Using a local account on Windows

[PJ03]

New laptop here. . .and after installing some programs and realizing Windows used One Drive for a lot of my personal info . . . example: I use PaintShop Pro and my plugins are installed in the My Documents folder and only after installing a BUNCH of plugins I realized they were linking to One Drive (meaning, PaintShop Pro HAD TO use the link MS had created to One Drive) . . . so, I moved them to the NORMAL area of My Documents (removed them from One Drive) and changed the link in PaintShop Pro to the My Documents folder.  And now after switching to a Local account, NONE of the plugins are working.  I verified the plugins ARE in the My Documents folder, but they aren't working.  AUGH!  So, I guess I will start over and reinstall everything.  My question:  To use a Local account on Windows 11 is it best to switch to Local account "immediately" after installing Windows 11?  I was never FORCED to use a MS account when "installing" Windows in the past and this is being so very frustrating. 

[Paul_Tikkanen]

Hi:

Unbeknownst to me at the time, there is a way to use a local account to install W11 and it is fairly easy to do.

See this link:

How to bypass internet connection to install Windows 11 - Pureinfotech

What I had done prior to finding this little secret, I used my Microsoft account to set up the PC.

Then before I did anything else, I added my local account as a new user.

I made sure to change the default setting from Standard User to Administrator.

Once that was completed, in my new local account, I deleted my Microsoft user profile leaving me with just the local account.

Then I installed my programs and files.

But by following the guidance in the above link, I can now skip using my Microsoft account to set up the PC and to straight to a Local account.

[PJ03]

Oh wow, this sounds incredible, Paul!  I did this on an older version of Windows 11 (simply by disconnecting the WiFi) and it worked fine, but those steps I used back then didn't work on the newer version of Windows 11.  I will definitely try this.

One other question since I will be reinstalling. . .  on an older PC I had Windows 7 PRO and I used that license to upgrade to Windows 10 PRO, but that's not working on the newer versions of Windows 11.  Is there a means of getting that Windows 7 PRO license to work for upgrading to Windows 11 PRO?

[Paul_Tikkanen]

Hi, @PJ03 

I never tried the method to use the W7 Pro product key to try and upgrade to W11 Pro, but it did work fine for me on W10.

So, the only suggestion I can offer would be to install W10 on the PC, and then use the product key to upgrade to W10 Pro and then do an in-place upgrade from W10 Pro > W11 Pro.

[PJ03]

I think I would like to try your suggestions regarding installing Win 10 first,  Paul_Tikkanen,  but I don't actually have Windows 10 to do an install.  I only have a flash drive for this new laptop which has Windows 11 on it.  Any suggestions?                  

[Paul_Tikkanen]

What model notebook do you want to install W10 on?

The new models with the Intel 11th gen and newer core processors require the user to install the storage controller drivers early in the installation because Windows can't find the hard drive to install on.

You can use the Microsoft Media creation tool to create a bootable USB drive to install W10 on your PC.

Download Windows 10 (microsoft.com)

The W11 product key in your PCs BIOS will also activate W10.

[PJ03]

Paul_Tikkanen,  I have an older HP Pavilion - 15-au147cl laptop; that's the one I used the Win 7 PRO key on to upgrade it to Win 10 PRO.

Now, the model I might consider installing Win 10 on (before upgrading the Win 11 PRO) is: Victus by HP 15.6 inch Gaming Laptop 15-fa0000 (599K3AV.  It's 12th generation.  Are you saying to use the older laptop BIOS info to create the Microsoft Windows 10 Media flash drive and then use the flash drive to install Win 10 on this new laptop?

[Paul_Tikkanen]

No, that is not what I am writing.

You have to clean install W10 and use another W7 Pro or W8.1 Pro upgrade key to enter in the change product key section to upgrade to W11.

You do it the same way you did when you upgraded your 15-au147cl from W10 Home to W10 Pro.

I doubt that can reuse the same Pro key you used on the 15-au147cl.

If you don't have another Windows Pro key, you'll probably have to pay the $99 to upgrade from W11 Home > W11 Pro.

I have zipped up and attached the storage controller drivers that should work on the Intel 12th gen core platforms for W10 to see the drive.

There won't be any W10 drivers for your notebook but all you really need is the Wi-Fi driver so you can connect to the internet.

If the upgrade to W10 Pro is successful and the in-place upgrade from W10 Pro > W11 Pro is successful, then you can use the W11 drivers from your notebook's support page.

[PJ03]

Paul_Tikkanen, this sounds like it might be above my pay-grade (lol) but I can try it.  To try it I would need to create the Win10 Media on a flash drive and have the drivers you shared handy in case they are needed to connect to WiFi to  download the rest of the proper drivers?  Then, I could try to use the same Win7 PRO key to upgrade the Win10 to Win10 PRO. ..  and then, try upgrading that to Win11 PRO?

[Paul_Tikkanen]

That is pretty much correct.

The drivers I zipped up and attached should allow W10 to find the hard drive.

They have nothing to do with the Wi-Fi. 

If the Wi-Fi adapter needs a driver, you would install that after W10 has completed installing with the applicable W10 wifi driver.

So, from the beginning:

You make the bootable W10 installation flash drive with the media creation tool.

Get another flash drive, unzip and copy the drivers I attached to the flash drive.

After the media is created you have both flash drives plugged into your notebook's USB ports.

Turn on or restart the PC.

Immediately press/tap the ESC key to get the menu of options.

Select the F9 boot options menu and from that select the USB flash drive with W10 on it, and press the Enter key.

The PC should boot from the flash drive and in a few moments, W10 should begin to load the installation files.

Then it will arrive at a screen where it has an Install Now button to click on.

Then it will ask 'where do you want to install Windows', that is where you are going to run into the obstacle.

You will get a message that states in substance that 'Windows cannot find any drives to install on.'

At this point you click on the 'Load driver' option you see on that screen and browse to the other USB flash drive with the Intel storage controller drivers on it.

If you check the box, it will only include the compatible driver.

Click next, and hopefully W10 will find the drive and install.

I recommend you install W10 on the existing W11 partition and it will create a Windows.old folder.

You can delete that folder after you are completely successful, and I will write how to do that.

Then if you have a Wi-Fi connection, you finish the setup and try the upgrade from W10 Home to W10 Pro with your W7, or 8.1 product key,

If you let me know what model Wi-Fi adapter your notebook has, I will post the link to the W10 driver for it just in case.

If the upgrade to W10 Pro is successful, you can use the Windows update utility to do an in-place upgrade to W11 Pro.

If you are impatient like I am, and the W11 update does not immediately show up in Windows update, click on the blue W11 Installation assistant button (1st option) at the link below to upgrade to W11 right away.

Download Windows 11 (microsoft.com)

Clear as mud?