Creating Multiple Accounts in Windows

Microsoft enables you to make separate accounts for people through different
versions of the Windows operating system.The level of security these accounts
will provide depends on the version of Windows being used.
Windows 98 has the ability to create a multiuser environment, but creating
accounts for this operating system will only allow users to control their own display
settings, background, and other environmental changes. It doesn’t allow youto decide whether certain users can open specific files, use certain programs, or
view different folders on the hard disk.The accounts are used to control environment
settings, not security settings on the computer.

To create accounts in Windows 98, double-click the Users icon in the
Control Panel, and follow the steps of the wizard that appears that allows you
to enter a username and password.While this won’t deter users with different
accounts from accessing data throughout the computer, it will hide documents
stored on the desktop from other users and allow users a certain freedom in
defining their own environmental settings. In other words,Windows 98 won’t
prevent any user from viewing files stored in a folder on your hard disk. If a document
is saved by you to the desktop, another user won’t see it on the desktop
when he or she logs on. If that person decided to use Windows Explorer to navigate
through the folders on your hard disk however, they would still be able to
open it. As mentioned,Windows 98 provides minimal security compared to other
systems like Windows NT or 2000.
Windows XP, however, provides you with the ability to set up individual user
accounts for your computer with different levels of security.The levels of access
in Windows XP are:
■ Restricted
■ Standard
■ Administrator
Restricted accounts are also referred to as Guest accounts, and they have the
ability to use installed software and save documents. Standard accounts are also
called Limited accounts, and they have the abilities of a Restricted account as well
as being able to install most programs and change their own passwords.
Administrator accounts have all these abilities as well as being able to create user
accounts, change system files and settings, read other user account files, change
their passwords, add and remove hardware, and install any programs.