When you buy a new computer or reinstall the operating system, Windows 11 will eventually trap you on a screen that says “Let’s connect you to a network.” Unlike older versions of Windows, there is no visible “Skip” or “I don’t have internet” button. Microsoft intentionally designed this restriction to force you to sign in with a Microsoft account and connect to their cloud services.
If you are setting up a PC in an area with no Wi-Fi, or if your Wi-Fi drivers aren’t installed yet, you are completely stuck. Fortunately, the operating system still contains a hidden, legacy command-line bypass that instructs the setup wizard to skip the network requirement and create a standard, offline Local Account instead.
How to Safely Bypass the Windows 11 Network Requirement
You must use a hidden Command Prompt trick during the Out of Box Experience (OOBE) setup screen.
- When you are stuck on the “Let’s connect you to a network” screen, do not click anything.
- Hold down the Shift key on your keyboard, and press the F10 key. (On some laptops, you may need to press Shift + Fn + F10).
- A black Command Prompt window will instantly pop up over the blue setup screen.
- Click inside the black window to ensure you are typing into it.
- Carefully type the following exact command (with no spaces, using a backslash):
OOBE\BYPASSNRO - Press Enter.
Your computer will instantly restart. Do not panic; this is supposed to happen. When Windows 11 boots back up, it will take you through the setup screens again. However, when you arrive at the “Let’s connect you to a network” screen this time, a brand-new button will appear at the bottom next to the Next button: “I don’t have internet.”
Click “I don’t have internet,” and then click “Continue with limited setup.” Windows will now allow you to bypass the cloud restrictions and create a normal, local user profile directly on your hard drive.