Microsoft will force Windows 11 installs to use a Microsoft Account — confirms removal of popular setup bypass

It needs mentioning that the BYPASSNRO command is already non-trivial among consumer/non-technical users.

This development is another part of a long game to normalize the thin-clientification of the PC.

More reason to use answer files because they're a mainstay in professional/corporate IT and less susceptible to the turbulence of the consumer world.

Silver lining is that it is good learning opportunity for those wanting a reason to get more adept at the deployment side of things.

Where there is a will, there will be a command.  MS get out of my pants!

1 hour ago, Nuclear Fallout said:

Where there is a will, there will be a command.  MS get out of my pants!

Unfortunately for regular users, that "will" comes increasingly from only corporate IT (as opposed to hobbyists - think something akin to FOSS community)

I've personally noticed that we've been going from simply applying registry keys to now needing professional deployment tools (e.g. MS's WADK or third-party tools like DISMTools).

Workaround...

Yet another demonstration that the Internet collectively is smarter than any big tech company.

As a very desperate last-ditch effort, users might even be forced to try upgrading via an install right on top of the existing version. 

not in EU

Yeah. Right. Microsoft can make it as hard as they want for end users to avoid using a Microsoft Account. But there will always be an end user who finds a way to bypass that requirement.

To Nadella and his sycopant minions, give it up already. Your abmormal fixation on telemetry -- essentially cyber-voyeurism -- is driving your company to ruins. We await your resignations.