May 2024 Update: Microsoft is updating Windows 11 to disregard “no@thankyou.com”. If you attempt this trick on a new Win11 PC, it will no longer work! But it should still work on Windows 10, if you should have to reinstall or reset an older system.
If you want to use your Windows 11 computer without a Microsoft account, your easiest way forward is to sign in with a Microsoft account, and then later switch to a local account with these steps. I will update this post if the situation develops further.
When first turning on a new PC, you’ll field a few basic questions before meeting the demand that you use a Microsoft account. And while there are some benefits to doing so, not everyone wants to do that. Some people just want to keep their email and other info to themselves. If this is your preference, then you need to know about “no@thankyou.com“.
Windows 11 is very forceful about getting everyone to use a Microsoft account. If you are sitting at a Sign In screen on your new PC, you probably will see no way around it. Here’s how to bypass this requirement:
In the field asking for an email, phone or Skype, type in no@thankyou.com
Click Next and the next screen will ask for password entry. Type anything you want (it doesn’t matter) in the field and click the Sign In button.
You will get an error because the sign-in attempt failed. And on the next screen, you’ll be asked “Who’s going to use this device?” Simply type in any name you wish, and you won’t be asked again for a Microsoft account!
After entering your name, you will be asked to supply a password. This can be anything you want, short or long. Or you can even leave it blank (if you don’t want a password on your computer).
Password Caveats
If you choose to setup your computer with no password, please understand that this makes your computer usable by anyone who touches it. This may be perfectly fine, in a secure household with trusted family members. You would not want to do this if you have naughty children or devious roommates.
If you set any kind of password on this final screen, you have got to be extra-careful. Be accurate with your typing and never lose this password! This is a local password, which means you cannot reset it on the Microsoft website. It is stored only on the hard drive. If you forget this password, then your computer will be completely unusable until you erase it and reinstall Windows!
This, as of today when I tried it, causes a BSOD of death, time for a new work around. =(
Sorry to hear that, but I’ve also used it today on a few new computers, and it worked as well as it always has for me. Perhaps there’s something amiss with your computer?