Adding New Users, Password, Picture Password, and Pin in Windows 8

Sharing one PC with other people, while keeping your information secure, is possible with Microsoft accounts and local user accounts. That’s because the administrator is the only person who can add new users. Each user will have their own username and password. In Windows 8, aside from typing in a regular password, you can also have a picture password where you can use gestures on top of an image (with your finger) to log in or set-up a short pin that you can use to quickly sign-in to the computer.

Adding a New User

1. Bring up the charms bar, select Settings and click on Change PC Settings at the bottom of the panel. Go into Users. Under Other Users, click on Add a user.
2. By default, Windows will assume that you would like to create a Microsoft account since this is the recommended type of account. Click Sign in without a Microsoft account to create a local user account.
3. You will be asked to select which account you would like to create: Microsoft account or Local account. This page also explains the difference between the two.
4. You will then be asked to add a username, password, re-enter password and a password hint.

5. You will also be asked if the account you are about to create is a child’s account. Click Finish.

Changing your password

1. Still on PC Settings > Users, under Sign-in options, click on the Change your password button.
2. Type in the current password. Click Next.
3. Add a new password, re-enter password, and a password hint. Click Next.
4. Once you click on Finish, you can now use your new password the next time you login.

Creating a Picture Password

1. On PC Settings > Users, under Sign-in options, click on Create a Picture Password.
2. First, you will be asked to confirm your current password.
3. You will then be asked to choose which picture you would like to use. You can choose any picture available in your computer. Click on Open.
4. You will then be asked to drag your picture to position it the way you want.
5. If you’re satisfied with the picture, click on Use this Picture; if not you can go ahead and Choose a new picture.
6. Having chosen a picture, you will now be asked to draw three gestures on the picture. You can use any combination of circles, straight lines and taps/clicks. You can click on Start again if you want to redo the gesture.

7. You will then be asked to confirm the gestures.
8. You have now successfully created a picture password. Click on Finish. You can use this picture password to login.

Creating a Pin

1. On PC Settings > Users, under Sign-in options, click on Create a Pin.
2. You will be asked to confirm your current password. Click on OK.
3. You will be asked to enter a pin which is a 4-digit code.

4. Fill out the Enter PIN and Confirm PIN fields. Click on Finish.
Once you’ve set-up a password, picture password, and pin, you will be given sign-in options to determine whether you want sign in using your password, picture password, or pin when you log in.

Simon Calder

Chris “Simon” Calder was working as a Project Manager in IT for one of Los Angeles’ most prestigious cultural institutions, LACMA. He taught himself to use Microsoft Project from a giant textbook and hated every moment of it. Online learning was in its infancy then, but he spotted an opportunity and made an online MS Project course - the rest, as they say, is history!