How to create a local account on Windows 10 • Pureinfotech

On Windows 10, you can create a local account on your computer to perform any task. However, unlike using a Microsoft account, your settings, preferences, and files will remain local for a more secure and private experience.

Usually you will see local account type on organizations and less on home computer because Microsoft account is the preferred type because of its benefits and syncing capabilities. However, it is still a good option for creating additional accounts or sharing devices with others.

In this instruct, you will learn the steps to create Windows 10 local account using the Settings app, Command Prompt, and PowerShell. Additionally, this guide outlines the steps to set up an administrator account and the steps to remove the account from your device.

Create a Windows 10 local account with Settings

To create a local account on Windows 10, use these steps:

1. Open Setting on Windows 10.

2. Click Account.

3. Click Family and other users.

4. Under “Other users”, click Add someone else to this PC button.

   

5. Click I don’t have this person’s login information Selection.

   

6. Click Add users without a Microsoft account Selection.

   

7. In the “Create an account for this PC” section, confirm the new local account information.

8. Create security questions and answers for account recovery if password is lost.

   

9. Click Next button.

After you complete the steps, the new local account will be listed under “Other Users”. The only caveat is that for security reasons, Windows 10 creates every new account with standard privileges that limit the usability of Windows 10. If you want users to have more privileges to install apps and make system changes you will need to change the account type to “admin”.

Change Windows 10 local account using Settings

To change the account type from “standard” to “admin”, use these steps:

1. Open Setting.

2. Click Account.

3. Click Family and others.

4. In the “Other users” section, select a user account.

5. Click Change account type button.

   

6. Use the “Account Type” drop-down menu and select Manager Selection.

   

7. Click YES button.

After you complete the steps, the account will have administrator privileges to install apps and make system changes.

Remove Windows 10 local account using Settings

To delete files and local Windows 10 accounts, use these steps:

1. Open Setting.

2. Click Account.

3. Click Family and others.

4. In the “Other users” section, select a local account.

5. Click To move button.

   

6. Click Delete account and data to confirm account deletion.

   

After you complete the steps, the user account and data will be removed from the Windows 10 installation.

Create a Windows 10 local account with Command Prompt

If you’re comfortable typing in command lines, it’s a lot quicker to create a local account and modify its settings using the Command Prompt.

To create a local account with Command Prompt, use these steps:

1. Open Begin.

2. Search Command prompt, right click on the top result and select Run as administrator Selection.

3. Enter the following command to create a new account and press Into the:

   net user USER_NAME PASSWORD /add

   In the command, make sure to change ACCOUNT NAME and UNLOCK PASSWORD with the credentials you want to use for the new user account.

4. (Optional) Enter the following command to add the newly created account to the “Admin” group and press Into the:

   net localgroup administrators USER_ACCOUNT /add

   

   In the command, make sure to replace USER ACCOUNT with the account name you want to add to the admin group.

If you want to test the new changes, log out and you will see the new user account located in the lower left corner of the screen. Then select the new user account and log in.

Change Windows 10 local account using Command Prompt

To change the account type from “standard” to “admin”, use these steps:

1. Open Begin.

2. Search Command prompt, right click on the top result and select Run as administrator Selection.

3. Enter the following command to add the newly created account to the Administrators group and press Into the:

   net localgroup administrators USER_ACCOUNT /add

   

   In the command, make sure to replace USER ACCOUNT with the account name you want to add to the admin group.

Once you complete the steps, the profile will have administrative privileges, meaning users will be able to install apps, modify system settings, and have unlimited access to the device.

Remove Windows 10 local account using Command Prompt

To remove a Windows 10 local account using Command Prompt, use these steps:

1. Open Begin.

2. Search Command prompt, right click on the top result and select Run as administrator Selection.

3. Enter the following command to delete Windows 10 account and press Into the:

   net user USER_ACCOUNT /del

   

   In the command, make sure to change USER ACCOUNT for the account name you want to delete.

After you complete the steps, the user account and files will be deleted from the device.

Change Windows 10 local account using PowerShell

To use PowerShell to change the account type from “standard” to “admin”, use these steps:

1. Open Begin.

2. Search PowerShell, right click on the top result and select Run as administrator Selection.

3. Enter the following command to change the account type to administrator and press Into the:

   Add-LocalGroupMember -Group "Administrators" -Member "USER_ACCOUNT"

   

   In the command, make sure to change USER ACCOUNT for the account name you want to update.

After you complete the steps, the local account will be added to the “Administrators” group, giving the user permission to make system changes and install or remove apps.

Create a Windows 10 local account with PowerShell

To create a local account with PowerShell, use these steps:

1. Open Begin.

2. Search PowerShell, right click on the top result and select Run as administrator Selection.

3. Type the following command to temporarily store the password in a secure string inside the variable “$Password” and press Into the:

   $Password = Read-Host -AsSecureString

4. Enter the password for the new Windows 10 account and press Into the.

5. Type the following command to create a new account with PowerShell and press Into the:

   New-LocalUser "NEW_ACCOUNT_NAME" -Password $Password -FullName "USER_FULL_NAME" -Description "DESCRIPTION"

   

   In the command, make sure to change NEW ACCOUNT NAME for account name and USER_FULL_NAME for the user’s full name. Also, replace DESCRIPTION with the description you want to use for the account.

6. Enter the following command to add the Windows 10 account to the correct user group and press Into the:

   Add-LocalGroupMember -Group "Administrators" -Member "NEW_ACCOUNT_NAME"

   

   In the command, make sure to change NEW ACCOUNT NAME for the account name. In the above command we add the new account to Administrators groups, giving users full access to the computer. However, if you want users to have limited access, you can add an account to User group, set the account to “Standard User”.

After you complete the steps, a new account will be added to the device with full access with administrative privileges. This is, of course, unless you’ve added the account to the “Users” group, in which case the account will be a standard account with limits.

Connect new account to Microsoft account

Using PowerShell it is also possible to create a user account connected to a Microsoft account with the following command: New-LocalUser -Name "MicrosoftAccountaccounName@outlook.com" -Description "Microsoft account description". However, there is still an error that returns this message when running the command: “New-LocalUser: Unable to validate argument on parameter ‘Name’. The character length of the 36 arguments is too long. Shorten the character length of the argument so that it is less than or equal to “20” characters, and then try the command again. “ Therefore, the easiest way to fix this problem is to create a local account and then use the Settings app to link it to the Microsoft account.

To link a local account to a Microsoft account, use these steps:

1. Open Setting.

2. Click Account.

3. Click Your information.

4. Click Sign in with your Microsoft account instead link.

5. Continue with the onscreen instructions to connect your account to your Microsoft account.

After you complete the steps, the new account will be connected to the Microsoft account you specified.

Remove Windows 10 Local Account Using PowerShell

To delete an account using PowerShell, use these steps:

1. Open Begin.

2. Search Windows PowerShell, right click on the top result and select Run as administrator Selection.

3. Type the following command to delete the user account and press Into the:

   Remove-LocalUser -Name "USER_ACCOUNT_NAME"

   

   In the command, make sure to change USER_ACCOUNT_NAME with the account name you want to delete.

After you complete the steps, the account will be deleted from the computer. However, user account data will remain. If you want to delete both the account and the data, the easiest way is to delete the account using the “Accounts” page from the Settings app.

Updated December 1, 2021: This guide was originally published in October 2015 and it has been updated to reflect the new changes.