When you set up Windows 11 pc for the first time, you require a user account to access and use your PC. Here, you have two options, you can log into your Microsoft account and use it as a user account or you can create a local account that is saved on your computer. Microsoft recommends the use of a Microsoft account and goes as far as to remove the option to log in as a local account in the Windows 11 set-up
On the other hand, local accounts can be useful and required in numerous situations. If you are sharing your PC with another person, you can set a local account for them with their own log-in password and not have the risk of them going through your personal files. Local accounts can also be used in school laboratories or in businesses where there isn’t much need for a Microsoft account.
In Windows 11, there are multiple ways you can create a local account. You can use the settings menu, the ‘netplwiz’ command, or even the Command Prompt interface to add a local account to your PC.
Microsoft Account vs Local Account on a Windows 11 PC
Using Microsoft Account has does come with quite a few benefits. You will have the option to carry over your personalization and settings from one device to another right after setup. You will be able to access the Microsoft Store and download apps. Also, you will be able to use services Onedrive and Xbox Game Pass without requiring you to log in separately. But these will come with the cost of sharing your data with Microsoft and also having an all-time internet connection to keep everything synced.
The local accounts on the other hand do not rely on internet connectivity. It stores account-related information locally on your hard drive. Local accounts are secure because if anyone gets a hold of your log-in password, they won’t be able to access any other accounts unless you are using the same password. Local accounts are great for secondary users or users who prioritize privacy over unnecessary online services.
Now that the difference between a Microsoft account and a local account is clear, let’s get to the methods that you can use to easily create a local account on your Windows 11 computer.
Create a Local Account from Windows Settings Menu
You can use the Account settings from the Settings menu to create a local user on your Windows 11 PC. To start, open up the Settings window by pressing Windows+i on your keyboard or by searching for ‘Settings’ in Start Menu Search.
On the Settings window, first, click on ‘Accounts’ from the left panel and then select ‘Family & other users’ on the right panel.
After that, click on the ‘Add account’ button next to Add other user text under the Other users section.
A window called ‘Microsoft account’ will appear asking ‘How will this person sign in?’. Select the ‘I don’t have this person’s sign-in information’ text below the ‘Email or phone’ text field.
After that, you will be asked to create a Microsoft account and new options will appear. Select the last option, ‘Add a user without a Microsoft account’ which is under the ‘someone@example.com’ text field.
Now the window will show ‘Create a user for this PC’. Here you have to enter a user name for your local account inside the ‘User name’ text field. You also have to enter a log-in password for your local account inside the ‘Enter password’ text field and confirm the password by entering it again in the ‘Re-enter password’ text field.
After you enter your password, you have to add 3 security questions to recover the log-in password in case you forget it. We recommend you note down or take a screenshot of the security questions and save it somewhere else. Once you are done with the security questions, click on ‘Next’ to finalize the account creation process.
Now you will be able to see the local account listed under the Other users section. You can now sign out of this account and log into the local account using the log-in password.
Create a Local Account Using Command Prompt
Creating a local account using the Command Prompt window is not only easy but also quicker than other methods. First, type ‘CMD’ in the Windows search. Right-click on it and select ‘Run as adminstrator’. When the UAC prompt appears, select ‘Yes’.
Inside the Command Prompt window, all you have to do to create a local user is to write one line of command. Copy and paste the following line of command. replace the ‘username’ with the username you want to assign to the local account and the ‘password’ with a log-in password and press Enter.
net user username password /add
After pressing Enter it will show ‘The command completed successfully’. This means a local account has been created and you can confirm it by going to the ‘Family and other user’ menu.
Create a Local Account Using Computer Management
The Computer Management tool is generally used to manage local computers as well as virtually connected computers. It can also be used to create a local user on your computer. Open up ‘Computer Management’ by searching for in Windows Search and selecting in the search results.
On the Computer Management window, first, select ‘Local Users and Groups’ under the System Tools section, then right-click on ‘Users’ and select ‘New User…’.
A dialog box will appear. Enter the user name of your local account in the text box next to ‘User name’. Enter a log-in password of your choice inside the text field next to ‘Password’ and enter it again inside the text field below which says ‘Confirm password’. Click on ‘Create’ to finalize the creation of the new local account.
All the other text fields in this dialog box are optional. Additionally, make sure none of the boxes below ‘Confirm Password’ are checked.
Now, if you close the dialog box and click on ‘Users’, you will be able to see the new local account listed here.
Create a Local Account using ‘netplwiz’ Run Command
The ‘netplwiz’ Run command is used to open a control panel for user accounts. First, launch the Run window by pressing Windows+r. Then inside the command line, type ‘netplwiz’ and press Enter.
On the User Accounts window, click on ‘Add…’ to create a local user account.
A new window will appear asking ‘How will this person sign in?’. Click on the text which says ‘Sign in without a Microsoft account (not recommended)’ located on the bottom left side of the window.
After that, select the ‘Local account’ from the bottom right side of the window.
Now you have to enter a User name and also a log-in password. Enter the user name inside the text field that is next to ‘User name’. Then enter your log-in password twice inside the text fields next to ‘Password’ and ‘Confirm password’. You can also leave a password hint. Click on ‘Next’ to continue with the set-up process.
All that is left to do is click on ‘Finish’ to complete the set-up process.
After clicking on Finish, the window will close and the new local account will be listed under ‘Users for this computer’.
Change an Existing Microsoft Account into Local Account
If you do not want to create a separate local account, you can transform your Microsoft account into a local account using the Settings menu. Open up the Settings menu by pressing Windows+i on your keyboard. Then, on the settings window, click on ‘Accounts’ from the left panel and select ‘Your info’ from the right Panel.
After that, select the blue ‘Sign in with a local account instead’ under the Account settings section to switch your Microsoft account into a local account.
A new window will appear asking you to confirm the change. Click on ‘Next’ to continue with the process.
After clicking on Next, a dialog box will appear. You have to enter your log-in pin inside the ‘PIN’ text field to verify your identity.
In the next window, you have to enter a username in the ‘User Name’ text field. You also have to enter a password in the ‘New password’ text field and enter it again in the ‘Confirm password’ text field. You can also leave a password hint. Click on ‘Next’ to continue.
To finish transforming the account, click on ‘Sign out and finish’ in the next window. This will take you back to the sign-in screen and you can sign in to your desktop by entering the new password.
How to Remove a Local Account in Windows 11
If you wish to remove the local account you have just created or any existing one, it can easily be done via the Settings menu. First, open up Settings by searching for it in Windows Search or pressing Windows+i on your keyboard.
After the Settings window open up, select ‘Accounts’ from the left panel and then select ‘Family and other users’ from the right panel.
Now, scroll down and you will see the list of local users on your computer under the other users section.
Select the account you wish to delete and click on the ‘Remove’ button below the ‘Change account type’ button.
A window will appear called ‘Delete account and data?’. Click on ‘Delete account and data’ to remove the account from your PC.
Note: In order to delete a local account, you must have administrator access or you have to use an admin account.
How to Give Admin Access to a Local Account
Giving Administrator privillage to a local user will make them able to have greater control over the computer. You can easily turn any ordinary local account into a Administratior local account via the Settings menu. By giving a local account Admin access, the account will have identical privilages to a Microsoft account besides the beinifts of using an Online account.
Start by going to the Settings menu by pressing Windows+i on your computer. On the settings window, click on ‘Accounts’ from the left panel and then click on Family and other users from the right panel.
After that, scroll down on the right panel until you see the list of local users. Select the user you wish to give ‘Administrator’ access to and click on ‘Change account type’.
A new window will appear. Use the dropdown menu under the Account type text to select ‘Administrator’ and click ‘OK’.
Now you can see that you have successfully given the Administrator access to the local account.
That’s everything you need to know about creating a Local Account in Windows 11.
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