We live in an age where most people have their own laptop, but it's still common for families to share a desktop computer that's used by everyone in the home. Or maybe you just want to let someone else use your laptop for a while but you don't want them to have access to your files. Windows 11 lets you create dedicated accounts for guests that enforce certain restrictions to keep your data safe.

Whether you prefer using a graphical user interface or the command line, you have options for creating guest user accounts on Windows 11, so let's take a closer look.

How to create a guest account on Windows 11 through the settings app

The Windows 11 Settings app will let you add a new user account to your PC that you'll be using in place of a guest mode. While you can't name this new user "Guest" since Windows won't allow it, you can give it a different name like "Guest User." You'll need to be an administrator to follow these steps, but here's how.

Add the account to Windows

1. Open the Windows 11 Settings app.
2. Choose Accounts in the sidebar.
3. Choose Other users.
4. Choose Add Account.
5. Click I don't have this person's sign-in information.
6. Click Add a user without a Microsoft Account.
7. Add a name, such as Guest user.
8. Add a password if you want. This is completely optional, but you can do it if you want some extra security.

Once this is complete, you'll have a separate standard account on your PC for a guest to use. Unless you make it an administrator account, this new user shouldn't be able to access files from other users. However, you can play it safe by forcing the new user account to be a proper guest account, a feature that used to be readily available in previous versions of Windows.

Change the account permissions on Windows 11 Home

Windows 11 Home doesn't come with the tools necessary to restrict a guest account, but you can use a third-party alternative for the same effect. Here's what you need to do:

1. Go to GitHub and download the Local User and Group Management Tool.
2. Launch the tool.
3. Choose Users on the side bar, then double-click on the name of the user you created earlier.
4. Choose the Group Membership tab.
5. Click Add membership.
6. Choose Guests, then click Select.
7. Click Users and then choose Remove Membership.
8. Press OK.

Change the account permission on Windows 11 Pro and higher

If you're running Windows 11 Pro and higher and just made that guest account, you won't need a third-party tool. You can manually use the Computer Management tool for this task. Here's how.

1. Search for Computer Management in the Start Menu and click the top result.
2. On the sidebar, click System Tools > Local Users and Groups > Users.
3. Right-click on the account that you've added and choose Properties.
4. Switch to the Member of tab.
5. Click Add then Advanced.
6. Choose Find now and then choose Guests from the list.
7. Click OK, and then OK again until you're looking at the Member of tab again.
8. Select the Users group and choose Remove.
9. Click Apply and then OK.

Computer Management on Windows 11 Pro and higher editions can also be used to create a new guest account from the beginning. In the Users view mentioned in step 2 above, you can right-click an empty area of the main pane and then choose New user. Fill in the details, and then follow the steps above to restrict the permissions for the account.

How to create a guest account on Windows 11 through Windows Terminal or Command Prompt

More experienced Windows 11 users might want to create a guest account through the Windows 11 Command Prompt or Windows Terminal. This accomplishes the same as going through the Windows 11 settings app and removing the permissions.

1. Press Windows + X on your keyboard and choose Terminal (admin).
2. Type the command below, replacing {username} with the name you want to use for the account:

   net user {username} /add /active:yes

3. (Optional) If you want to add a password, type net user {username} * (replacing {username} with the appropriate name). Then, enter the password, and finally enter it again to confirm.

   You won't see the password or any characters as you type, so you have to be extra careful to get the password right.

4. To remove the user from the Users group, enter this command (again, replace {username} as needed):

   net localgroup users {username} /delete

5. Finally, add them to the Guests user group with this command:

   net localgroup guests {username} /add

After this is complete, you can head to the login screen to pick the guest account. This account won't have any access to other user files, and will be safe to use.

Share your PC without worries

Once you follow any of the methods above, your PC will be up and running with an alternate to a guest account. It will show up on the login screen, just as any other account would. In addition to families, this can be useful if you have a great laptop you need to share on occasion for one reason or another, but you don't want the other person to snoop around your personal files.