Gameguru Mania

[heretic]

Without third-party tools

The most important part is not to connect to the internet. If you have an internet cable attached, disconnect it. Also, do not connect to a Wi-Fi network when prompted. Instead, do the following:

When setting up Windows 11 during OOBE, make sure your system is disconnected from the internet.
Press Shift + F10 to launch Command Prompt.
Type oobe\bypassnro and press Enter. You may have heard that Microsoft removed that command from Windows 11, but the truth is that the bypassnro command still works, as long as you are disconnected from the internet. Other commands do the same, but the bypassnro is the shortest and easiest to remember or execute.
Once your PC restarts, proceed with its initial setup. Remember not to connect to the internet until you get to the desktop. This will force Windows 11 to create a local account and skip all the upsells and ads during OOBE (out-of-box experience).

That's it. This method works in Windows 11 version 24H2 and version 25H2.

Tip: Once on the desktop, go to Settings > System > Notifications > Additional settings and untick all three options. These will make sure you do not get full-screen prompts with Microsoft's ads next time you turn on your computer.

[nomanji]

To install Windows 11 with a local offline account:

Start the Windows 11 setup normally.

When you reach the “Let’s connect you to a network” or Microsoft account sign-in screen, disconnect the internet (unplug Ethernet or turn off Wi-Fi).

Click “I don’t have internet” or “Continue with limited setup”.

Windows will let you create a local account with a username and password.

Continue the installation as usual.

Once the setup finishes, you’ll boot straight into Windows 11 using your local account.