One account for all things Microsoft
One account. One place to manage it all. Welcome to your account dashboard.
New to Microsoft?
Get started with Microsoft products and more.
Security
Change a password, update security information, and keep vital account details up-to-date.
Privacy
Review your search history, browsing and location activity, and more.
Family
Keep your family safer online and stay connected even when you’re apart.
Payments & billing
Update your payment information, check your order history, redeem gift cards, and get billing help.
Subscriptions
Quickly renew and manage your favorite Microsoft subscriptions and services in one place.
Devices
Find, lock, or erase a lost or stolen Windows 10 device, schedule a repair, and get support.
Get expert answers and advice on Microsoft products and services.
Just sign in and go
Access your favorite Microsoft products and services with just one login. From Office and Windows to Xbox and Skype, one username and password connects you to the files, photos, people, and content you care about most.
Outlook
Email and calendar together. All you need to be your most productive and connected self—at home, on the go, and everywhere in between.
Skype
Skype’s text, voice and video make it simple to get closer to the people who matter most across all of your devices.
Microsoft Edge
The faster way to get things done on the web with built-in features for staying organized, researching, and discovering.
Intelligent search features make it quick and easy to find what you need – answers, news, entertainment, and more.
Play your favorite games in more places than ever. Easily access your games, friends, and community across Xbox One, Windows 10 PC, and mobile.
Office
Achieve what matters to you with Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and more. What will you do with your next 365?
OneDrive
Safely store and access your files and photos on all your devices. Your Microsoft account comes with 5GB of storage and the option to add more when you need it.
Windows
Find, lock, or erase a lost or stolen Windows 10 device, schedule a repair, and get support.
Mixer
Mixer is where gamers come together to play, celebrate, and share the best moments in gaming.
Microsoft Store
Experience all that’s possible with Microsoft, from the best in productivity and creativity to gaming and entertainment.
Cortana
Save time and stay organized—Cortana helps handle day-to-day tasks so you can stay on top of what matters most.
With MSN, the information that enriches your life is accessible every moment of every day.
Create a user account in Windows
Windows 8.1
Create a Microsoft account
Swipe in from the right edge of the screen, tap Settings, and then tap Change PC settings. (If you’re using a mouse, point to the lower-right corner of the screen, move the mouse pointer up, click Settings, and then click Change PC settings.)
Tap or click Accounts, and then tap or click Other accounts.
Tap or click Add an account.
Enter the account info for this person to sign in to Windows. There are four ways to do this:
If the person you’re adding already has a Microsoft account, enter it now.
If the person you’re adding doesn’t have a Microsoft account, you can use their email address to create one. Enter the email address that person uses most frequently.
If the person you’re adding doesn’t have an email address, tap or click Sign up for a new email address. It’s free.
If the person you’re adding is a child, tap or click Add a child’s account.
Follow the instructions to finish setting up the account.
Create a local account
Swipe in from the right edge of the screen, tap Settings, and then tap Change PC settings.
(If you’re using a mouse, point to the lower-right corner of the screen, move the mouse pointer up, click Settings, and then click Change PC settings.)
Tap or click Accounts, and then tap or click Other accounts.
Tap or click Add an account, and then tap or click Sign in without a Microsoft account (not recommended).
Tap or click Local account.
Enter a user name for the new account.
If you want this person to sign in with a password, enter and verify the password, add a password hint, and then tap or click Next.
If your PC is on a domain, depending on the domain’s security settings, you might be able to skip this step and tap or click Next, if you prefer.
Tap or click Finish.
Windows 7
My computer is on a domain
Open Microsoft Management Console by clicking the Start button , typing mmc into the search box, and then pressing Enter. 
If you’re prompted for an administrator password or confirmation, type the password or provide confirmation.
In the left pane of Microsoft Management Console, click Local Users and Groups.
If you don’t see Local Users and Groups, it’s probably because that snap-in hasn’t been added to Microsoft Management Console. Follow these steps to install it:
In Microsoft Management Console, click the File menu, and then click Add/Remove Snap-in.
Click Local Users and Groups, and then click Add.
Click Local computer, click Finish, and then click OK.
Click the Users folder.
Click Action, and then click New User.
Type the appropriate information in the dialog box, and then click Create.
When you are finished creating user accounts, click Close.
My computer is in a workgroup
To open User Accounts, click the Start button , click Control Panel, click User Accounts and Family Safety, and then click User Accounts.
Click Manage another account. If you’re prompted for an administrator password or confirmation, type the password or provide confirmation.
Click Create a new account.
Type the name you want to give the user account, click an account type, and then click Create Account.
Windows create new account
In this post, we will see how to set up, add, configure and create a new User Account in Windows 10 and Windows 8.1. You can create a user account with a Microsoft Account login or you can create a Local Account by following this tutorial.
The Windows OS lets multiple users share the same computer under their accounts. This allows several people easily share a single computer and have their own location on the computer where they can store their personal documents, pictures, videos, saved games, and other personal data. You can have more than one user account per PC.
Each individual can have a separate user account with unique settings and preferences, such as a desktop background or screen saver. Every different User Account control which files and programs corresponding user can access and what types of changes he/she can make to the computer.
Create a new User Account in Windows 10
You can create a new user account in Windows 10 in two ways:
When you sign into your PC with a Microsoft account, you connect your PC to the people, files, and devices you care about. As such Microsoft advises to create and use your Microsoft Account to sign into Windows.
Create a New User with Microsoft Account sign-in
Windows 10
In Windows 10, you can create a new user with a Microsoft account login as follows. From the WinX Menu, open Settings and then click on Accounts. Next, in the left menu, click on Family & other people.
Now under Other people, click on Add someone else to this PC.
A Microsoft account window will pop up. If you wish to use a Microsoft account to log in, enter the person’s email ID and click on Next to proceed and finish the formalities.
Windows 8.1
In Windows 8.1, to create Microsoft account, move the cursor to the lower right-hand corner of your computer screen, click ‘Settings’ and then ‘Change PC settings’. Next, click Accounts, and then choose ‘Other accounts’. Click Add an account.
Enter the account info for this person to sign into Windows. If the person you’re adding already has a Microsoft account, enter it. If the person you’re adding doesn’t have a Microsoft account, click Sign up for a new email address.
Follow the instructions to finish setting up the account.
In the end, you should see a screen like the one shown below. It indicates the process of signing up has been completed successfully.
Create Local Account in Windows 10
If you observe, Microsoft added some new security features for accounts. The feature though good and recommended, leaves little scope for personal choice. They force you to create a Microsoft Account first, giving it more preference over the local account. There appears no apparent way to move past Microsoft Account screen, especially when you are interested in creating just a local account.
Microsoft warns – If you create a local account, you’ll need a separate account for each PC you use. None of your settings will be synced between the Windows 8.1 PCs you use, and you won’t get the benefits of connecting your PC to your files, settings, apps, and services online in the cloud and accessible from anywhere. You also won’t be able to download apps from the Windows Store without a Microsoft account.
Windows 10
To create a Local Account in Windows 10, after you have clicked on Add someone else to this PC as mentioned above, and the Microsoft account window has popped up, you have to click on the I don’t have this person’s sign-in information link to open the following:
Next, click on Add a user without a Microsoft account link to open the following window:
Enter the username and password and click Next to complete the local account creation process.
Windows 8.1
In Windows 8.1, assuming you are on the ‘How this Person will Sign Up’ Screen, look for the link “Sign in without a Microsoft account.”
On being directed to a new screen, hit ‘Local Account’ tab.
Now, with the procedure to create your Microsoft Account skipped, you can go ahead and create a local account, similar to the one you created in previous Windows version. Enter your local account credentials, and you should be done in seconds. You will have created a new Local account that you can log into instead of your Microsoft account.
Users not quite familiar with Windows 10/8.1 might got caught by this changed login process and despite reservations and end up creating a Microsoft account.
Hope this clarifies things.
Incidentally, Quick User Manager is a freeware that lets you quickly manage users in Windows.