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Want to add a new user to your Windows PC without creating a Microsoft account? It's easy to create a local user on Windows in your Settings, and even make the account an administrator if you'd like. Unlike a Microsoft account, local user accounts do not require having a Microsoft email address. Read on to learn how to add a create a local user account on your Windows 10 or 11 PC.
Quick Steps
- Open Settings and click Accounts.
- Click Family & other people (Windows 10) or Other users (Windows 11).
- Click + Add someone else to this PC or Add account.
- Click I don't have this person's sign-in information.
- Click Add a user without a Microsoft account.
- Enter the account information for the new user.
Steps
Add a New Local User on Windows 10
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![Step 1 Open your Windows Settings.]()
Open your Windows Settings. Click the Startbutton and select the gear icon to do so
.
- You can also press Windows key + i at the same time to open Settings.
-
![Step 2 Click Accounts.]()
Click Accounts.Advertisement -
![Step 3 Select Family & other people from the left pane.]()
Select Family & other people from the left pane. -
![Step 4 Click + Add someone else to this PC.]()
Click + Add someone else to this PC. It's under the "Other people" category at the bottom, which means you might have to scroll down. Doing so will prompt a window to appear. -
![Step 5 Click I don't have this person's sign-in information.]()
Click I don't have this person's sign-in information. It's the link at the bottom of the window. -
![Step 6 Click Add a user without a Microsoft account.]()
Click Add a user without a Microsoft account. -
![Step 7 Enter the user details and click Next.]()
Enter the user details and click Next. Type a username and enter a password the new user will use to log in to the PC. You can also add a password hint in case the user forgets their password. Once you click Next, the new local account will be ready to use.
Add a New Local User on Windows 11
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![Step 1 Open your Windows Settings.]()
Open your Windows Settings. Click the Start button and select the gear icon to do so.- You can also press Windows key + i at the same time to open Settings.
-
![Step 2 Click Accounts in the left panel.]()
Click Accounts in the left panel. If you don’t see the left panel, you'll need to expand the window until it appears. -
![Step 3 Click Other users.]()
Click Other users. You'll see this in the right panel under the "Account settings" header. -
![Step 4 Click Add account.]()
Click Add account. This will pop up a Microsoft login window, but you'll still be able to bypass it and make the account local. -
![Step 5 Click I don't have this person's sign-in information.]()
Click I don't have this person's sign-in information. Another Microsoft window will appear. -
![Step 6 Click Add a user without a Microsoft account.]()
Click Add a user without a Microsoft account. This opens the "Create a user for this PC" window.[1] -
![Step 7 Enter this user's account information.]()
Enter this user's account information. Type a username for the person who needs to use the PC, then enter and confirm a password. You will also need to enter some security questions the user can use if they forget their password. -
![Step 8 Click Next to create the local account.]()
Click Next to create the local account. The new user can now use their username and password to log in to this PC.
Make a Local User an Administrator
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![Step 1 Open your Windows Settings.]()
Open your Windows Settings. If you want your new local user to be able to log in as an administrator, you can make a quick change to their account type. Click the Start button and select the gear icon to do so.- You can also press Windows key + i at the same time to open Settings.
- If you just created the new local user and haven't closed your account settings yet, jump down to step 4.
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![Step 2 Click Accounts.]()
Click Accounts. You'll see this in the left panel in Windows 11. On Windows 10, just click the Accounts icon. -
![Step 3 Click Family & other users (Windows 10) or Other users (Windows 11).]()
Click Family & other users (Windows 10) or Other users (Windows 11). -
![Step 4 Click the local user you want to make an administrator.]()
Click the local user you want to make an administrator. You'll see a list of all users under "Other users." Any local accounts will be marked "Local account."- Accounts that are already administrators will display "Administrator" below their names.
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![Step 5 Click Change account type next to the user's name.]()
Click Change account type next to the user's name. -
![Step 6 Select Administrator from the menu and click OK.]()
Select Administrator from the menu and click OK. This gives the selected local user account administrative rights for this computer.[2]
Expert Q&A
Video
Tips
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You can leave the password field blank when creating a new local user account, but we recommend setting a secure password.Thanks
References
About This Article
1. Open Settings (Start > Settings).
2. Click Accounts.
3. Click Family & other people to the left.
4. Click + Add someone else to this PC.
5. Click I don't have this person's sign-in information.
6. Click Add a user without a Microsoft account.
7. Enter all the details and click Next. A password is optional.
