When installing Windows 11 Home, you’re forced to connect to Microsoft’s services, but what if the internet is down? This article will show you how to install Windows 11 offline.
To complete the Windows 11 setup, Microsoft requires that your system has an active internet connection. Before you start using Windows 11, it will ask you to log into your Microsoft account so that you may receive crucial updates and new functions.
If you want to utilize a local user account or don’t have an active internet connection during setup, this becomes a problem. We’ll teach you how to get around this restriction and install Windows 11 without using the internet.
Why Does Windows 11’s Setup Require an Internet Connection?
Updates, downloads, and some functions require an active internet connection, according to Microsoft. Furthermore, to finish device setup on the first use, Windows 11 Home version requires a Microsoft Account.
However, for a variety of reasons, this may not be possible. You may prefer to use a local user account at first, but connecting to the Internet will force you to use a Microsoft account. The second probable issue is that the WiFi drivers required to connect to the network are missing. Finally, you may want to get around this restriction if you don’t have access to a working Internet connection.
It was simple to get around this restriction in Windows 10. You can select “I don’t have internet” and proceed to create a local user account and finish the setup.
The “next” button in Windows 11 is greyed out at the “let’s connect you to a network” screen. Users of the Pro edition can select “I don’t have internet” and complete the setup with a local user account; however, users of the Home edition do not have this option.
Here are a couple of solutions for installing Windows 11 Home without access to the Internet.
1. End Network Connection Flow Process Using Task Manager
By using the Task Manager to stop the oobenetworkconnectionflow.exe activity, you can skip the “let’s connect you to a network” page.
Because you already have Windows 11 installed, you may use Command Prompt to launch the Task Manager on top of the setup wizard and terminate it. This is how you do it.
1. To open the Command Prompt, press Shift + F10 while in the Let’s connect you to a network screen.
2. To open Task Manager, type taskmgr in the Command Prompt window and press Enter.
3. Alternatively, to run Task Manager without Command Prompt, use Ctrl + Shift + Esc.
4. To see Task Manager in its entirety, click More Details.
5. Locate Network Connection Flow in the Processes tab.
6. After that, select Network Connection Flow and click the End task button. Close the Task Manager after the process has been completed.
7. In the Command Prompt, type exit and press enter.
You’ll be taken back to the setup wizard now. It will display a loading animation before moving on to the next phase. To finish the setup, enter your name and password here to create a local user account.
2. Directly Kill Network Connection Flow Using the Command Prompt
If you can’t get the Network Connect Flow to stop using Task Manager, you can use the Command Prompt to kill it. This is how you do it.
1. To open Command Prompt, click Shift + F10 on the Let’s connect you to a network screen.
2. Type the following command in the Command prompt window and press Enter to run it:
taskkill /F /IM oobenetworkconnectionflow.exe
3. To proceed with the setup, close the Command Prompt window after it has been executed.
3. Skip Let’s Connect You to a Network Page with Alt + F4
This solution is hit-or-miss, but it appears to have benefited a few people. To close the necessary Internet connection required window, hit the Alt + F4 combo when you get to the “let’s connect you to a network” screen. When working on your desktop, you can also utilize this shortcut to close active windows/programs.
If everything goes well, Windows 11 will skip the current screen and proceed to the next. After you’ve completed this step, you’ll be able to create a local user account and finish the setup.
Complete Windows 11 Setup Without the Internet
You can skip the let’s connect to the network window and complete the Windows 11 setup without using the internet by using one of the two options indicated above.
Connect to the Internet once you’ve completed the setup and created a local user account to receive crucial security updates and features. Following the initial setup, you may notice a few missing icons. When you connect to the Internet again, Windows will download these icons.
