Latest and fastest way I found to bypass Windows 11 OOBE, no need to run ipconfig /release or setup a Microsoft account.
EDIT:
Even with the latest Windows 11 updates THIS METHOD IS STILL THE BEST!!
Watch this in action: https://youtu.be/MXrYXH-ueIQ
Use a command prompt to create a local account during OOBE and then skip it completely:
-
SHIFT + F10 (or SHIFT + FN + F10 on some Dell PC's)
-
net.exe user 'username' 'password' /add *I recommend entering a password but it is optional*
-
net.exe localgroup Administrators 'username' /add
-
cd oobe
-
msoobe.exe && shutdown.exe -r
Videos
This feature is currently only available to those who add LCU (Latest Cumulative Update) to their ISO.
This was first discovered in Insider Preview Build 27881 (Canary Channel), and at the time, it was thought to be a bug. However, it's now present in Public Release build 26100 (also known as 24H2), and I believe it's not a bug but a feature.
I'm at the network selection screen in my setup and for some reason, Shift-F10 appears to do nothing. Did they patch that out?
A lot of people have been posting here about different ways to get around WiFi setup & s-mode. I have an easy and reliable way to bypass both.
For standard windows bypassnro is the best way to bypass the WiFi. By pressing shift + f10 or fn + shift + f10, this will open command prompt which you can then type in OOBE\BYPASSNRO with no spaces between the backslash. Additionally you CANNOT connect the computer to WiFi first, this will mess it up. If you do happen to do this I find the easiest way to fix it is by opening control panel by typing control in cmd prompt and opening device manager to disable the WiFi module temporarily. Then bypassnro will work 100% of the time.
As for s mode
This works also 100% of the time (for now)
MRI 6.0+ X64 REQUIRED
You will use Regedit to edit the registry but in mri pe instead of windows. Starting off while still in OOBE. First disable secure boot, this will allow the computer to boot to usb devices. MRI WILL NOT BOOT IF YOU DO NOT TURN OFF SECURE BOOT. Then, since the system is still in OOBE and has not been set up bitlocker will also not be active yet which will allow mri to bind. And that is the next step, Bind to Windows though MRI PE. Then open regedit either through run or in the mri toolkit tab. Then locate HKEY_Local_Machine\System(RemoteOS)\CurrentControlSet\Control\CI\Policy Change the value of SkuPolicyRequired to 0
This is very similar to the old way but the biggest difference is in MRI PE the “normal” looking registry keys are MRI’s Registry. The windows registry we care about will say (REMOTE OS) next to the System registry directory.
This saves time vs the old way by only requiring secure boot to be disabled and you can do everything in mri pe without needing to disable driver signature enforcement or going into windows recovery.
TLDR
Disable secure boot
Boot to mri pe and bind to windows
Do registry magic in regedit using the RemoteOS registry keys (see above key)
Re enable secure boot.
Profit
Once you disable secure boot you can use OOBE\BYPASSNRO to bypass the WiFi screen like normal.
This has never failed me, do not listen to people who say bypassnro does not work. It does 100% work still as of 6/2/24.
So I built my first pc and it was time to set up. But when I was setting up the windows I came on this screen and I can't see any WiFi, I have a WiFi motherboard and have the antennas installed. Can anyone help please?
I just had trouble with this on a Lenovo laptop I got. I’m just gonna get straight on with it
-
Press shift + f10 or fn + shift + f10 (don’t leave hear me out)
-
Then for a split second you should see the blue mouse loading circle and nothing happens, next do Windows + R
-
Put in “ms-settings:” then go to system, then recovery, click recovery mode. Then restart now
-
Go to trouble shoot, advanced options and then startup options, click restart
-
Click 7 (disable digital signature enforcement*) on your keyboard when you see a bunch of options
-
You should be back at setup, do shift + f10 again, this time CMD should pop up. Put in oobe\bypassnro
-
After restart, open run (Windows + R) put in ipconfig /release and continue with setup
-
If anything happens like the sign in menu pops up then do the last step before this one (ipconfig /release) and then press the little arrow in the corner to go back a page and it should bring you to choose a name for the local account.
Explanation: with Windows 11 S Mode you can only run Microsoft verified apps, oobe/bypassnro.cmd isn’t signed by Microsoft so in this case isn’t Microsoft verified. CMD is also disabled and in order to get into CMD we can use the “disable digital signature enforcement” in the advanced startup which will ignore the rules set in place for S Mode and open CMD.
*Keep in mind that disabling signatures will be temporary until a restart happens
You know what even crazier? I’m literally 13 and did this. I couldn’t find a tutorial anywhere. Consider this a new bypass for S Mode if you want a local account.
I just had trouble with this on a Lenovo laptop I got. I’m just gonna get straight on with it
Press shift + f10 or fn + shift + f10 (don’t leave hear me out)
Then for a split second you should see the blue mouse loading circle and nothing happens, next do Windows + R
Put in “ms-settings:” then go to system, then recovery, click recovery mode. Then restart now
Go to trouble shoot, advanced options and then startup options, click restart
Click 7 (disable digital signature enforcement*) on your keyboard when you see a bunch of options
You should be back at setup, do shift + f10 again, this time CMD should pop up. Put in oobe\bypassnro
After restart, open run (Windows + R) put in ipconfig /release and continue with setup
If anything happens like the sign in menu pops up then do the last step before this one (ipconfig /release) and then press the little arrow in the corner to go back a page and it should bring you to choose a name for the local account.
Explanation: with Windows 11 S Mode you can only run Microsoft verified apps, oobe/bypassnro.cmd isn’t signed by Microsoft so in this case isn’t Microsoft verified. CMD is also disabled and in order to get into CMD we can use the “disable digital signature enforcement” in the advanced startup which will ignore the rules set in place for S Mode and open CMD.
*Keep in mind that disabling signatures will be temporary until a restart happens
You know what even crazier? I’m literally 13 and did this. I couldn’t find a tutorial anywhere. Consider this a new bypass for S Mode if you want a local account.
So Windows 11 seems to have this cat and mouse game with Microsoft outrageously forcing people to sign in with a Microsoft account instead of using a personal/local account. Previously you could use the OOBE/bypassnro command but it doesn't work on some systems so the '[email protected]' and incorrect password should work but suddenly it's stopped, it used to direct you to create a local account instead but now it loops back. Is there a known workaround for April 2024? I really don't want to sign-in on a clean machine with a Microsoft account every single time. Thanks in advance
Edit: for above, the systems the command doesn’t seem to work on are those in S Mode where the command prompt may be disabled and also systems with Pro/Enterprise where they are remotely managed/provisioned where it will accept the command but ignore it and still force sign in.
Since according to AveYo (thanks for this) this is only temporarily integrated into Windows 11 by Microsoft, one can assume that this command will not work for much longer. I truly hope it remains.
oobe\bypassnro
Then you can reactivate the Internet connection and add a password to the account, as well as make all other settings.
Alternative Workaround that should remain feasible, more trouble than the simple above command:
If the Internet is disabled, you start the reinstallation of Windows 11. You get to the window: "Unfortunately you have lost the Internet connection". From here it starts. Replace "User Name" with whatever you wish to use for the account:
Press Shift + F10. The command prompt opens
net.exe user "User Name" /add
net.exe localgroup "Administrators" "User Name" /add
cd OOBE
msoobe.exe && shutdown.exe -r
Windows will now restart and start with the other settings until Windows 11 is installed correctly with a local account.
When logging in, "The user name or password is incorrect" now appears.
Simply press OK and select the right account at the bottom left of screen. You should have one for Administrator and one for whatever name you used as "User Name" above.
Lets hope the simple oobe\bypassnro stays, as I have used both methods, and the first is by far the easiest.
Regards,
[I edited this message to remove the unnecessary content at the top. Please refrain from the personal attacks. - Jason]
Great piece of info, will save it for future use
You can overcome this limitation by also passing in Fn, so in your case you'd press Shift+Fn+F10.
I tried all possible all possible combination of Shift+Fn+F10, but nothing worked.
Then i clicked on that Accessibility icon and enabled on-screen keyboard and then selected Shift+Fn+F10 again and it opened the cmd prompt this time, but it does not come into focus, to do that you can then use option+tab on your physical keyboard.
Can't skip past it either...
Thanks to this post and u/Neroxx :
To save everyone a click, the only interesting part in the article:
"Discovered by user @witherornot1337 on X, typing "start ms-cxh:localonly" into the command prompt during the Windows 11 setup experience will allow you to create a local account directly without needing to skip connecting to the internet first."
Edit (11/12/2025): Still works while installing from the image prepared by the latest installation media creation tool.
Microsoft is removing bypassNRO, which is used to create a local admin account without the internet being needed. This also means the user doesn't have to log into a Windows account. I figured I'd post this for those of you who have figured out a way around the bypassNRO being deleted to share with others.
I do a lot of restore to factory/wipe + install for the company. We've always bypassed the sign in and created a local account because we do not know who will be the next user.
I had to create a new install media. This started with this latest version.
The most used method was using <Shift + F10> and running oobe\bypassnro. Shift+F10 no longer works. If I try to use WindowsKey + R and try to run cmd.exe, Win11 tells me that it is not Microsoft-verified app and gives me no options to override. Same for powershell.
So I went searching and tried all of these methods and none of them still work.
Trying to use a false email and password no longer works either.
Is there a new trick here?