Windows Vista : Managing Local Logon Accounts

12/19/2010 4:49:54 PM

The User Accounts console accessed through the Control Panel provides an easy way to manage user accounts. If you want more advanced control, use the Users and Groups console (which is also part of the Computer Management console).

Creating a New Local Account

For a computer that is a member of a workgroup, you can create a local user account on a computer by following these steps:

1.	In the Control Panel, click Add or Remove User Accounts under the User Accounts heading. This displays the Manage Accounts page. 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 listed as being password protected. If an account is disabled, it is listed as being off.
2.	Click Create a New Account to display the Create New Account page.
3.	Enter the name of the local account. This name is displayed on the Welcome screen and Start menu.
4.	Set the type of account as either Standard User or Administrator. To give the user full permissions on the local computer, select Administrator (see Figure 1). Figure 1. Selecting the account type.

Giving Domain Accounts Local Access

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 the Control Panel, click User Accounts. On the User Accounts page, click the Give Other Users Access to This Computer link. This displays the User Accounts dialog box (see Figure 2). The User Accounts dialog box lists all configurable user accounts on the local computer by account type and with group membership details. Figure 2. Users Account dialog box.
2.	Click Add. This starts the Add New User Wizard.
3.	You are creating a local computer account for a user with an existing domain account. Enter the user’s domain account name and domain in the fields provided.
4.	Using the options provided, select the type of user account: Administrator, Standard User, or Other. An other account is created as a member of the specific group you choose. To give the user the permissions of a specific group, select Other, and then select the desired group.
5.	Click Finish.

Changing Accounts

To change the account type for a local computer user, follow these steps:

1.	In the Control Panel, click Add or Remove User Accounts under the User Accounts heading. This displays the Manage Accounts page.
2.	Click the account you want to change and then click Change the Account Type.
3.	On the Change the Account Type page, set the level of access for the user as either Standard User or Administrator and then click Change the Account Type.

In a domain, you can change the account type for a local computer user by completing the following steps:

1.	In the Control Panel, click User Accounts. On the User Accounts page, click the Change the Account Type link. This displays the User Accounts dialog box.
2.	On the Users tab, click the user account you want to work with and then click Properties.
3.	In the Properties dialog box, select the Group Membership tab.
4.	Select the type of account as Standard User or Administrator. Or select Other and then select the desired other group.
5.	Click OK twice.

When the computer is not part of a domain (workgroup configuration), local users are created without passwords by default. Therefore, if you click the account name on the Welcome screen on an account that does not have a password, you will automatically be logged in.

Creating and Changing Passwords

To create a password for a local user account, follow these steps:

1.	Log on as the user whose password you want to create. In the Control Panel, click Add or Remove User Accounts under the User Accounts heading, to display the Manage Accounts page.
2.	All user accounts available on the machine are shown, and you must click the account you want to work with. To prevent possible data loss, this should be the same as the account under which you are currently logged on. Any account that has a current password is listed as password protected. Any account without this label doesn’t have a password.
3.	Click Create a Password. Enter a password, and then confirm it. Afterward, enter a unique password hint. The password hint is a word or phrase that can be used to obtain the password if it is lost. This hint is visible to anyone who uses the computer.
4.	Click Change Password.

Removing Local User Accounts

In a workgroup, you can remove a user’s local account and effectively deny logon by completing these steps:

1.	Log on as a user with local administrator privileges. In the Control Panel, click Add or Remove User Accounts under the User Accounts heading, to display the Manage Accounts page.
2.	Click the account you want to remove.
3.	Click Delete the Account.
4.	Before deleting the account, you have the opportunity to save the contents of the user’s desktop and Documents folder to a folder on the current user’s desktop. To save the user’s documents, click Keep Files. To delete the files, click Delete Files.
5.	Confirm the account deletion by clicking Delete Account. Keep in mind that in a domain, unless further restrictions apply with regard to logon workstations, a user might still be able to gain access to the workstation by logging on with a domain account.

Local User Accounts and Groups in the Computer Management Console

To access the Users and Groups in the Computer Management console, follow these steps:

1.	Click the Start button.
2.	Click Control Panel.
3.	Click System and Maintenance.
4.	Click Administrative Tools.
5.	Click Computer Management.
6.	Double-click Local Users and Groups.
7.	Select either Users or Groups (see Figures 3 and 4). Figure 3. Managing users with the Computer Management console. Figure 4. Managing groups with the Computer Management console.