Microsoft has been going backwards in regards to consumer freedom by forcing users to create/log in with Microsoft account on a new machine. Last year the Home version of Windows changed the requirement. This year the requirement has come to the Professional version.

We heard from so many complaints that we decided to try to figure out how to get back to the right way of logging in to a new machine.

It used to be that disconnecting from the network or wifi would force Windows into allowing a local account. But that is no longer the case. There is a way however!

1. Start the Out of the Box Experience by turning on your new machine.
2. Follow the wizard and connect to your network.
3. When the wizard asks you to log in with a Microsoft account, press “Shift”+”F10” and a command prompt window will open.
4a. If you are on WiFi, type “netsh wlan disconnect” and press . Then type “exit” and press . Press the back arrow at the top of the screen and you should be prompted to create a local account.
4b. If you are on a wired connection, type “netsh interface show interface” and press . Look for your network card Interface Name and then type “netsh interface set interface name=”Ethernet card” admin=DISABLED” and press . Then type “exit” and press . Press the back arrow at the top of the screen and you should be prompted to create a local account.
5. When you get into Windows the first time, you may have to reconnect the network. If you are on WiFi, use the wireless icon on the bottom to re-enable it. If you are on a wired connection, go to Settings -> Network and use the Troubleshooting option.