For years, teachers, parents, tech directors, and computer lab instructors struggled to answer two difficult questions: How do you rig one PC so several different people can use it throughout the day, without interfering with one another’s files and settings? And how do you protect a PC from getting fouled up by mischievous (or bumbling) students and employees?
Easy: Use a multiple-user operating system like Windows 8. Anyone who uses the computer must log on—supply a correct name and password—when the computer turns on.
Since the day you installed Windows 8 or fired up a new Windows 8 machine, you’ve probably made a number of changes to your setup—fiddled with your Start screen, changed the desktop wallpaper, added some favorites to your Web browser, downloaded files onto your desktop, and so on—without realizing that you were actually making these changes only to your account.
Ditto with your Web history and cookies, Control Panel settings, email stash, and so on. It’s all part of your account.
If you create an account for a second person who’s never used Windows 8, then when she turns on the computer and signs in, she’ll find the desktop looking the way it was factory-installed by Microsoft: basic Start screen, standard desktop picture, default Web browser home page, and so on. She can make the same kinds of changes to the PC that you’ve made, but nothing she does will affect your environment the next time you log on.
In other words, the multiple-accounts feature has two benefits: first, the convenience of hiding everyone else’s junk, and second, security that protects both the PC’s system software and everyone’s work.
Behind the scenes, Windows stores all these files and settings in a single folder—your Personal folder, the one that bears your name. You can open it easily enough; at the desktop, it’s listed in the Favorites list at the left side of every Explorer window. (Technically, your Personal folder is in the Computer→Local Disk (C:)→Users folder.)
Even if you don’t share your PC with anyone and don’t create any other accounts, you might still appreciate this feature because it effectively password-protects the entire computer. Your PC is protected from unauthorized casual fiddling when you’re away from your desk (or if your laptop is stolen)—especially if you tell Windows to require your logon password anytime the screen saver has kicked in (Desktop Icons).
If you’re content simply to use Windows, that’s really all you need to know about accounts. If, on the other hand, you have shouldered some of the responsibility for administering Windows machines—if it’s your job to add and remove accounts, for example—read on.