Adding a Windows 10 Account: Simple Steps

Get insights on easily adding accounts on Windows 10 to streamline user access and enhance security.

Posted by @Irene December 17, 2024 Updated By @Irene June 12, 2024

How to add or remove accounts on Windows 10?

This article describes how to add or remove accounts on your PC. Having different accounts on a shared PC lets multiple people use the same device, all while giving everyone their own sign-in info, plus access to their own files, browser favorites, and desktop settings.

In addition, if you use the same PC for personal projects and work or school, you may want to add different accounts to your PC.

Note: If you have a new device, you may see an account named "defaultuser0"—this account is inactive and it won't hurt your device or give anyone else access. If you want to remove it, you can restart your device and then sign in again.

Adding People to a Home PC

To add a user to your home PC, it's best to have them sign in with a Microsoft account. For more information on Microsoft accounts, see Sign in with a Microsoft account.

For Windows 10 Home and Windows 10 Professional editions:

  1. Select Start > Settings > Accounts > Family & other users.
  2. Under Other users, select Add someone else to this PC.
  3. Enter the person's Microsoft account information and follow the prompts.

To remove a user's sign-in information:

  1. Select Start > Settings > Accounts > Family & other users.
  2. Select the person's name or email address, then select Remove. This will only remove their sign-in info from your PC, not delete their Microsoft account.

Adding People to a Work or School PC

For work or school PCs, each user should have their own Microsoft account. Learn more in Sign in with a Microsoft account.

To add someone with an existing Microsoft account:

  1. Select Start > Settings > Accounts > Other users (it may be labeled Other people or Family & other users on some editions).
  2. Under Work or school users, select Add a work or school user.
  3. Enter the user account details, select the account type, and then select Add.

To remove a user's sign-in information:

  1. Select Start > Settings > Accounts > Other users.
  2. Select the person's name or email address, then select Remove.
  3. Read the disclosure and select Delete account and data. This removes their sign-in info and account data from your PC, but does not delete their Microsoft account.

Adding Work or School Accounts to Your PC

To add various accounts for accessing work or school resources on the same PC:

  1. Select Start > Settings > Accounts > Access work or school.
  2. Select Connect, then follow the prompts to add the accounts.

To remove an account:

  1. Select Start > Settings > Accounts > Access work or school.
  2. Select the account you wish to remove, then select Disconnect.
  3. Select Yes to confirm. This removes access from your PC without deleting the account entirely.

Note: If an account is the only account on the PC or the primary account, it cannot be removed.

Adding Accounts Used by Apps

To streamline signing into various apps:

  1. Select Start > Settings > Accounts > Email & accounts.
  2. To add an account used by email, calendar, or contacts, select Add an account under Accounts used by email, calendar, and contacts. For other apps, select Add a Microsoft account or Add a work or school account.
  3. Follow the prompts to add the account.

To remove an app-specific account:

  1. Select Start > Settings > Accounts > Email & accounts.
  2. Select the account you wish to remove, then select Remove.
  3. Select Yes to confirm.

Adding People to a Family Group

By adding your family members' Microsoft accounts to your PC, you can set up a Microsoft family. This free service helps families stay connected and ensures kids' safety on Windows 10, Xbox One devices, and Android devices running Microsoft Launcher.

Note: If you have trouble adding a Microsoft account, see the Microsoft account FAQ.

For further assistance, feel free to consult Microsoft support or relevant help articles.

Download AOMEI Partition Assistant on your Windows 10 computer

To make the most of your Windows 10 software downloads and ensure optimal performance, consider installing AOMEI Partition Assistant, a free partition manager who taps into the disk potential and manages partitions efficiently. It can provide many useful and practical funtions to help you enhance the speed and performance of Windows PC and give you beteer experience in Windows 10 software downloading process.

AOMEI Partition Assistant

The Best Windows Disk Partition Manager and PC Optimizer

  • Partition size adjustment: This tool allows users to adjust partition size without losing data, whether partition size expansion or decrease will meet user storage needs to optimize disk usage. In partition management area, it also offers these powerful functions:

  • Copying and Cloning Drive: AOMEI Partition Assistant enables smooth data transfer and backup by creating a complete copy of your disk or partition to ensure your data is secure. For example, you can transfer HDD OS to SSD without any data loss and reinstalling on Windows 11,10,8,7.

  • Drive Conversion: Users can easily convert disks between different file systems such as converting from MBR to GPT or converting back without damaging data. For many computer problems, AOMEI software can provide many other useful functions as well:

  • Drive Optimization: AOMEI Partition Assistant also features a disk sorting function that optimizes SSD performance and reduces wear and extends drive life.

  • Thorough Data ErasingWhat to do before selling your PC?  It must be erase your privacy on the disk. To ensure that the data is completely erased, this tool has a secure data deletion function that allows the user to clean part or entire disk.

AOMEI Partition Assistant has an easy-to-use user interface and has powerful features that make drive management easy and cost-effective. You can use it to maintain sufficient storage space, do data migration when upgrading your computer or disks, or system performance optimization, it will offer the perfect solution for both beginners and advanced users to manage drives on Windows 10. In short, it is the must-have-tool in your Windows 10 computer.

Conclusion

Adding and managing accounts on your Windows 10 PC is essential for sharing the device while maintaining individual settings and data privacy. Whether you're adding accounts for family members, work colleagues, or school projects, following the outlined steps ensures each user has a personalized and secure experience. Tools like AOMEI Partition Assistant can further optimize your PC’s performance by efficiently managing disk partitions.

FAQs

  1. What is the best way to add someone to my Windows 10 PC?

    • The best way is to have them sign in with a Microsoft account. Go to Start > Settings > Accounts > Family & other users and select Add someone else to this PC. Enter their Microsoft account information and follow the prompts.
  2. How can I remove a user account from my PC without deleting their data?

    • To remove a user’s sign-in information without deleting their Microsoft account, go to Start > Settings > Accounts > Family & other users, select the person's name or email, and choose Remove.
  3. How do I add a work or school account to access organizational resources?

    • Select Start > Settings > Accounts > Access work or school. Click Connect and follow the instructions to add the necessary account details.
  4. What steps do I need to follow to remove a work or school account from my PC?

    • Go to Start > Settings > Accounts > Access work or school. Select the account you wish to remove and click Disconnect. Confirm your action by selecting Yes.
  5. Is it possible to use multiple accounts for different apps on my Windows 10 PC?

    • Yes, you can add accounts specifically for apps. Go to Start > Settings > Accounts > Email & accounts. Select Add an account under Accounts used by email, calendar, and contacts, or add a Microsoft account or a work/school account for other apps, and follow the prompts.