How to Create a New User Account in Windows 7

Set up a new user on your Windows PC

What to Know

  • Open Start Menu > Control Panel > User Accounts and Family Safety. Select Add or remove user accounts.
  • Next, choose Create a new account > enter name > select Standard or Administrative account type > Continue.

This article explains how to add a standard or administrative user in Windows 7. If you intend to share your Windows 7 computer with another family member, it may be wise to create separate Standard user accounts for each person to ensure the integrity of your Windows 7 computer.

As of January 2020, Microsoft is no longer supporting Windows 7. We recommend upgrading to Windows 10 to continue receiving security updates and technical support.

Create a New User Account in Windows 7

Use the Control Panel to add and modify user accounts.

  1. Open the Start Menu.

  2. Choose Control Panel from the list.

    Windows 7 Start menu with Control Panel selected
  3. When the Control Panel opens, select User Accounts and Family Safety.

    Windows 7 Control Panel with User Accounts and Family Safety selected

    You can also access User Accounts by entering User Accounts in the Start Menu search box and selecting Add or remove user accounts from the menu. This will take you directly to the Control Panel item.

  4. Select Add or remove user accounts under User Accounts.

    Windows 7 User account with Add or remove user accounts selected

    User Accounts and Family Safety is the Control Panel item that also allows you to set up parental controls, Windows CardSpace, and Credential Manager in Windows 7.

  5. To create a new account, choose Create a new account.

    Windows 7 Manage Accounts with Create a new account selected
  6. Enter the name you want to assign to the account in the field provided and select the account type you want to use for the account. Press Continue to proceed.

    Windows 7 Create New Account

    Remember this name is the same that will appear on the Welcome Screen and on the Start Menu.

  7. You cannot make a named user a guest account. There's only one guest account per computer, and it's already provisioned.

    Windows 7 Manage Accounts with new account added
    Lifewire

    When you are done, the account appears in the account list in the Control Panel.

What Is a User Account?

A user account is a collection of information that tells Windows which files and folders you can access, what changes you can make to the computer, and your personal preferences, such as your desktop background or screen saver. User accounts let you share a computer with several people while having your own files and settings. Each person accesses a separate user account with a username and password.

Windows 7 Account Types

Windows 7 has various levels of permissions and account types that determine those permissions, but for the sake of simplicity, we're going to discuss the three main account types visible to most Windows users that use Manage Accounts to manage user accounts in Windows 7.

  • Standard User: Standard account users can use most software and change system settings that do not affect other users or the security of the computer.
  • Administrator: Administrators have complete access to the computer and can make any desired changes. Based on notification settings, administrators may be asked to provide their password or confirmation before making changes that affect other users.
  • Guest Accounts: Guest accounts are intended primarily for people who need temporary use of a computer.

The Administrator account should be reserved for users who have experience with Windows and who are authorized to make system-level settings changes.

In most instances, the first user account in Windows 7 is the Administrator account. This account has the permission to modify everything in Windows 7.

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