Hey everyone,
I'm trying to make sense of the recent changes Microsoft has made regarding local accounts in Windows 11. I have a few questions that I'm hoping to clarify:
- Is the restriction on local accounts only an issue for new installations of Windows 11? From what I've gathered, it seems like existing Windows 11 users who upgrade through Windows updates might be unaffected for now. However, I'm concerned that a future update could change this for everyone.
- How are people managing admin access on their devices in light of these changes? In our setup, we avoid giving users admin rights and rely on a separate admin account for IT purposes and emergencies. Will this still be a viable option?
- Are there any workarounds to maintain local accounts? I've come across the Shift-F10 method, but it feels like a band-aid solution that might not be reliable in the long term.
- If users are required to log in using their Office 365 accounts, what happens in situations where internet access is unavailable? Will there be a local account system that allows users to still log in without an internet connection?
I appreciate any insights you can share to help me understand this better!
4 Answers
If you're using Windows 11 Pro, you should have no issues. You can just choose to join a work or school network, select 'other options,' and then domain join. This gives you the classic local admin creation process. You can even skip setting a password, so no security question hassles either. Just keep in mind that any updates during setup are mandatory unless you wait long enough for the system to let you proceed without them.
Also, these updates can be avoided. Just don’t connect to the internet until setup is fully completed.
This change mainly affects Windows Home, so it's good to be aware of that. If you're managing company devices, aim for a centralized management system. Connect your systems to either an Active Directory domain or Microsoft 365. This will give you better control and eliminate complications with local admin accounts.
That’s a solid suggestion! Centralized management really smooths out a lot of operational issues.
Exactly! It's also worth getting comfortable with tools like Shift+F10 for setup issues and running scripts.
You're correct on that! As long as you're upgrading from Windows 10, there shouldn't be any problems with your accounts. Plus, the local accounts are still there if you know where to look!
From what I've seen, this issue is mainly during the initial setup of a new installation. You can still create local accounts by using a workaround command (oobebypassnro). I wouldn't worry about local accounts disappearing entirely because when upgrading from Windows 10, your existing accounts remain unchanged.
Yep, Pro users won't face this problem; that’s pretty much the go-to method if you're managing devices.