Setting Up a Computer for Multiple Users

When several people share a computer, local user accounts allow each person to personalize the user interface without inconveniencing the other users. The user accounts can have passwords, to prevent people from logging on as each other, or you can dispense with passwords, if security isn't a concern.

Tip  

We recommend creating a password for each user account, even if it's an obvious one. Passwords prevent toddlers or bored passersby from using your computer, even if the password is simply "xxx" or the same as the username.

When you start using Windows Vista, you are automatically logged on with an administrator user account named Administrator unless you tell the Windows Vista Setup Wizard the names of the people who will use the computer (which causes the Setup Wizard to create administrator accounts for each of them). Using this administrator account, you can create user accounts for the people who will use the computer, giving each person the appropriate type of account (administrator or standard) based on the person's level of use.