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Managing user accounts and parental controls

A user account allows you to sign in to Windows 10. By default, your computer already has one user account, which you were required to create when setting up Windows for the first time. But if you plan to share your computer, you can create a separate user account for each member of your home or office.

Connecting users to a Microsoft account will help them get the most out of Windows. But if a user prefers not to create a Microsoft account, you can also add a local user account that exists only on your computer.

Watch the video below to learn more about creating and managing user accounts:

Note that you must be signed in as an Administrator (the first user account created on your computer) to add a new user.

To add a new user (with a Microsoft account):

1. Open the Settings app, then select Accounts.
   
2. Select Family & other users. Scroll down to the Other Users section, then choose Add someone else to this PC.
   
3. If the new user already has a Microsoft account, enter the associated email address, then click Next.
   
4. The user can then sign in to the computer with his or her Microsoft account information. Note that it may take several minutes to configure a user's settings when logging in with a Microsoft account for the first time.

To add a new local user (without a Microsoft account):

1. From the Account settings, click Add someone else to this PC.
   
2. Select The person I want to add doesn't have an email address.
   
3. The account creation screen will appear. Select Add a user without a Microsoft account.
   
4. Enter an account name, then type the desired password. It's important to choose a strong password—in other words, one that is easy to remember but difficult for others to guess. For more information, check out Password Tips in our Tech Savvy Tips and Tricks tutorial. When you're finished, click Next.
   
5. The local user can then sign in to the computer with this account information.

Signing out and switching users

If you're finished using your account, you can sign out. To do this, click the Start button, select the current account in the top-left corner, then choose Sign out. Other users will then be able to sign in from the lock screen.

It's also easy to switch between users without signing out or closing your current apps. Switching users will lock the current user, so you won't need to worry about someone else accessing your account. To do this, select the current account, then choose the desired user from the drop-down menu. You can use this same method to switch back to the other user.

Managing user accounts

By default, the user account you created when setting up your computer is an Administrator account. An Administrator account allows you to make top-level changes to the computer, like adding new users or modifying specific settings. Any users you add are automatically assigned to a Standard user account, which should meet the everyday needs of most users. You will probably only need one Administrator account on a shared computer, but you have the option to promote any user to an Administrator account if you want.

1. From the Family & other users options, select the desired user, then click Change account type.
   
2. Select the desired option from the drop-down list, then click OK. In this example, we'll choose Administrator.
   
3. The user will now have administrative privileges.
   

Setting parental controls

Windows offers a variety of parental controls that can help you monitor your children's activity and protect them from inappropriate content. For example, you can restrict certain apps and websites or limit the amount of time a user can spend on the computer. You'll need to add a family account for each user you want to monitor. Each user will also need to have a Microsoft account; you cannot enable parental controls on a local account.

1. From the Family & other users options, select Add a family member.
   
2. Select Add a child, enter the new user's email address, then click Next.

   
   

   
3. The new member will then need to confirm the addition to your family group from his or her inbox.
   
4. Once this is done, select Manage family settings online.
   
5. A page will open in a new browser window. From here, select the desired user to set parental controls.

Click the buttons in the interactive below to learn more about setting parental controls:

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