One computer – several users

User accounts are a great way to share a single PC. Each person with a user account can customise how Windows works for them and the way the Desktop looks.

They can keep their own list of favourite internet sites and store their files in a My Documents folder that other people can’t open. User accounts also allow the owner to exert a measure of control over what others do with the PC, by preventing them from installing new programs or adding new hardware devices.

In this Back to Basics, we’ll look at how user accounts work in Windows XP, Vista and 7, and explain how to get the best out of them

Introducing user accounts
Windows gets the ball rolling by creating a user account for you called ‘Administrator’ or ‘Owner’. If you’re the only person who uses the PC, then that should suffice: use this account to access Windows, install and run programs, surf the web, send emails and so on.

Of course, it’s possible that you’re not even aware that you’re using such an account. Regardless, the advantage of having this Administrator account becomes obvious when someone else wants to share the PC – and the copy of Windows running on it.

Users with Administrator accounts can create new user accounts or change the settings of existing ones.

Aside from Administrator accounts, there are two types of user account: Standard (XP calls this Limited) and Guest.

Standard accounts are designed for everyday computing (for sharing a PC with other family members, say), while Guest accounts are designed for people who just need to borrow the PC temporarily – perhaps to check their emails. See the ‘User account types’ box below for more details.

Personalising the Administrator account
We’ll start by changing the name and picture associated with the first Administrator account. We’ll also create a password for it so that unauthorised parties cannot fiddle with it.

Click Start, then choose Control Panel. Windows XP users should click the ‘User Accounts’ link and then click ‘User Accounts’ again (or just double-click it if in Classic View); Vista and 7 users should click the ‘Add or remove user accounts’ link underneath the ‘User Accounts and Family Safety’ heading.