Creating user accounts is a snap with Vista. It is definitely something you should know how to do if you share your computer with other individuals. All of the user account tasks are grouped under the User Accounts and Family Safety option in the Control Panel. Conversely, user accounts can also be managed through the Computer Management console. Once you open this tool, the process for creating a user account is quite similar to that in Windows XP.

The steps for creating a new user account in Vista are outlined below:

1. Right click Computer and click Manage.
2. Expand Local Users and Groups.
3. Click Users.
4. Click More Actions and select New User.
5. Type in the user name and the individual’s full name.
6. Type in an optional description.
7. Type in a password for the account.
8. Select the appropriate account options (described below).
9. Click Create.

When you create the new user account you will notice four account options at the bottom of the dialog box. The account options you select will depend on your computer practices. For example, most people will assign the user account a password when it’s first created and then have the user change it, coming up with their own password the first time they log on. In any case, the available options are summarized below:

• User must change logon at next logon on – Select this options if you want the user to come up with their own password the very first time they log onto the computer.
• User cannot change password – Select this option if you don’t want the password changed on the account. This option is useful for guest accounts or accounts that are used by multiple users as well as service accounts.
• Password Never Expires – Selecting this option means the user never not have to change their password.
• Account is disabled – Select this option if you want the account to be disabled so no one is able to log on with it.

[tags]Diana Huggins, Microsoft, Windows, Vista, user account[/tags]