Applies to Windows 8, Windows RT

Creating a user account

With user accounts, several people can easily share a single PC. Each person can have a separate account with their own settings and preferences, like a desktop background or screen saver. User accounts also help control which files and applications each person can access and what changes they can make to the PC.

Watch a video about creating a user account. (To view captions in your language, tap or click the Closed captioning button Closed Captioning button.)

When you create a user account, you can create two types of accounts: a local account for that PC or a Microsoft account, which works on all the Windows 8 and Windows RT PCs you use. We recommend a Microsoft account.

Notes

Notes

  • If your PC is on a domain, you can create user accounts that give people access to your PC, but not to the domain. Only system administrators can create domain user accounts.

  • If you're having problems with your Microsoft account, you can try running the Microsoft Accounts troubleshooter . It's an automated tool that can find and automatically fix some problems. It's only available in US English, but will work in all languages.

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To create a Microsoft account

A Microsoft account is an email address and password that you use to sign in to Windows. You can use any email address, but it's best if you choose the one you already use to communicate with friends and sign in to your favourite websites. When you sign in to your PC with a Microsoft account, you’ll connect your PC to the people, files and devices you care about. (If you need an email address, we can give you one for free.)

When you sign in with a Microsoft account, your PC is connected to the cloud and:

  • Your friends’ contact information and status automatically stay up to date from places like Outlook.com, Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn.

  • You can get to and share your photos, documents and other files from places like SkyDrive, Facebook and Flickr.

  • Your personal settings are synchronised to any Windows 8 and Windows RT PCs, including your themes, language preferences, browser favourites and most apps.

  • You can get apps from the Windows Store and use them on up to five Windows 8 and Windows RT PCs. (Some apps require specific hardware configurations.)

Follow these steps to create a Microsoft account:

  1. Swipe in from the right edge of the screen, tap Settings, then tap Change PC settings.
    (If you're using a mouse, point to the top-right corner of the screen, move the mouse pointer down, click Settings, then click Change PC settings.)

  2. Tap or click Users.

  3. Tap or click Add a user.

  4. Enter the account information for this person to sign in to Windows. You can do this in two different ways:

    • If the person you're adding already has a Microsoft account, enter it now.

    • If the person you're adding doesn't have a Microsoft account, create a new one. Enter the email address that that person uses most frequently.

  5. Tap or click Next, then tap or click Finish.

To create a local account

A local account is an account that gives you access to one PC only. If you create a local account, you'll need a separate account for each PC you use. None of your settings will be synchronised between the Windows 8 PCs you use, and you won’t have the benefits of connecting your PC to the cloud. If you want to download apps from the Windows Store, you’ll need to use a Microsoft account.

Follow these steps to create a local account:

  1. Swipe in from the right edge of the screen, tap Settings, then tap Change PC settings.
    (If you're using a mouse, point to the top-right corner of the screen, move the mouse pointer down, click Settings, then click Change PC settings.)

  2. Tap or click Users.

  3. Tap or click Add a user, then tap or click Sign in without a Microsoft account

  4. Tap or click Local account.

  5. Enter a username for the new account.

  6. If you want this person to sign in with a password, enter and verify the password, add a password hint, then tap or click Next.

    If your PC is on a domain, the domain security settings might let you skip this step and just tap or click Next, if you prefer. People can create their own passwords later.

  7. Tap or click Finish.