Last Updated on May 10, 2026
Installing Microsoft Windows is something that every tech enthusiast should know how to do.
If you have ever taken on the task of building your own computer, then obviously you will need to install Windows or another operating system on it to get it up and running.
When installing Windows, Microsoft will try and force you to use a Microsoft Account for your Windows user account. Of course, you can configure a local account after Windows is running and even convert your Microsoft account to a local account.
But what if you do not want to install Windows using a Microsoft account?
In this article, we will be showing you exactly how to install Windows with a local account rather than a Microsoft Account during the initial setup phase.
There are two simple ways you can go about this, and they are very similar in how they work behind the scenes.
If you have never installed Windows 11 before, you may find it a bit challenging, but once you have done it a few times, you will find that it is very easy to do.
If you would like to view a full tutorial on how to install Windows 11 and create your USB installation media, you can check it out here.
Installing Windows with a Local Account – Method 1
The process to install Windows with a local account rather than a Microsoft account begins with starting the Windows installation like you normally would.
Then, when you get to the section where it asks about adding a second keyboard layout, you need to stop here.
Now you can click your mouse anywhere above the keyboard image and then press Ctrl+Shift+J on your keyboard.
The screen will go dark, and you will have a command prompt where you can then type in the following command.
You need to make sure you type it exactly as shown with the capital letters and absolutely no spaces.
WinJS.Application.restart(“ms-cxh://LOCALONLY”)
Once you make sure you have typed everything correctly, you can press enter and should then see a blank prompt.
You can then press the Esc key on your keyboard and may have to click a couple of times with your mouse to go back to the main screen.
Now you will see a box that says Create a user for this PC.
Here you can type in the username for the account and create a secure password.
If you do not want to use a password with this account, you can simply leave it blank.
Once you have the name and password filled out, click the Next button.
The Windows installation process will then go right into the new profile setup screen, which can take a few minutes to complete.
You will then need to choose your preferred options for the Windows privacy settings.
Finally, you will be taken directly to the Windows desktop with your new local user account completely configured.
Installing Windows with a Local Account – Method 2
This next method is very similar to the first method but involves using a slightly different command string.
You will still begin the Windows installation process like you normally would from your boot media.
But this time, when you get to the country and region setup of the GUI part of the installation, you can press Shift+F10 to bring up a command prompt.
At the command prompt, you will need to type in this exact command as shown.
start ms-cxh:localonly
Once you type in the command and press enter, you will immediately see the Create a user for this PC box appear.
You can then type in a desired username and a memorable password.
Again, you do not need to type in a password if you do not want to use one with this new local account.
Once you have added the required information, click the Next button to proceed.
You will then see the exact same user profile setup screen as you saw in the previous example.
After that completes, you will be taken seamlessly to your new desktop with your new local user account active.
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