Microsoft wants you to use online accounts in Windows 11, yes, but they're not as mandatory as you might think.

Happy hackers find a new exploit in the Windows 11 installer for bypassing the Microsoft account requirement.

You can also use Windows 11 24H2 in the Home Edition with a local user account without any problems. No additional tools are required. We will show you how to do this.

Microsoft has restored its guide on how to switch from a Microsoft account to a local account on Windows 11. When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.

If you no longer need a specific user account on your PC, Windows 11 gives you plenty of ways to delete it and make things simpler.

Microsoft is getting more aggressive about insisting that you use its OneDrive cloud for your Windows 11 and Microsoft 365 files. If you'd prefer to keep those files out of the cloud, follow these ...

But then you can input all your preferences for the install as you wish, before being whisked through to the fully functioning Windows 11— without a connected Microsoft account.