Windows trying to force me to create Microsoft account

Hi, I've just bought a new laptop and whilst following the setup sequence I've landed on a page that wants me to create a Microsoft account. I don't want to do this, I simply want to create a local Windows admin account but I can't escape from this page. Having reached this page the back button just returns to it and no other options are available except Create a new (Microsoft) account. It doesn't even have an option to shut the PC down, the only way I can do it is using the power button.

During the setup sequence I selected the region, keyboard and connected to my router. At no point was any other option offered until I landed on the offending page. After shutting the laptop down the next time I power it up it immediately returns to this page.

Has anyone encountered this problem and/or know of a way round it?

Regards,
Mike.

In the lower left of the setup window, click Offline Account - Limited Experience

Known maliciousness in previous versions of Home edition. Workaround: disconnect comp from network (disconnect or power off wifi router), power off the comp by removing battery or pressing Power button for 5sec, repeat again.

Gwaihir said:

I simply want to create a local Windows admin account but I can't escape from this page..

You can put in a bogus Telephone number too:

Clean Install Windows 10

Thanks everyone for responding. I've resolved it and am kicking myself for not reading the "Learn more" bit. It turns out that one has to go through the palaver of setting up an account then once Windows is configured one can opt to create a Windows account and remove the Microsoft one. That seems a cack-handed way of going about it but I suppose it's Microsoft trying to trick unsuspecting users into creating an account with them.

The morality of that seems a bit questionable to me but it's what we've come to expect from the big tech corporations.

Gwaihir said:

... It turns out that one has to go through the palaver of setting up an account then once Windows is configured one can opt to create a Windows account and remove the Microsoft one. That seems a cack-handed way of going about it but I suppose it's Microsoft trying to trick unsuspecting users into creating an account with them....

That's one way, but it's not the simplest. You can go straight to creating a local account at the beginning as explained in Farvatten's link in post #4.