Setting up new computer with Windows 11

D Myr 15 Reputation points
2025-09-12T16:01:55.56+00:00

I am in the process of setting up a new computer and have gotten stalled where it asks you to sign in to your Microsoft account. It used to be there was an option to skip or bypass this step but can’t find anyway to get around it. I really don’t want to phone the owner and tell them I need their Microsoft login information and password as I’m sure the first thing they’ll ask is what do you need that for. I don’t need it and will have to tell them i don’t need it to setup the computer by for some unknown reason it seems Microsoft has decided to make it mandatory.

i hope someone can suggest a way around this as I really don’t like phoning people and asking for their passwords without any justifiable reason.

Windows for home | Windows 11 | Install and upgrade

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  1. EmilyS726 269.5K Reputation points Independent Advisor
    2025-09-12T16:40:43.9066667+00:00

    Hello,

    The option you referenced is for Pro edition, not for Home edition.

    This is what you can do:

    Go ahead and set it up with yours.

    Once set up, type netplwiz in the search on the taskbar and hit enter. When launched, click on "Add". On the next window, click on the bottom where it says to create an account without Microsoft email. This will allow you to define a local username.

    When the above user is created, back to the main netplwiz page, double click on this new user, go to the Group Membership tab, make it administrator. Save the change.

    Restart the computer. Sign into the new user.

    Type sysdm.cpl in the search on the taskbar and hit enter, go to Advanced tab, click on the "Settings" button at the User Profile section. Then delete the old user profile that was yours.

    Launch netplwiz again, delete the old user from there.

    Very important, do this step too to disable bitlocker as down the road, in case bitlocker key is asked, I don't want them to reach out for you for the key. Type cmd in the search on the taskbar, make sure you use "run as administrator" to launch Command Prompt, then run this command: 

    manage-bde -off C:

    Let it run through. When it is done, the command prompt will return to the new row. Then you can run this command to verify status: 

    manage-bde -status

    ==========

    Once that's all done, you can give the computer to the owner along with the local username and password. You can give them this instruction to have the user linked to their Microsoft account.

    Go to Settings > Accounts > Your info

    Click on Sign in with Microsoft account instead. follow the steps and sign into the Microsoft account of their choice.

    Restart the computer (Do Not skip)

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  2. D Myr 15 Reputation points
    2025-09-12T17:31:50.4266667+00:00

    Thank you for the reply. First in the top right corner of this reply window there is a switch to turn “view markdown” on and off, what exactly is that?

    It seems laptops no longer have a Microsoft label that tells you the version or key but according to the specs on the box it is supposed to be Windows 11 Home so i can check that once it is all setup. What should happen if it was Windows 11 Home?

    I’ll pass this message along but I’m not sure they are going to feel comfortable stepping through these steps to remove the phoney account I created and then setting up their own account. It sure would be much simpler if Microsoft allowed you to just bypass this step and then the new owner could simply login to their Microsoft account and that would setup the new user account on the computer, but I know you don’t make those decisions, so once again thank you for your assistance. I just want to be sure I know what steps the new owner needs to take when they get the computer back.

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  3. D Myr 15 Reputation points
    2025-09-12T20:43:59.2266667+00:00

    Sorry I misunderstood your comment on Windows 11 pro vs home.

    i want to have them be able to delete the phoney account once they have setup their own account so assumed they would have to follow the instructions above the double dashed line as well.

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  4. D Myr 15 Reputation points
    2025-09-13T01:46:34.29+00:00

    Well I finally got around to getting back to the setup. Now it wants me to create a PIN or a Passkey or to setup to use and iPhone, iPad, Android device or face recognition or fingerprint or a myriad of other things. This was after entering a password. I don’t want to use any of those options only a password. I don’t understand why Microsoft is trying to make something that has been so simple for years into something that is one frustration after another.

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  5. D Myr 15 Reputation points
    2025-09-13T03:32:12.2433333+00:00

    I’m not finished setting up Windows yet. This came up right after the sign in i mentioned above,

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