 installation (OOBE).

Alex Valdes from Bellevue, Washington has been pumping content into the Internet river for quite a while, including stints at MSNBC.com, MSN, Bing, MoneyTalksNews, Tipico and more. He admits to being ...

Microsoft is blocking another way to choose a local account in Windows 11. You'd force a local account by disconnecting from the network. The block is currently in place in the latest Windows 11 ...

Microsoft is tightening the reins on new installations of Windows 11 with stricter Microsoft account requirements. As participants in the Windows Insider Program have ...

Microsoft is removing more methods that help users create local Windows accounts and bypass the Microsoft account requirement when installing Windows 11. The change ...

This is important because: Microsoft is closing the side doors to offline setup. As familiar workarounds disappear, most people are guided toward a Microsoft account on day one, which narrows choice ...

For years now, folks have been using Rufus to bypass Windows 11's onerous installation requirements. Got a system without Secure Boot or a functional TPM? No problem! Some buzz was going around that ...

Microsoft has released a series of updates to improve the initial setup for all supported versions of Windows 11. Rolled out in late August 2025, these Out-of-Box Experience (OOBE) updates are ...