How to Create User Accounts in a Workgroup

If you want to share folders, files and printers on a home or small office network and your computers are on a workgroup and not a domain then each computer needs to have the same username and password. So each person that needs to use a resource on any of the workgroup computers needs to have a user account and the same password on each of the workgroup computers.

The reason this needs to be done, is because in a workgroup there is no centralized maintenance like a domain. In a domain, a domain controller contains all the user accounts and you can log in from any computer and be able to access the folders and printers that you are given permission to.

In a workgroup, since there is no centralization then once needs to create the same user account on any computer on the same workgroup so that each computer can know that this specific user has access to it.

Creating user accounts is very simple, just follow the steps below.

Below I’m explaining two different ways to create a user account, pick the one you like and feel more comfortable with.

I’m using Windows Vista, but both Windows 7 and Windows XP have similar if not identical procedures.

1-      Right click on “Computer” – called “My Computer” in Windows XP and then select “Manage”. (Picture 1)

2-      Once Computer Management opens up, click on “Action” and then select “New User”. You can also right click on an empty area in the Computer Management Window and select “New User” from there. (Picture 2)

3-      Type in the username that you want and then you can set a password for it or click on “Create” and then right click on the user account that you created and then set the password that way. (Pictures 3 and 4)

1-      Go to Control Panel and looks for “User Accounts” (Picture 5)

2-      Once in “User Accounts” click on “Manage User Accounts” (Picture 6)

3-      Click on “Add” and then type in the user name that you want. (Picture 7)

4-      Click on “Next”, and you will be asked what level of access the user you created needs. You can give it a “Standard User” which won’t be able to install programs or have a great level of access to modify any computer settings or hardware. Or you can select “Administrator”. Administrators have full access to a computer and can do anything from installing computers up to modify its settings or hardware drivers. (Picture 8)

That is it, you are done. You can then proceed to create other user accounts on the same computer and then match them on other computers that you have on your network.