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This guide walks you through setting up a brand-new Windows laptop as a self-managed (unmanaged) device and then connecting it to the PFM Microsoft 365 cloud environment. Follow every step in order — skipping steps will cause problems later.
Before You Start - Key Terms Explained
This setup is a little different from a typical home PC setup. Here's what you need to understand before you begin:
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Term |
What it means in plain language |
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Unmanaged / self-managed device |
A personal or franchise-owned laptop that is NOT enrolled in PFM's IT management system. IT cannot push updates or settings to it remotely. |
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Local admin account |
A Windows username and password that lives only on that computer - not connected to Microsoft 365. Used to log into Windows itself. |
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OOBE |
Out Of Box Experience - the setup screens that appear the first time you turn on a new Windows PC. |
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BypassNRO |
A Windows setup command that lets you finish setting up the PC without connecting to the internet or signing into a Microsoft account during setup. |
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Work account (Microsoft 365) |
Your company email and password used to access Outlook, Teams, OneDrive, SharePoint, and all cloud tools - separate from the local Windows login. |
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Sign in to this app only |
Keeps your work Microsoft account limited to specific apps (OneDrive) without taking over the whole Windows login experience. |
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🧠 How this works in practice: Every employee logs into Windows using the same shared local account. Then, inside Windows, each person signs into their own Microsoft 365 work account to access email, Teams, OneDrive, and SharePoint. The Windows login is the door to the computer - the Microsoft 365 login is the door to all work tools. |
What You Need Before Starting
- A brand-new Windows 11 laptop still in setup mode (or one being reset to factory settings)
- Your local admin username and password - get these from your franchise owner before you begin
- Your Microsoft 365 work email address and password
- A Wi-Fi network name and password for the location (you will connect after setup is complete)
- About 20–30 minutes with no interruptions
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⚠️ Do not start this process without the local admin credentials. If you don't have them, contact your franchise owner or IT Help Desk before turning on the laptop. |
PHASE 1 OF 2 - Windows Setup (Out of Box Experience)
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1 |
Power on the laptop and begin setup Press the power button. The laptop will boot into the Windows setup screens — this is called the Out of Box Experience (OOBE). Choose your region, language, and keyboard layout when prompted. These are straightforward - select what applies to your location. |
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2 |
Stop! Do NOT connect to WiFi when asked or enter an Email. Complete Step 3 before doing anything else. |
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3 |
Bypass the internet connection requirement and Microsoft email entry When the setup reaches the screen asking you to connect to a Wi-Fi network, do the following:
Press Shift + F10 on your keyboard to open a Command Prompt window.
On some laptops you may need to press Fn + Shift + F10 instead. If a black Command Prompt window opens, you did it correctly.
Note: If the Command Prompt does not open after trying both combinations, check if your laptop has a dedicated Fn lock key and try toggling it first. |
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4 |
Run the bypass command Clink inside the black Command Prompt window and type exactly the following then press Enter:
oobe\bypassnro
The laptop will restart automatically. This is normal - let it restart and continue to the next step.
Important: Make sure to type a backslash ( \ ) between oobe and bypassnro — not a forward slash ( / ). |
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5 |
Select "I don't have internet" After the restart, setup will continue and bring you back to the network connection screen.
This time you will see a new option at the bottom of the screen: "I don't have internet". Click it.
On the next screen, click "Continue with limited setup" to proceed without an internet connection. |
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6 |
Create the local account Windows will now ask you to create a user account. This is the local admin account - the shared login every employee uses to get into Windows on this device.
Username: Enter the standard local admin username provided by your franchise owner. Password: Enter the standard local admin password provided by your franchise owner. Security questions: You must answer three security questions. Use consistent, memorable answers - these are a fallback if the password is forgotten.
Use the same username and password on every laptop at your location. This is intentional - it allows any employee to log in to any device. |
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🔴 Keep the local admin credentials secure. Do not write the local admin password on a sticky note attached to the laptop. Store it somewhere safe — a locked document, a password manager, or with your franchise owner. If this password is lost and security question answers are forgotten, the laptop will need to be factory reset. |
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7 |
Complete remaining setup screens and connect to Wi-Fi Windows will show a few more setup screens for privacy settings, optional features, and Cortana. You can click "Not now" or "Skip" on all of these — they are optional.
Once you reach the Windows desktop, connect to your Wi-Fi network using the network icon in the bottom-right corner of the taskbar.
Windows setup is now complete. The laptop is ready for use. |
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✅ Phase 1 complete. Your laptop has a local admin account and is connected to the internet. Every employee at this location will log into Windows using the local admin username and password you just created. |
PHASE 2 OF 2 — Connecting to Microsoft 365 via OneDrive
Now that Windows is set up, each employee needs to sign into their own Microsoft 365 work account. OneDrive is the entry point — signing in here connects to cloud storage, and from there the employee accesses Outlook, Teams, SharePoint, and all other M365 tools through the browser.
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⚠️ Each employee does this themselves using their own work email and password. Do not sign in as another employee. Phase 2 is per-person, not per-device. |
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8 |
Open the OneDrive app Click the search bar at the bottom of the taskbar (the magnifying glass icon) and type OneDrive.
Click the OneDrive app in the search results - it has a blue cloud icon.
If OneDrive is already running, you may see its icon in the system tray (bottom-right corner, near the clock). Click it to open the OneDrive panel. |
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9 |
Sign in with your work Microsoft 365 account The OneDrive setup wizard will open. Enter your full work email address (e.g. [email protected]) and click Sign in.
You will be redirected to the Microsoft sign-in page. Enter your password and complete the MFA prompt if required.
Follow the on-screen prompts to complete the OneDrive setup. When given options, use the default settings unless instructed otherwise by IT. |
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10 |
CRITICAL — Do NOT enable device management when prompted During or after OneDrive sign-in, Windows may display a prompt asking if you want to allow your organization to manage this device. This will look something like:
"Allow my organization to manage my device"
Do NOT click Yes or Allow on this prompt.
Then Click "No, sign in to this app only" on the next prompt.
If you click Yes,you will get an error indicating that Device Management Could not be Enabled. |
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11 |
Confirm OneDrive is running and syncing After setup completes, look for the blue cloud icon in the system tray (bottom-right corner near the clock).
Click it - it should show your work email address and a sync status. Files will begin syncing from your OneDrive to the laptop.
You will also see a new OneDrive folder appear in File Explorer under the left panel - it will be labeled with your name and organization (e.g. "OneDrive - Premier Franchise Management"). |
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✅ Phase 2 complete. OneDrive is connected to your work account. Your cloud files are now accessible from this laptop. |
How Employees Use the Device Day-to-Day
Once setup is complete, the daily workflow is straightforward:
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Daily login flow for every employee: 1. Log into Windows using the shared local admin username and password. 2. Open a browser and go to office.com - sign in with your own work email and password. 3. Access Outlook, Teams, SharePoint, and all other M365 tools from the browser. 4. OneDrive syncs automatically in the background - files are accessible in File Explorer. 5. When finished, sign out of office.com. The Windows local admin session can stay logged in. |
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💡 Each employee's work data stays separate because it lives in their individual Microsoft 365 cloud account — not on the local device. Logging into Windows with the shared account does not mix up anyone's files, email, or Teams. |
Troubleshooting Common Setup Issues
- Shift+F10 does not open a Command Prompt: Try Fn+Shift+F10. If still nothing, check if your laptop has an Fn Lock key (usually labeled FnLock or a padlock icon on the Fn key) and toggle it, then try again.
- The "I don't have internet" option does not appear after restart: The bypassnro command may not have run correctly. Restart the setup process — hold the power button for 10 seconds to force shutdown, then power on again. Carefully retype the command and confirm the laptop restarts before proceeding.
- Windows asks to create a PIN or link a phone number during setup: Click "Skip for now" or "I'll do it later" on all of these prompts. You do not need a PIN or phone number for the local admin account.
- OneDrive keeps prompting for device management after saying No: If the prompt reappears, dismiss it each time. If it becomes persistent, contact IT — there may be a conditional access policy that needs adjustment for self-managed devices.
- OneDrive shows a red X and won't sync: Sign out of OneDrive (right-click the tray icon → Settings → Account → Unlink this PC) and sign back in. Make sure you are using your work email, not a personal Microsoft account.
- Employee accidentally clicked "Yes" on the device management prompt: Contact IT immediately. They will need to unenroll the device from Intune before the self-managed setup will work correctly.
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🛟 Still stuck? Contact the IT Help Desk. Have your device model, Windows version, and a description of where in the setup you got stuck. |
