Rufus 3.19: Windows 11 22H2 without a Microsoft account
Rufus 3.19 is the most recent release of one of the best apps for making bootable USB sticks. Although it is still in beta, it has a very interesting feature in that it will allow you to install the future version of Windows 11 22H2 without requiring a Microsoft account.
Microsoft made it obligatory to have an Internet connection and a Microsoft account if you wanted to install a trial version of Windows 11 22H2 Pro starting last month.
If nothing changes, it will be required in the final version as well. Although there are some techniques to get around them, it is a major irritation that many users will dislike, and it contributes to the problematic minimum hardware requirements. It is what it is if you want Windows.
Rufus, which is free and open-source, is great for making bootable installation disks. If there are similar programs for Linux distributions, it is unequaled for Windows and we promote them whenever we can, as you will see in the guides and tutorials that we produce.
The recent weekend's release of Rufus 3.19 beta allows you to avoid the Microsoft account (MSA) requirement in Windows 11 22H2.
The option will be available in Rufus as part of a new selection window for configuring Windows 11 settings. You can also deselect the TPM and Secure Boot options in this section, which were added in the previous test version.
Simply download the Windows 11 ISO image; use the new Rufus options to generate installation media; and install while not connected to the Internet so that the installer provides you the choice to use a local account.
An online account has advantages such as a stronger connection with Microsoft apps and cloud services, greater synchronization with other computers, and access to functions such as password reset from the cloud.
A local account, on the other hand, has no modest advantages, such as not being linked to a Microsoft online identity that can be stolen and improved privacy, which was one of the most contentious aspects in Windows 11 as it was in Windows 10.
Otherwise, we don't understand Microsoft's adamant refusal to impose restrictions. You can highlight the benefits of your accounts, but do it in a transparent and non-obtrusive manner, allowing the user to select the one that best suits him.
Rufus 3.19 can be downloaded from its GitHub repository.
