Last Updated on October 25, 2026
The practice of installing Microsoft Windows on your own computer is fairly common these days. Many people like to do it themselves to “freshen up” their computer or if it crashes so bad its not repairable. Plus, if you have built your own computer, you will need to install an operating system such as Windows or Linux on it in order to use it.
To install Windows, you will need to create some type of installation media to boot your computer with. For most OS installations, this will be done with a flash drive. But if you want to take that extra step and customize your Windows installation media, you can use a tool such as AnyBurn to do so. In this article, we will show you how to create a bootable Windows flash drive with a local account and bypass the Windows 11 requirements at the same time.
Of course, you can just create a regular Windows bootable flash drive that does not bypass the system requirements and will require you to add a Microsoft account during the installation process. And of course, you can always add another local user account later if you need to.
Setting Up the AnyBurn Application
1. Download the AnyBurn Utility
To begin, you will need to download and install the AnyBurn app which can be found on their website here. Install the program using the default settings provided in the setup wizard.
2. Launch the Application
Then when you run AnyBurn, you will see that it has a variety of tools you can use to do things such as create music CDs, copy disks, rip CDs and so on. For a full review of the other AnyBurn app features, check out this video.
3. Select the Bootable USB Option
The feature we will be using to create a bootable Windows flash drive with a local account is right on the main menu. It also allows us to bypass the strict Windows requirements simultaneously. Click the option called Create bootable USB drive at the bottom of the interface.
4. Grant Administrator Privileges
Once you click this button, you will then be told that you need to run AnyBurn as an administrator. You will need to click the OK button to restart the application. Then click the Yes button at the UAC prompt to grant the necessary elevated permissions.
Configuring the Windows 11 Installation Media
1. Choose Your ISO and USB Drive
Next, you will need to select the Windows 11 ISO image file that we have downloaded from the Microsoft Website. Look at the section where it says destination USB drive. We will choose the specific flash drive that we want to use for our bootable Windows media.
2. Customize the Windows Setup
Then we will be prompted to customize the Windows installation directly on the next screen. You can uncheck the boxes here if you do not want to create a custom Windows flash drive. Otherwise, you can choose to have AnyBurn remove the memory, TPM and Secure Boot requirements. It also removes the annoying requirement for a Microsoft online account.
3. Create Your Local Account
You can easily force the setup to create an offline profile instead. Check the third box that says Create a local account with the user name to activate this feature. Type in the exact name of your choice into the text field. The system will automatically build this profile during the final installation phase.
Selecting the Correct Boot Mode
In the Settings section, you will have three distinct choices for the boot mode. You should choose UEFI (GPT FAT32) for Windows 11 specifically. Here is exactly what each choice will do when it comes to configuring your flash drive.
1. BIOS & UEFI-CSM (MBR FAT32)
This specific mode creates a bootable USB that works flawlessly on much older systems using Legacy BIOS. It also functions perfectly on newer systems that support UEFI with the Compatibility Support Module enabled. It utilizes the Master Boot Record partition style and the FAT32 file system. This choice remains ideal if you want the USB to boot on both older PCs and newer ones that still allow legacy boot. Choose this for maximum hardware compatibility.
2. UEFI (GPT FAT32)
This mode targets modern systems that use pure UEFI booting without any legacy support. It relies entirely on the GUID Partition Table style and the standard FAT32 file system. This is highly recommended for modern PCs with UEFI firmware and Secure Boot actively enabled. This represents the absolute standard for Windows 11 installations on all newer hardware.
3. DD Write
This advanced mode writes the ISO image directly to the USB in a raw disk image format. It copies the data sector by sector until the drive becomes an exact replica of the ISO. This behaves similarly to using the dd command on a Linux machine. This proves useful for Linux ISOs or special bootable images that require exact replication. It is absolutely not recommended for Windows installation media because it will not create the proper boot structure.
Finalizing and Burning the Flash Drive
1. Disable the Verification Step
One thing you may want to do before starting the writing process is adjust the burn settings. Go into the settings from the main screen and then click on the Burn tab. Uncheck the box that says Verify written data. The creation process will take much longer if you leave this enabled.
2. Confirm the Data Overwrite
Click the Next button to proceed with the burn process. You will be informed that all the data on the flash drive will be completely overwritten. Make sure you do not need anything on it before clicking OK. Verify you have selected the correct drive letter if you have multiple USB devices plugged in.
3. Wait for the Creation Process
The flash drive creation process will take several minutes to finish writing the files. The speed depends entirely on the read and write capabilities of your specific USB drive. You will be informed on the screen when the process is completely finished.
4. Verify the Installation Files
You can then look at the contents of your newly created Windows flash drive in File Explorer. You will see that it looks exactly like any other standard Windows flash drive. The root directory will contain the boot folder, setup executable, and necessary source files.
5. Boot and Install Windows
Then you can boot your computer with it and start the Windows installation right away. The installation process will be almost identical even if you chose to bypass the system requirements and create a local account. The only difference is you will not need to sign in with your Microsoft account at the end.
6. Log In to Your Local Account
Then you will be logged in automatically with your new local account. It will not have a password assigned to it initially. You can go straight into the user account settings and assign a secure password if you wish.
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