Sharing a desktop on Windows with other users can be messy. It can get cluttered, things get deleted, and files get moved around. The user directory can become a disorganized mess. All in all, over time your Windows experience will suffer. That is part of the reason that setting up separate user accounts is an important thing that you should do. In this blog post we are going to go over what a user account is, how to set one up, and how to delete one that you no longer need.

 

What Are User Accounts?

 

A user is a person that does things on a computer. That would be you and whoever else you allow to use your PC. A user account allows a user to log onto Windows. In a way, it provides each user their own space in the system. Allowing each user have their own account has many benefits.

 

• Each user has their own desktop to organize and customize the way they want.
• Everyone gets their own user directory in which to keep their own files.
• It keeps the system far more organized and easier to administrate.
• You can set up accounts with different privileges to control how users can use the PC.
• Separate user accounts allows users a lot more much more of a customized experience using Windows.

 

In my next article I will explain a bit more why each user of your PC should have their own user account.

 

How to Add a New User Account in Windows 10

 

Adding new users to your Windows 10 system is easier than you might think. Take the following steps and you will be adding users like a champ.

1. Click “Start”.
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
2. Click “Settings”.
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
3. Click “Accounts”.
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
4. Click “Family & other users”.
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
5. Here you have two options: Choose between “Your family” or “Other users”. Generally you will want to choose “Other users”. Pick “Your family” to add a child so you can set limits on their activity, or an adult family member so they can monitor the activity of any added children. If you choose “Your family” just follow the prompts and provide the information requested.
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
6. If you chose “Other users” and are asked about entering an email or phone number, click “I don’t have this person’s sign-in information”. Then click “Add a user without a Microsoft account”. Continue on to the next step. If on the other hand the person you are adding will be logging on with a Microsoft account just fill in the information and follow the prompts until you are finished.
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
7. Assign their username and password.
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
8. Assign their security questions.
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
9. Click “Next”.
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   

That’s it. Now we are going to go over how to remove users.

 

How to Remove a User Account on Windows 10

 

Follow these steps to remove a user account.

1. Click “Start”.
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
2. Click “Settings”.
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
3. Click “Accounts”.
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
4. Click “Family & other users”.
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
5. Click on the user account that you want to delete.
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
6. Click “Delete account and data”.
   
   
   
   
   
   
   After taking the above steps the user account will me no more.

 

Now you can add and remove users in Windows 10. User accounts are a very important part of Windows. In the next post I will give you a tutorial on why it is important for every user of your computer to have their own account and how to set up permissions for them. Be sure to come back and check it out.