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Tech News
Microsoft is making waves in the Windows internals once again. In the latest Windows 11 Insider Dev preview build 26200.5516, the tech giant has quietly removed the popular BypassNRO.cmd script—a tool that allowed users to bypass the Microsoft Account requirement during setup. This decision marks another bold step in Microsoft’s quest to push a cloud-centric experience, enforce enhanced security protocols, and streamline user interaction from the get-go.
A Quick Recap: What Was the BypassNRO.cmd Script?
For many Windows enthusiasts, the ability to set up a local account on Windows 11 meant freedom from a mandated Microsoft Account sign-in—a feature that some saw as an invasion of privacy. The BypassNRO.cmd script emerged as a clever workaround in the pre-production builds. Here’s how it worked:
The Setup Hack: During the Out-Of-Box Experience (OOBE), when the “Let’s connect you to a network” screen appears, pressing Shift+F10 opens a command prompt.
Execution: Typing the command
c:\windows\system32\oobe\BypassNRO.cmd
would trigger a change: on reboot, the networking screen would now offer an option to skip the internet connection step, thereby permitting the creation of a local account.
Under the Hood: The script essentially creates a registry value that disables the enforced network requirement leading to a forced Microsoft Account login.
Alongside this popular script, some advanced users discovered that manually entering a registry shortcut could achieve the same effect. Running the command below in the Windows command prompt would do the trick:
reg add HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\OOBE /v BypassNRO /t REG_DWORD /d 1 /f
shutdown /r /t 0
Despite this viable workaround, Microsoft’s latest decision to remove the script from Insider builds aims to bolster overall security and user experience.