Summary
When you setup Windows 10 for the first time whether it is a clean install or upgrade from a previous version, you are defaulted to creating a Local Account. If you want to create additional local accounts after setting up Windows 10, you will notice no such option is available in the Accounts Setting. The option is to either connect an existing account to a Microsoft Account or create a Microsoft Account. In this article, we show you how to create a Local Account.
Details
What is a Microsoft Account?
Since the release of Windows 8, Microsoft has embraced the Cloud as a first class citizen in Windows. Making it a primary part of authenticating on Windows using a Microsoft Account. Microsoft Accounts can be either a (Outlook.com, Live.com, Hotmail.com or MSN.com) domain. The benefits of a Microsoft Account are numerous when using modern versions of Windows such as Windows 8, 8.1 and Windows 10. They allow you to sync your personal files to Microsoft's online storage service called OneDrive.
In addition to that, a Microsoft Account allows syncing of personalized settings which includes Themes, Internet Explorer Favourites, permits access to the Store so you can download your apps and easily share them with your other Windows PCs running Windows 8.1 or Windows 10. The ultimate benefit being is the ability to easily move between devices. I personally use my Microsoft Account with all my Windows 8.1 and Windows 10 devices. It also provides security benefits too, making it more difficult to tamper with your user account because of technologies like two factor authentication.
Regardless of these benefits, persons still prefer to log into Windows the traditional way, just like they have been doing for more than 20 years when Windows NT 3.1 was released. Windows 10 still retains this option and procedure is very easy to setup. I will look at two ways of doing it.
Press Windows key + X
Click Computer Management
Expand Local Users and Groups
Click Users
Right click then click New User
Enter the information for the account such as User Name, Full Name, Description (optional) and the password, confirm it.
Uncheck 'User must change password at next logon' if this account is for your purposes and and uncheck the 'Password never expires' box. If the account is for someone else, leave the defaults.
Click Create then Close
Thats it!
Method 2:
Press Windows key + R
Type: control userpasswords2
Hit Enter or click OK
Click Add
Click Sign in without a Microsoft account (not recommended)
Click Local account
Enter your account information then click Next
Click Finish
Thats it!
Method 3
You can use the command line as another way to create a local account.
Press Windows key + X
Click Command Prompt (Admin)
We are going to attempt to create a new user account.
Example: net user Username Password /add
Where there is Username replace with the account name and where there Password replace with the desired password.
Example: net user adacosta2 pwhelp /add
Press Enter on your keyboard
You should see the following message The command completed successfully.
Type exit to close the command prompt.
Restart the machine and try logging into the new account.
Thats it.
Related:
How to: connect to a Microsoft Account in Windows 10
How to: Create a Local Account during Out of Box Experience Setup
