• Windows 11 Home will require an internet and Microsoft account during setup, but you can skip them.
  • You can do this by disconnecting from the network and clicking the back button.
  • This is how it works in the latest preview build, and it might stay this way in the final product.

You may be able to skip the internet connection and Microsoft account requirements while setting up a new device or installation of Windows 11 Home . When Microsoft first announced the next version of the OS, among the UI overhaul and new features, the company also revealed that not all devices already running Windows 10 will be able to upgrade to Windows 11 due to new system requirements that require a modern processor and a Trusted Platform Module (TPM). In addition, the company also said that it would require a Microsoft account and internet connection to complete the installation setup (out-of-box experience (OOBE)). However, it appears that at least these requirements won’t be enforced.

Although it’s not official, during the clean installation of Windows 11 Home , more specifically during the out-of-box experience, in the step to create a new account, you won’t see an option to create an offline account (also known as a local account). However, in the latest Insider preview build of Windows 11 , you can disconnect the device from the network and click the back button to access a hidden page that allows you to create an account without a Microsoft account.

There have been some mixed reactions about Microsoft requiring an internet connection and account from the company’s cloud service. However, this approach makes more sense for those running the Home edition of the OS since it provides a more secure environment to sign in to the device and makes it easier to change the login password if at any time you forget it or gets compromised.

Of course, there’s the privacy and choice aspect, but it may appear that Microsoft won’t be forcing the requirements for those who know the workaround.

This may change in the final product, but at least for now, you will be able to skip the Microsoft account and internet connection requirements when setting up the Home edition of the OS.

Outside of the regular schedule, Microsoft is now rolling out the update KB5004945 to fix the “PrintNightmare” vulnerability on Windows 10 21H1 , 20H2, and 2004.

Recently, the software giant acknowledged a critical vulnerability described as CVE-2021-34527 that affects the Windows Print Spooler service, and it allows attackers to execute malicious code to create new administrator accounts, install programs, and access data without the user’s consent.

Immediately after confirming the vulnerability, Microsoft provided two workarounds to mitigate the issue, including the steps to disable the service temporarily and another set of instructions to set a Group Policy Object to block incoming connections to a print server.

The company has now released the update KB5004945 to permanently fix the PrintNightmare vulnerability on Windows 10 21H1, 20H2, 2004, and older versions that bumps the version number to 19041.1083, 19042.1083, and 19043.1083, respectively.

According to the documentation , after installing the update, “users who are not administrators can only install signed print drivers to a print server” to patch the vulnerability. “By default, administrators can install signed and unsigned printer drivers to a print server. The installed root certificates in the system’s Trusted Root Certification Authorities trusts signed drivers.”

Microsoft categorizes this problem as severe, and it’s recommending installing the update on all affected systems (clients and servers), starting with devices acting as print servers.

The same update is also available as KB5004946 for windows 10 version 1909. For version 1809, the update is KB5004947, and for the initial release of the operating system, the update is described as KB5004950.

You can install this out-of-band patch from Settings > Update & Security > Windows Update , and clicking the Check for updates button.

You can also get the standalone version of the update from the Microsoft Update Catalog website .