How to Set Up User Accounts and Passwords

Angela Skinner Mullen

I’m pretty possessive of my laptop. I don’t want anyone on it without my permission, or getting into my personal files. Not only does this include anyone who may try to get on it maliciously, but also my kids who might delete something important. I don’t even want my in-laws poking around on it! What to do without seeming like I don’t want to share my toy?

Setting up User Accounts is an easy was to limit who can get on your computer, and what they can access while they are on it.  As the owner, set yourself up as the Network Administrator and chose a password.  Next, set up accounts for your kids (and do the Parental Controls while you are at it, so they can’t just wander around anywhere they want online). Finally,  set up a Guest Account for anyone else who might want to use your beloved computer, like guests staying with you.

Here’s how to do it:  Start>Control Panel>User Accounts and Family Safety>Add or Remove User Accounts. While you are there, you can take a moment to set up Parental Controls if you want too.

Now when your computer boots up, you’ll be prompted to enter a password to gain access. Your files and folders are password protected, and you can still share nice with the other kids.

- Angela Skinner Mullen

Angela Skinner Mullen
Angela leads a caffeine-fueled life chasing her kids around town. She holds degrees in Communications and Marketing, and worked in marketing management in both publishing and technology fields before going freelance. While some think she is obsessive-compulsive about correct usage and grammar, she prefers to think of herself as paying great attention to detail. She lives in Southern California with her husband, two kids, two cats, a frog, and a very large dog. Most likely to be found working from a Coffee Bean in Los Angeles, laptop on and latte in hand.

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