How to Install and Set Up Windows 11 Without an Internet Connection: When Windows 11 Home is installed, it requires you to connect to Microsoft’s services, but what if the internet is down? This article will demonstrate how to install Windows 11 offline.
Complete setup installs Windows 11 without the need for an internet connection.
Microsoft demands that your system be connected to the internet in order to complete the Windows 11 installation. It will prompt you to sign in with your Microsoft account in order to obtain crucial updates and new features prior to installing Windows 11.
This becomes a problem if you wish to utilize a local user account or if you are not connected to the internet during setup. In this article, we’ll demonstrate how to circumvent this restriction and complete the Windows 11 setup without requiring an internet connection.
Why Is Internet Connection Required During Windows 11 Setup?
Let us establish a network connection for you.
Microsoft states that you must have an active internet connection to perform updates, download and use some functions. Additionally, Windows 11 Home edition requires a Microsoft Account for the first setup of the device.
This, however, may not be viable for a variety of reasons. To begin, you may wish to log in with a local user account; however, connecting to the Internet forces you to use a Microsoft account. The second possibility is that WiFi drivers are missing, preventing the computer from connecting to the network. Finally, the absence of a functional Internet connection is another reason you would desire to circumvent this restriction.
Bypassing this restriction was simple in Windows 10. You could select “I don’t have internet” and continue with the setup by creating a local user account.
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However, Windows 11 freezes at the “let’s connect you to a network” page, with the “next” option disabled. Users of the Pro edition can select “I don’t have internet” and proceed with the setup using a local user account; however, users of the Home edition do not have this option.
How to Install and Set Up Windows 11 Without an Internet Connection
Several methods are provided below on How to Install and Set Up Windows 11 Without an Internet Connection
1. Bring the Network Connection Flow
Process to a halt Using Task Manager to terminate the flow of network connections task manager Install
You can bypass the “let’s connect you to a network” box by using the Task Manager to terminate the oobenetworkconnectionflow.exe process.
Because you already have Windows 11 installed at this point, you may use Command Prompt to activate the Task Manager on top of your setup wizard and terminate the process. This is how you do it.
- While at the Let me connect you to a network screen, click Shift + F10 to open the Command Prompt.
- To launch Task Manager, type taskmgr in the Command Prompt window and press Enter.
command prompt for task manager open
- Alternatively, you can run Task Manager without using the Command Prompt by pressing Ctrl + Shift + Esc.
To view Task Manager in its entirety, click More Details. - Locate Network Connection Flow under the Processes tab.
- After selecting Network Connection Flow, click the Finish task button.
- Allow the process to complete before closing the Task Manager.
- Enter exit in the Command Prompt.
You will now be returned to the setup wizard.
It will display a loading animation before moving on to the next phase. Here, you can establish a local user account and complete the setup by entering your name and password.
2. Immediately terminate the flow of network connections Using the Command Prompt to Terminate Network Connection Flow
If you are unable to terminate the Network Connect Flow via the Task Manager, you can terminate it directly from the Command Prompt. This is how you do it.
- Press Shift + F10 to open Command Prompt at the Let’s connect you to a network screen.
- Type the following command in the Command prompt window and press Enter to execute:
oobenetworkconnectionflow.exe taskkill /F /IM - Close the Command Prompt window once it has been executed to proceed with the setup.
3. Using Alt + F4, skip the Let’s Connect You to a Network page.
This approach is more hit or miss, but appears to have aided a small number of users. When the “let’s connect you to a network” screen appears, press the Alt + F4 combination to exit the needed Internet connection window. By the way, you can also use this shortcut to close open windows/programs while working on your desktop.
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If the operation is successful, Windows 11 will bypass the current screen and proceed to the next one. Once you’ve completed this step, you may proceed to establish a local user account and finish the setup.
Without Internet, Complete Windows 11 Installation
You can use one of the two techniques outlined above to bypass the Let’s connect to the network window and complete the Windows 11 setup process without using the internet.
That being said, once the setup is complete and a local user account has been created, connect to the Internet to download crucial security updates and features. Additionally, you may notice a few missing icons following the initial setup. Windows will automatically download these icons the next time you connect to the Internet.
