Windows 11 Pro account requirement: Microsoft account mandatory

Microsoft once again tightens the reins regarding the account requirement. According to the release notes of Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 22557, Windows 11 Pro will also require a Microsoft account for new installations in the future. Until now, Windows 11 Pro could also be installed offline.

Windows 11 Pro account requirement for new installation

Windows 11 Pro could be installed offline, unlike Windows 11 Home. From now on, however, an account with the manufacturer will also be required for the Professional variant of the Microsoft operating system. This can be seen in the notes of the freshly published Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 22557.

Under the “other changes” section, it states:

Just like Windows 11 Home Edition, Windows 11 Pro Edition now requires an active Internet connection during initial device setup (OOBE). If they are setting up the device for home use, an MSA [Microsoft account] will also be required for setup.

While Windows 11 Pro could previously be installed and used in offline mode and without an active Microsoft account, both will now become a mandatory requirement for a new installation. Until now, both were only mandatory for Windows 11 Home.  This is also reported by journalist Tom Warren from the website The Verge via Twitter.

Probably mandatory from autumn 2022

The Windows 11 Pro account requirement is expected to become mandatory with the Windows 11 22H2 update released in the fall of 2022. However, new installations of the Windows 11 Insider Preview in the Beta Dev Channel already require an active Internet connection and a Microsoft account.

The tightening of the guidelines will probably not please Pro users at all. After all, offline use without an account was one of the most important advantages of the Pro version of Windows 11.