using a local account on windows is a legitimate option documented by microsoft itself, especially useful for environments where u dont want the machine tied to an online account (corporate policy compliance, privacy, dev machines, etc.). the problem is windows 11 started requiring a microsoft account during setup, hiding this option.
the old oobe\bypassnro method was disabled by microsoft. this tutorial shows the current method that works.
how to create the local account during setup
when u get to the screen asking to log in with microsoft account, press shift + f10 to open command prompt and type this command:
start ms-cxh:localonly
this command opens the local account creation screen directly, which is a native windows feature. it was just hidden behind the online login requirement.
create the local account
create the local account normally: put a username and a password.
done
done! windows will load normally with ur local account, no microsoft account needed.
after installing, also run the raphires debloat script to remove the rest of the garbage that comes with windows 11!