From @grok
As of January 2026, Microsoft requires a Microsoft account (and internet connection) during the initial setup (OOBE) for Windows 11 Home and increasingly for Pro in newer builds. However, several workarounds still exist to set up with a local account instead. These have been tested and confirmed working in late 2025 builds (including 24H2/25H2 and Insider previews).
The most reliable and patch-resistant method for clean installs (especially on Home edition) is using Rufus to create modified installation media. Other in-setup commands work but can be inconsistent across builds.
1. Best Method: Use Rufus (Works for Home and Pro, Clean Installs)
Rufus modifies the Windows 11 ISO to automatically skip the Microsoft account and internet requirements.
Steps:
1Download the official Windows 11 ISO from https://t.co/Ypc2BxLIwK (use the media creation tool or direct download).
2Download the latest Rufus (free, portable) from https://t.co/f9hR1G1cAZ.
3Insert a USB drive (8GB+; it will be erased).
4Open Rufus, select your USB under “Device.”
5Click “Select” and choose the Windows 11 ISO.
6Leave defaults (Standard Windows installation, GPT/UEFI).
7In the options checkbox section: Check “Remove requirement for an online Microsoft account.”
◦Optional: Check “Create a local account with username” and enter a preferred username (e.g., your name) to auto-create it.
◦Optional: Check bypasses for TPM/Secure Boot/RAM if installing on unsupported hardware.
8Click “Start” and confirm.
9Boot your PC from the USB (enter BIOS/UEFI with F2/Del/etc., set USB as first boot device).
10Proceed through setup normally—it will skip the account sign-in and let you create (or auto-create) a local account before finishing.
This is 100% reliable as it bypasses checks in the installer itself.
2. During Setup (OOBE) Commands (Works for Home and Pro, Variable by Build)
If installing from standard Microsoft media:
Most Reliable Command (Newer Builds, e.g., 26120+):
•At the network/connection screen (or Microsoft account prompt), press Shift + F10 to open Command Prompt.
•Type start ms-cxh:localonly (exactly, case-insensitive) and press Enter.
•A local account creation dialog appears—enter a username and password (or leave blank), then continue setup.
Alternative for Some Builds (If Above Fails):
•At the network screen, press Shift + F10.
•Type OOBE\BYPASSNRO and press Enter (system reboots).
•After reboot, press Shift + F10 again.
•Type ipconfig /release and press Enter (disables network temporarily).
•Close Command Prompt, click “I don’t have internet” > “Continue with limited setup.”
•Create your local account.
Physical Disconnect Fallback:
•Unplug Ethernet, disable Wi-Fi adapter in Device Manager (via Command Prompt: devmgmt.msc), or turn off your router before setup starts.
•Then use the above commands if needed.
3. Pro/Enterprise Edition Only: Domain Join
•During OOBE at the account type screen, select “Set up for work or school.”
•Then “Sign-in options” > “Domain join instead.”
•Create a local account directly.
Notes and Warnings
•These work for clean installs or new PC OOBE. For in-place upgrades from Windows 10, you can usually keep/choose local accounts natively.
•Microsoft periodically patches command-based bypasses (e.g., some were blocked in late 2025 Insider builds), so Rufus is safest long-term.
•After setup, you can connect to internet normally—Windows won’t force a Microsoft account later.
•If none work due to a very new update, a common fallback is to set up with a throwaway Microsoft account (even a fake email/password sometimes accepts temporarily), finish setup, then go to Settings > Accounts > Your info > “Sign in with a local account instead” to convert and delete the MS-linked one.
•Always back up data first, as clean installs wipe drives.
If you’re on a specific build/edition or hit issues, provide more details for tailored steps!
So MrBeast gets to complain about channels stealing his thumbnails, then turn around and make a tool that does the same thing but faster and cheaper?
He promotes his new AI tool in a video on the site saying that it can copy any channels style of thumbnails for YouTube videos, and even edit it so that your face is in it instead of the original creators’. He initially states it so that this can be used for “inspiration”, but then continues on and notes that this will “literally be the way you generate your thumbnails going forward”.
I spend days, weeks, sometimes months thinking of thumbnails, working with artists to craft the perfect one — and you’ve made something that can steal my (and my artists) hard work without a thought. Your model is clearly trained on all our thumbnails and uses them without any creators permission, and makes it not only easy, but it attempts to make this socially acceptable too.
Way to take out the creator in content creator, and the fun that comes from thinking up new ideas. Majorly fuck this. If there’s any class action lawsuit, count me in. I’m so done with this guy.