


After you do, anyone can sign into your computer without a password by selecting the Guest account on the login screen. You’ll need to enable it from the desktop Control Panel. Windows 8.1 provides a guest account, although it’s still disabled by default. RELATED: How to Let Someone Else Use Your Computer Without Giving Them Access to All Your Stuff

Administrator accounts can change system settings and install programs, while standard user accounts are more restricted.Įven while using an administrator account, UAC provides additional protection so programs running on your account have to prompt you before writing to system files, installing software, and doing other things that require administrator access. RELATED: Why You Shouldn't Disable User Account Control (UAC) in WindowsĪs on previous versions of Windows, accounts can be either administrator accounts or standard user accounts. You should only do this if you’re signing into your own PC you have control of, not if you’re signing into someone else’s PC. After trusting a PC, you can sync passwords to the PC and use it to reset your Microsoft account password if you forget it. RELATED: How "Trusted Devices" Work on Windows 10 (and Why You No Longer Need to "Trust This PC")Īfter signing in with a Microsoft account for the first time, you’ll be asked to “Trust this PC.” Trusting a PC involves confirming your account details. This is ideal for tablets where you want to tap a few times to log in rather than type a long password on a touch screen.īe sure to choose a secure password if you set up this type of login method, as anyone can choose to log in with your password instead of your picture password or PIN. These login methods just give you an easier way to log into your computer with less typing. These are secondary passwords - you’ll still need a traditional password. You can set up a picture password or PIN from within the PC Settings app. RELATED: How to Use the New Picture Password and PIN Logon in Windows 8 Picture Passwords and PINs Are Supplementary These parental controls allow you to restrict access to websites, control when the accounts can use the computer, and monitor their computer usage.Īfter setting this up, you can access the parental controls and reports from Microsoft’s Family Safety website.

When adding a new user account to your computer, you have the option to turn on Family Safety for the account. This enables parental control features, so it’s ideal if you’re creating accounts for children. RELATED: How to Monitor and Control Your Children's Computer Usage on Windows 8 You can convert accounts between Microsoft and local accounts in the PC Settings app, so you can always change your mind later.
