Microsoft is no longer kidding around when it comes to the requirement that every Windows 11 device be configured to connect to the Internet. In its latest Windows 11 Insider Preview, the company said it will remove a well-known workaround that allowed end users to skip the requirement to connect to the Internet and sign in with a Microsoft account to go through the initialization process of a new computer.
According to Windows Central, Microsoft already requires users to be connected to the Internet, but there is a way to bypass this requirement: the bypassnro command. For those who are setting up computers for business or secondary users, or who simply refuse to link their computer to a Microsoft account on principle, this command is very easy to activate during the Windows installation process.
However, there is no guarantee that Microsoft will allow this additional workaround for the long term. There are other workarounds, such as using an automated unattended.xml file that allows you to skip the initial out-of-the-box setup. It’s not as easy, but it makes more sense for IT departments that are setting up multiple computers.
Microsoft has been making it harder for people to upgrade to Windows 11 lately, while pushing them to move on from Windows 10, which will be discontinued in October. The company is restricting the ability to install Windows 11 on older PCs that don’t support TPM 2.0 and hounding you with full-screen ads to buy a new PC. Microsoft has even removed the ability to install Windows 11 with old product keys.
