Create a Local User Account in Windows 8

Windows 8 has some altogether new features which were not present in the older versions of Windows. For example, you can create a user account linked to your Microsoft account (for example, hotmail, msn, live, skydrive accounts etc.). But if you use a Microsoft account to sign in to Windows, then it means that Microsoft is going to monitor your account login and logouts among other things. If you have a desktop PC running Windows 8, then you should create a local user account instead. You can go through the following simple steps to add a new local user account in Windows 8 :

Note : Only an administrator can add a new user account in Windows 8.

1. Press the key combination Windows logo key + I to display the Charms bar in the right side of your screen. In the charms bar, click/tap on Change PC Settings which is displayed at the very bottom of the charms bar.

   

2. In the PC Settings screen that opens up, select Users on the left side. Then click/tap on Add a user button shown near the bottom edge of your screen.

   

3. In the next step, it would ask you for your Microsoft account. Select Sign in without a Microsoft account at the bottom of the screen. This step is necessary if you want to creat a local user account.

   

4. It would show a comparison between Microsoft accounts and local user accounts and give you option to select between them. Click/tap on the Local account button at the bottom to proceed towards creating a local user account.

   

5. Type in the user name for the new account and type the password two times. You can also enter a password hint for the new user account. Of course, the new user would be able to modify the password and password hint himself/herself later.

   

6. In the final step, you can select if you want to turn on Family Safety for the new user account. By default, Family Safety is disabled for new accounts. Click/tap on the Finish button to add the new local user account.

   

7. That’s it. You have successfully added a new user account in Windows 8. The new user account is a standard user account (without any administrator privileges).

Everyday use of Windows 8 through a local user account does not require you to provide any Microsoft account information. But if you want to download and install Windows apps, then you will still have to give your Microsoft account credentials in the Microsoft Store.