Creating multiple users in Windows is a good way Protect and manage environments where multiple people use the same computers. And we are thinking, for example, of a home office, a large family or a small company with several employees. Another use case is a user who wants to separate professional or personal tasks.

Let’s recall the obvious: when several users use the same computer (with the same account), there is a significant risk to privacy and security, because everyone has access to their data, their personal files or search history. This problem can be avoided by creating separate profiles for each user. In addition to protecting information, it allows each of them to customize general usage preferences and other parameters to improve the operating system experience. The latter applies when the same user creates multiple accounts.

New users to Windows

Starting with the standard single-user PC, they exist several ways to add new accounts and different typesthree in particular: a Microsoft account, a local account, or a family account.

Microsoft recommends using custom IDs, but more for business reasons, as each has its advantages. If you regularly use the company’s services (OneDrive, Office, Xbox…) a Microsoft account It will offer you advantages such as better connection with Microsoft applications and cloud services, better synchronization with other devices or access to additional functions.

As regards local accounts (in our opinion, the most recommended) have the advantage of not being linked to an online identity that can be hacked, and above all, more privacy, which is one of the most controversial points of the latest Windows, whose telemetry and data collection is enormous. The family account is special and is used to add a child user and use parental controls.

Creating a new user in Windows is easy and can be done in a few steps. Remember that you must have administrative rights to the account you use by default to create others. The methods we will see work the same way for Windows 10 and Windows 11.

From the settings

The General System Configuration Tool is the most famous way to create new users in Windows 11. Here you can create any of them by following these steps:

• Click the Start button and select Settings.
• Switch to the Accounts section and select Other Users.
• Click the “Add Account” button and you’ll be given the option to create a Microsoft account or a local account.

• To create a user with a Microsoft account, enter the email address or phone number of the person you want to add, click Next, and then click Finish.

• When a user first logs in via email or phone, they will be required to enter a password to access their profile.
• To create a user with a local account, click “I don’t have this person’s credentials” and select “Add a user without a Microsoft account.”
• Enter your account username. If you are creating a profile for someone else, you can skip the step of entering a password so that person can create their own password.

• If you choose to choose a password, you will need to select and answer three different security questions. This will be useful for recovering your account if you forget your password. Finally, click Next to complete the process.

Once the account is created, you can change its type, that is, convert it to an administrator. Find the newly created account in the Other Users section, expand it and click the ‘Change Account Type’ button. A new window will appear. Expand the Account Type drop-down menu and select Administrator.

Add the user as a family member

You can create a new user in Windows 11 by adding them to a family group with a Microsoft account. This is especially useful if you want to set up parental controls to monitor your child’s activities on a Windows 11 device. You can set screen time limits, restrict content, and even monitor your child’s online activity.

Procedure:

• Press Windows + I to open Windows General Settings.
• Switch to the Accounts tab, select Family and click the add button.
• Enter the email you want to add or click the “Create for child” option.
• You will be asked if the new user will be an Organizer or a Member. Select the appropriate option and click the Invite button to finish.

Please state that administration of the ‘Your Family’ section, including the creation of new accounts, must be done by a user with administrative privileges and signed in with a Microsoft ID account. You can manage added child users from the Microsoft Family Safety website.

From the team manager

The Computer Management application that is part of the Control Panel is a powerful Windows tool that contains several tools, including the one available. If you work in a professional environment and need to quickly create a few new users in Windows 11, this is a good way to do it:

• Right-click the Start button and select Computer Management from the list.

• In the left pane, expand the Local Users and Groups section.
• Right-click the Users folder and select New User. Choose a username and, if applicable, a full name and password.
• You can configure a password and allow users to change it at first login. Or, if you want more control, you can check “User cannot change password”.

Finally, click the Create button. The window for creating new users will remain open in case you want to create new users. This method is effective precisely because of its efficiency in adding a large number of users. However, only local users can be created.

Using the Netplwiz command

Netplwiz or Network Site Wizard is another way to create a new user in Windows 11. It is a valuable tool for creating, deleting and managing user accounts.

• Right-click the Start button and select Run to open a dialog box. Type ‘netplwiz’ and press Enter.

• On the Users tab, click the Add button. You will be offered two options: create a Microsoft account or a local account.
• Follow the instructions for each one, use Microsoft ID accounts in the first case or select “Sign in without a Microsoft account” for local ones.

Using the console

The Windows console also exists and is often the fastest and most efficient way to manage anything and also manage user accounts. And you can create a new user with a single command, which is especially useful when you need to add a large number of users. Using this tool is also very useful in situations where other methods do not work, for example, when you boot the system in safe mode using the command line. Procedure:

• Right-click the Start button and select Terminal (in administrator mode).

• Enter the command “net user [nombre de usuario] [contraseña] /add.”
• If you need to add users to a specific group (for example, administrators), you can do so using the “net localgroup Administrators [nombre de usuario] /add”.

As you may have read, there are several possible ways to create new users in Windows to protect multi-user environments where different people use the same personal computers. It can also be used by one person to separate tasks such as work and personal.