Computeractive

Use multiple accounts in
Windows 10
In Windows 10 you can create separate accounts for everyone in the family.
Barry Collins reveals why this is such a great idea
Before Windows 10, most PCs
were operated from a single
user account. Th at means the
computer belongs to one
person, and one person only.
Windows 10 now allows every family
member (and friends, colleagues or
people visiting for the weekend) to set
up their own dedicated account. Each
separate account owner can have their
own private email account, document
folders, Desktop wallpaper, Windows
apps and customised Start menu.
It’s not the same as setting up virtual
PCs – which is where you are effectively
creating an entirely new system inside
the same physical hardware - but the
benefi ts are similar and it’s much quicker
and easier to do. Here we’ll show you how.
Set up accounts for
family members
When you’re setting up a new account,
Windows 10 makes a distinction between
family members and ‘other’ users. Th e
main reason for this is to allow adults to
monitor their children’s accounts: giving
them permission to download apps, set
times they can use the computer and so
on. But you don’t have to have children,
You’ll be asked to choose whether the account
is for a child or adult for safety features
or even grandchildren, to fi nd this
feature useful.
If you’re in a household of adults and
grown-up children, it doesn’t really
matter which option you choose. Your
main decision will be whether you want
to use a Microsoft account or not.
If you’d rather not, you can set up a
completely local account. Th is means you
won’t be able to sync settings, bookmarks
and so on across diff erent PCs using your
Microsoft account, and it can make
buying Windows Store apps more tricky.
But if you’re determined not to give
Microsoft your email address and other
details, choose ‘Add someone else to this
PC’ under ‘other users’.
If other family members are happy to
use a Microsoft account, open Settings
from the Start menu and choose the
Accounts option. Click the ‘Family &
other users’ tab on the left-hand side of
the window that appears, then click ‘Add
a family member’. You’ll now be asked
whether you’re setting up an account for
an adult or a child, and prompted to
enter the new user’s email address. You’ll
then be asked to set up a Microsoft
account (if you don’t already have one
registered to that email address), then
follow the on-screen instructions.
Turn a standard account
into an admin account
By default, the person who fi rst set up the
PC will be the ‘administrator’ and any
secondary accounts added will be given
‘standard’ status.
Standard account holders have fewer
privileges: they can’t install most software
without the administrator’s password;
they can’t view the personal folders
(documents, photos and so on) of other
account holders; and they have limited
access to PC settings.
FIVE BEST REASONS TO USE WINDOWS 10 ACCOUNTS
1You save money
by buying one
Windows 10 PC
and turning it into a
computer everyone
can use in their own
way, in private.
2No one account
holder can see
another account
holder’s browser
history – so nobody’s
going to spot those
surprise holiday plans.
3Every family
member can have
their own Windows
settings, Desktop
wallpaper and Start
menu set-up, making it
feel like their “own” PC.
4Security is greatly
improved by
preventing standard
account holders from
inadvertently installing
software (including
associated adware).
5Standard account
holders can’t
view each other’s
personal folders, so
your files can’t be
accidentally deleted
by other people.
60 9 – 22 December 2015