

Here is the procedure for creating user accounts in Windows 8.1:ġ – Log in to a user account that has Administrator privileges.Ģ – While on the Start Screen, type Add User.ģ – Click Give other users access to this computer.ĥ – Click Sign in without a Microsoft account.ħ – Type a name for the new account into the text box (the user’s first name typically works fine).Ĩ – If desired, enter a password for the account along with a password hint.

And if more than one person will be using the same PC each user should have their own Standard account. The Administrator account should only be used when a task absolutely has to be done that a Standard user account is prohibited from doing.ĭuring normal use it is always best to log in to a Standard account. This is why every computer owner need to have both an Administrator account and a Limited (Standard) account on his/her PC. It’s quite easy for an Administrator to accidentally delete an important system file or change a setting that renders the PC unstable or unbootable. Unfortunately, you also have the ability to do things that you never really intended to do, some of which can cause major problems with the computer. And as you can imagine, that makes your system more secure.Īs you can see, when you’re logged into an Administrator you have the ability to do most anything you wish to do with the PC. What’s more, using a standard account will prevent most malware and other malicious programs and apps from making changes to your Windows system. He/she can view every file on the system, change system-wide system settings, run all installed programs, add new programs, install new hardware and change the usernames and passwords of other users.Ģ – Standard Account – A Standard user account cannot change most system-wide settings, run software that the account hasn’t been given permission to use, install new software or hardware that affects the entire system or change the usernames and passwords of other users. In a nutshell, a user logged into an account with Administrator privileges can do pretty much anything on the computer.

In my opinion every PC should have one account of each type installed even if only one person will be using the computer.Ī quick rundown of the differences between the two account types will make it easy to understand why I make this recommendation:ġ – Administrator Account – An Administrator account on a Windows PC is very much like the Root account on a Unix/Linux machine. Every modern version of Microsoft Windows allows you to create two types of local user accounts.
