Windows on Madhusudan Upadhyay — ICT Support Executive | Microsoft 365 & Endpoint Management

Bypass Microsoft Account Setup in Windows 11

Fri, 09 May 2025 00:00:00 +0000

Windows 11 pushes hard toward Microsoft accounts during setup. But plenty of us still need local accounts: for privacy, lab machines, or plain organizational policy. The start ms-cxh:localonly command gets you there. Below: what it does, how to use it step by step, and where it falls short.

Robocopy: Reliable File Copying Utility

Tue, 07 May 2024 00:00:00 +0000

Robocopy (Robust File Copy) is Microsoft’s command-line directory replication tool, built into Windows since Vista/Server 2008. It replaces xcopy with superior reliability, resume capability, and advanced features for enterprise file operations.

Why Robocopy?

Feature	xcopy	Robocopy
Resume on failure	❌	✅
Multi-threaded	❌	✅ (/MT)
Mirror directories	Limited	✅ (/MIR)
File attributes	Basic	Full preservation
Retry logic	None	Configurable
Logging	Minimal	Comprehensive
UNC/Long paths	Problematic	Native support
Bandwidth throttling	❌	✅ (/IPG)

Essential Syntax

robocopy <Source> <Destination> [<File>[ ...]] [<Options>]

Key concept: Robocopy works with directories, not individual files. Source and destination are folder paths.

The App Management on Windows 11

Sun, 07 Aug 2022 00:00:00 +0000

Windows 11 modernizes application management with a redesigned Settings interface, improved Microsoft Store, and the winget package manager for command-line automation.

Settings > Apps Interface

Installed Apps (Settings > Apps > Installed apps)

Sort by: Name, Date, Size
Filter by: Drive, All apps
Actions per app (three-dot menu):
- Move (if supported)
- Modify (repair/change)
- Uninstall
- Advanced options (terminate, repair, reset, permissions)

Default Apps (Settings > Apps > Default apps)

Set defaults by file type - .pdf, .jpg, .html, etc.
Set defaults by link type - mailto:, http:, ftp:
Choose defaults by app - Select app > see all associations

Startup Apps (Settings > Apps > Startup)

Toggle per-app startup behavior
Impact indicators: High/Medium/Low/None
Startup folder locations:
- User: shell:startup (%APPDATA%\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu\Programs\Startup)
- All Users: shell:common startup (%ProgramData%\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu\Programs\Startup)

Microsoft Store

Store App Management

Library - Owned apps, updates, downloads
Automatic updates - On by default (Settings > App updates)
Offline licenses - For enterprise/offline deployment

Store for Business/Education (Deprecated)

Replaced by Microsoft Intune for app deployment
Win32 app packaging - MSIX format for Store/Intune distribution

winget - Windows Package Manager

Installation

Built into Windows 11 (App Installer). Update via Store or:

Creating Bootable USB Drive of Windows 11 on Any PC

Thu, 04 Aug 2022 00:00:00 +0000

Creating a Windows 11 bootable USB is straightforward with several methods available. This guide covers all approaches including the official tool, third-party utilities, and command-line methods.

Requirements

USB Drive: 8 GB minimum (16 GB recommended)
Windows 11 ISO or internet connection for Media Creation Tool
Target PC: Check compatibility (see bypass section for unsupported hardware)

Method 1: Media Creation Tool (Official, Easiest)

Steps

Download from Microsoft Windows 11 Download
Run MediaCreationToolW11.exe as Administrator
Accept license terms
Select “Create installation media for another PC”
Choose: Language, Edition (Windows 11), Architecture (64-bit)
Select “USB flash drive”
Choose your USB drive
Wait for download and creation (~10-30 min)

Advantages

Official Microsoft tool
Always latest version
Handles drivers automatically

Limitations

Requires internet
No customization options
TPM 2.0/Secure Boot enforced

Method 2: Rufus (Advanced, Recommended)

Download

Rufus - Portable, no installation required

How to Install Windows 10

Sun, 26 Jul 2020 00:00:00 +0000

Prerequisites

USB Drive: 8 GB minimum
Windows 10 ISO or internet for Media Creation Tool
Product Key (or install without for trial)
Backup important data first

Step 1: Create Bootable USB

Option A: Media Creation Tool (Official)

Download from Microsoft Windows 10 Download
Run MediaCreationTool.exe as Administrator
“Create installation media for another PC”
Select: Language, Edition (Windows 10), Architecture (64-bit)
Choose USB flash drive → Select drive → Next
Wait for download & creation (~10-30 min)

Option B: Rufus (Advanced)

Download Rufus
Select USB → Select Windows 10 ISO
Partition: GPT (UEFI) or MBR (Legacy)
File System: NTFS
Start

Step 2: Boot from USB

BIOS/UEFI Settings

Setting	Value
Boot Mode	UEFI (recommended) or Legacy/CSM
Secure Boot	Enabled (UEFI)
Boot Order	USB first
Fast Boot	Disabled

Boot Process

Insert USB → Restart PC
Press boot key (F12, F11, F8, Esc, Del - varies by manufacturer)
Select USB drive → Enter
Windows Setup loads → Next

Step 3: Installation

1. Language & Region

Language: English (United States)
Time format: English (United States)
Keyboard: US → Next

2. Install Now

Click Install now

3. Product Key

Enter key OR click “I don’t have a product key”
Select edition: Windows 10 Home or Pro → Next

4. License Terms

✅ I accept → Next

5. Installation Type

Custom: Install Windows only (advanced)

6. Drive Selection

Scenario	Action
Clean install (new SSD/HDD)	Select Unallocated Space → New → Apply → Creates System Reserved + Primary
Replace existing Windows	Select each partition → Delete → Unallocated Space → New
Dual boot	Select free space → New → Don’t touch other OS partitions

⚠️ Warning: Deleting partitions destroys data. Backup first!