Microsoft is making it even more durable to make use of Home windows 11 with out an web connection

In a brand new Home windows Insider Weblog printed by Microsoft, the corporate is confirming the removing of a specific bypass script from Home windows 11, beginning with Insider Preview Construct 26200.5516 within the Dev Channel. Till now, this script has allowed customers to arrange their Windows 11 PCs whereas sidestepping the usual web and Microsoft Account necessities imposed by the corporate.

“We’re eradicating the bypassnro.cmd script from the construct to boost safety and consumer expertise of Home windows 11. This transformation ensures that every one customers exit setup with web connectivity and a Microsoft Account,” says Microsoft within the blog post.

Despite the push back from some tech lovers and business analysts, Microsoft has been bullish on requiring customers to arrange their PCs with a Microsoft account and an energetic web connection for various years now. This bypass script has remained a principal technique of skirting previous this requirement — an open secret amongst Home windows superfans and detractors alike.

As famous by phantomofearth of X, it’s certainly nonetheless potential to bypass these setup necessities put up Construct 26200.5516 replace, however it now requires diving into the Windows Registry, which makes all the course of far much less accessible to the typical consumer.

Home windows 10 is on observe to succeed in end-of-life later this yr

Microsoft must incentivize customers to make the swap to Home windows 11, and shutting native account loopholes is not the best way to take action

Microsoft

Microsoft is formally ending help for its Windows 10 working system on October 14th, 2025. Past this date, the OS will cease receiving safety updates, bug patches, and technical help help from the corporate.

The one silver lining is that Microsoft can be providing an Extended Security Updates (ESU) program for Home windows 10, which is a paid program to increase safety patches for as much as a further three years. The service is primarily focused at enterprise clients — on the shopper degree, Microsoft would a lot slightly you turn to Home windows 11 sooner slightly than later.

Sadly, Home windows 11 has earned a popularity amongst PC lovers for being a step-down from Home windows 10 in a few main methods. Microsoft’s newer OS lacks some interface customization options that had been current in its predecessor — most notably, the flexibility to reposition and resize the system taskbar. Further security-focused restrictions on the newer OS, corresponding to TPM 2.0 and Secure Boot necessities, have additionally ruffled some energy customers’ feathers.

Microsoft’s choice to plug the Microsoft Account and web requirement loophole on Home windows 11 does not assist issues within the slightest. The corporate must be extending an olive department to Home windows 10 holdouts, who are sometimes probably the most vocal and hardcore constituency of Home windows customers on the market.

According to StatCounter, Home windows 11 market share at the moment sits at 38.13 % of the entire worldwide desktop Home windows market share, in distinction to WIndows 10 at 58.7 % share. With only some months left to go earlier than the October 14 cutoff date, I reckon the time is correct for Microsoft to deprioritize angering the vocal minority of its consumer base, and focus as an alternative on bringing Home windows 11 up to the mark with Home windows 10 by way of options and platform flexibility.

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