I'm trying to figure out the best way to skip the Out-of-Box Experience (OOBE) on Windows 11 without the hassle of connecting to a Microsoft account. I recently discovered a method using the command prompt that involves opening it with SHIFT + F10, then navigating to the 'oobe' directory and executing 'msoobe.exe' followed by a restart.
There's also a way to create a local account directly in the command prompt which sounds convenient. Are there any alternate methods or tricks that work effectively?
3 Answers
If it's possible, joining a domain during the OOBE is also an option. However, this is only applicable to Windows Pro edition; Windows Home users won’t have that feature.
Using a custom image with an autounattend.xml file might be the best solution. It can automate the installation process while allowing you to handle everything in the background. Plus, you can set how the installation behaves based on your needs!
That's basically what I've done as well! It makes things much smoother, especially for testing configurations.
You could also use the command 'start ms-cxh:localonly' for a quicker approach. It's a simple way to open the local account option without going through all the steps. Just keep in mind that it might not work for every setup, especially if you're using a clean install on certain laptops.
I tried it on a Lenovo with a clean install, but it didn't work due to missing components. I ended up redoing my USB installer with Rufus, which worked perfectly for pre-setting up a local account.
Can you clarify what 'start ms-cxh:localonly' actually does? I've always preferred using lusrmgr.msc to create local users.
True, I've found that many people still use Windows Home despite its limitations in professional environments.