4 Ways to Create a Local User Account in Windows 10

A Windows 10 local account comes with several benefits over a regular Microsoft account.

During the initial setup of Windows on a new computer, Microsoft will do everything that it can to get you started with an online account. Although most users follow the on-screen instructions and proceed with this anyway, it's not what everyone prefers—or requires.

A fair bunch of people would love to enjoy the privacy that a local user account provides and detach themselves from unnecessary online services offered by Microsoft. If you're trying to stop using your online administrator account, check out the 4 ways to set up a new local user account in Windows 10.

What Is a Local User Account?

A local user account is an offline account that you can use to log in to your Windows PC. All the account-related information is stored locally on your computer rather than being shared with Microsoft. Unlike the online account, you have more control over the Microsoft services you want to access on your computer. These accounts can either be an administrator or a standard user.

Although using a Microsoft account has its own benefits, like settings synchronization across Windows 10 devices, OneDrive cloud storage, Microsoft Store, etc., a local user account can be handy if you share your PC with a family member, roommate, or pretty much anyone else. It's always good to have a secondary account for things you'd like to keep private, and a local user account lets you do just that.

Before you go ahead, do note that all these methods require you to be logged in with an administrator account. You simply cannot create a new user account in Windows without administrator privileges.

1. Create a Local User Account in Windows 10 From Settings

The Settings app in Windows 10 is something that you may already be familiar with. Hence, this would ideally be the most straightforward way to set up a new local user account on your computer.

1. Head to Start > Settings > Accounts.
2. Next, head over to Family & other users from the left pane. Now, click Add someone else to this PC, located under Other Users.
3. This will open a tiny window that helps you with the account setup. In typical Microsoft fashion, you will be prompted to use an online account. Select I don't have this person's sign-in information instead of entering an email address.
4. Windows will continue to try and get you to create a new Microsoft account. You need to click on Add a user without a Microsoft account instead.
5. This will bring up the account setup screen, where you'll be able to fill out all the details for your local account, including security questions that can be used for recovery if you forget the password. Once you're done, click Next.

You've successfully created a local account at this point. If you head back to the Family & other users in the Account Settings menu, you'll find this new account under Other users. This is the only method in this list that requires you to add security questions. It can prove to be a lifesaver if you ever forget your password.

2. Set Up a Local User Account in Windows 10 With Netplwiz

Netplwiz is basically a control panel for managing all the user accounts on a computer. In legacy versions of Windows, users relied on it to add a new user account to their PCs since a streamlined settings menu wasn't available back then. This method is still available as an option. You can use it to add or remove accounts, reset the password, change the account type, and more. To set up a local user account, follow these steps:

1. Type Netplwiz in the Start menu search field. Hit the Enter key to open the panel. Here, you'll see your primary administrator account at the top. Click on Add to continue.
2. You'll now see the onscreen instructions that help you set up a new user account. Here, you need to click on Sign in without a Microsoft account located at the bottom.
3. Next, you'll be able to select the account type. Click on Local account to proceed further.
4. Fill in the login details for your new account, give the desired password hint, and click on Next to finish setting up the account.

Instead of security questions, you're asked to enter a password hint in this method. This will be the only help you'll get if you ever forget your login information down the line.

3. Make a Local User Account in Windows 10 With Computer Management

Computer Management is a built-in program that lets you access all the Windows 10 administration tools in one place. From storage management to task scheduling, you can perform many advanced operations on your PC with this app.

If you own Windows 10 Pro instead of the regular Home edition, you can use it to configure a new local user account too in two simple steps:

1. Find and open the Computer Management app using Windows Search. Head over to the Local Users and Groups section from the left pane. Here, you'll see a folder named Users. Right-click on this folder and choose New User from the context menu.
2. You know what to do next, right? Fill in your account login information and click on Create.

Be careful with the password you choose because there's no option to even enter a password hint here. If you forget it, there's nothing you can do other than deleting it using an administrator account.

4. Use Command Prompt to Create a Local User Account

Last on the list, we have the Command Prompt method.

For those who don't know, CMD or Command Prompt is a command-line interpreter that's used by tons of coders and other advanced users to perform crucial tasks on their PCs. Using CMD is arguably the fastest way to make a new local user account since all you need to do here is enter a proper line of code. You don't have to fill out too much information. Let's get started:

1. Type CMD in the Start menu search bar, and select Command Prompt as the Best match. Now, make sure to choose Run as administrator. If you fail to do this, you won't be allowed to make a new account.
2. Now, type in the following line of code, replacing username and password in the command line to match your account requirements. Hit the Enter key.

   net user username password /add

   

If you get a response that "The command completed successfully," it means that the account has been created. You can log out and switch to this new account right away. Since you're not prompted to retype the password for verification, you need to be extra careful not to make any typos.

Related: How to Change the Windows Password via Command Line With Net User

Convert to Administrator Account

By default, these accounts that you create will be a standard user in Windows no matter what method you use. Therefore, if you want them to have administrator privileges, you'll need to go through a couple more steps to change the account type. This can be done via the Settings app.

1. Head to Start > Settings > Accounts. Go to the Family & other users section and select the local account you just created. Now, click on Change account type.
2. Next, use the dropdown and select Administrator to change the permissions. Click OK to save your changes.

You're all set now. You don't have to do this if you're going to share your PC with someone else since administrator permissions will give them full access to your computer.

Create Local User Accounts the Easy Way

Now that all the possible methods have been covered, it's time to figure out which one you like to use. Each of these methods has its positives and negatives. For example, the Settings and Netplwiz methods require you to go through multiple on-screen instructions but give you a way to recover your account if you forget the password. The other faster options fail in that department.

The next time you install or reinstall Windows 10 on your PC, make sure you are not connected to the internet so that you can create an offline account directly without bothering with Microsoft's prompts.

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