Windows 8 : Managing Local Logon (part 1) - Creating Local User Accounts in a Homegroup or Workgroup, Granting Access to an Existing Domain Account to Allow Local Logon

All local computer accounts should have passwords. If an account is created without a password, anyone can log on to the account, and there is no protection for the account. However, a local account without a password cannot be used to remotely access a computer.

The sections that follow discuss how to create and work with local user accounts. Every workstation computer has local computer accounts, whether the computer is a member of a homegroup, a workgroup, or a domain.

1. Creating Local User Accounts in a Homegroup or Workgroup

Windows 8 supports two types of local user accounts: regular and synced. For a computer that is a member of a homegroup or a workgroup, you can create a regular local user account by following these steps:

1. In Control Panel, under the User Accounts And Family Security heading, tap or click Change Account Type. This displays the Manage Accounts page.

   As Figure 1 shows, the Manage Accounts page lists all configurable user accounts on the local computer by account type and with configuration details. If an account has a password, it is labeled Password Protected. If an account is disabled, it is listed as being off.

2. Tap or click Add A New User In PC Settings. On the Users panel, under Other Users, click Add A User. This displays the Add A User page.

3. If you aren’t connected to the Internet, you’ll be set to create a regular local user account by default. Otherwise, you’ll need to tap or click the Don’t Want This User To Sign In With A Microsoft Account link.

4. Next, if the computer is connected to the Internet, tap or click Local Account. This is not necessary on a computer not connected to the Internet.

5. Type the name of the local account. Optionally, set and confirm an account password and password hint.

6. Tap or click Next and then tap or click Finish. The account is created as a standard user by default. To give the user full permissions on the local computer, you’ll need to change to the administrator account type.

Figure 1. In a homegroup or workgroup, use the Manage Accounts page in Control Panel to view available accounts.

A synced account is a Microsoft account. For a computer that is a member of a homegroup or a workgroup, you can create a Microsoft account by following these steps:

1. Open PC Settings. One way to do this is by pressing the Windows key+I and then clicking Change PC Settings.

2. On the Users panel, tap or click Add A User and follow the prompts to create the user account.

You must be connected to the Internet to create a Microsoft account. When you create a Microsoft account, Windows 8 connects to the Microsoft Store to determine whether an account has been set up for the email address you specified. If an account hasn’t been set up, you are prompted to set up the account. To do this, you enter the email address and password to be associated with the account, as well as the user’s first name, last name, country/region, and ZIP code or postal code.

Next, you are prompted to add security verification information, including a phone number for sending a code to reset the account password as a text message or automated call, an alternate email address to use to send a message for resetting the account password, and a secret question and answer for verifying the user’s identity if needed.

Finally, you must type the user’s birth date and gender and enter verification text. When you click Finish, the Microsoft account is created online and on the local computer.

Note

If you aren’t connected to the Internet when you try to create a Microsoft account, you’ll only be able to create a local account. When you next have an Internet connection, you’ll need to log on to the computer as that user, access the User panel in PC Settings, and then click Switch To A Microsoft Account. You’ll then be prompted through the account creation process.

Synchronizing an account allows app settings, profile configuration options, and some profile content to be synced between the devices the account uses. Exactly what settings are and aren’t synced is controlled with the options on the Sync Your Settings panel in PC Settings.

2. Granting Access to an Existing Domain Account to Allow Local Logon

If a user needs to be able to log on locally to a computer and has an existing domain account, you can grant the user permission to log on locally by completing the following steps:

1. In Control Panel, under the User Accounts heading, tap or click the Change Account Type link to open the User Accounts dialog box, as shown in Figure 2. This dialog box lists all configurable user accounts on the local computer by domain and with group membership details.

   

   Figure 2. Use the User Accounts dialog box to manage local user accounts on a computer that is a member of a domain.

2. Tap or click Add. This starts the Add A User Wizard.

3. You are creating a local computer account for a user with an existing domain account. Type the user’s domain account name and domain in the text boxes provided or click Browse to use the Select User option to choose a user account. Click Next.

4. A standard user account is created as a member of the local Users group. To give the user the permissions of a normal user, select Standard.

5. An administrator account is created as a member of the local Administrators group. To give the user full permissions on the local computer, select Administrator.

6. An Other account is created as a member of a group you specify. To give the user the permissions of a specific group, select Other, and then select the group.

7. Tap or click Next, then tap or click Finish.