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On some Windows 11 installations, clicking the small Learn more link beneath Sign-in options on the “Let’s add your Microsoft account” screen has been reported to open local-account setup. Click that small link—not the larger button lower on the page. The behavior has been observed in specific tests, but it is unofficial and is not guaranteed on every edition or build.
How to try the reported Windows 11 setup workaround
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Continue through Windows 11’s initial setup screens until you reach the page titled “Let’s add your Microsoft account.” The reported method was tested after connecting to the internet.
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Under “Sign-in options,” find the small Learn more hyperlink in the explanatory paragraph.
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Click that small hyperlink. Do not click the larger Learn More button near the bottom of the page; it is a different control.
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If the reported behavior is available on your installation, setup advances to “Who’s going to use this device?” Follow the prompts to create a local username, password, and answers to three security questions.
Windows Latest reported this behavior on September 13, 2026, after testing fresh Windows 11 Home installation media in a virtual machine. PC Gamer later reported replicating it on a fresh, non-Insider Windows 11 installation. Those reports show the link worked in their tests; they do not establish that it will work on every current installation, edition, or build. Windows Latest’s report and PC Gamer’s replication describe the observed behavior.
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What to do if the link does not open local-account setup
The click-through is not a Microsoft-documented account option, so there is no guaranteed recovery step if it does not work. If clicking the small link leaves you on the same page or opens different content, continue with the choices Windows setup presents. Do not assume that the same labels or behavior will remain available after a setup update.
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Is this a supported Microsoft option?
Microsoft has not presented this particular link behavior as a supported way to create a local account. In an October 6, 2025 announcement for Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26220.6772, Microsoft said it was removing known mechanisms for creating local accounts in OOBE. The announcement explained that such mechanisms could skip critical setup screens and leave a device incompletely configured, and said users would need to finish OOBE with an internet connection and a Microsoft account. That announcement concerned known mechanisms in an Insider preview; it does not specifically address the separate link behavior reported in 2026. Read Microsoft’s Build 26220.6772 announcement.
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Local account or Microsoft account: which fits your needs?
A local account is specific to one device. Microsoft says it does not require an internet connection to sign in to that device. A Microsoft account uses credentials shared with Microsoft services and can connect Windows to cloud services, including synchronization of settings and files across devices. Microsoft recommends a Microsoft account for service integration, security, and sync. Microsoft explains the account differences and how to change account type later in Settings.
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Choose a local account if you prefer a device-specific sign-in and do not need the same settings and files synchronized through Microsoft services.
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Choose a Microsoft account if you want Windows to connect with Microsoft services and use cloud synchronization across devices.
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Consider whether you need internet during setup. Microsoft describes local sign-in as not requiring an internet connection, while its standard setup guidance describes connecting to a network and using a personal or work-or-school account. Microsoft’s Windows setup guidance covers the setup flow.
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You can change between account types later through Windows Settings; choosing one during setup does not make it permanent.
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