List Local User Accounts
Beginner
Shows all user accounts on the local machine.
USE WHEN Account management, checking who has access, or setting up a new machine.
🪟 Command Prompt (CMD)
net user
💻 PowerShell
Get-LocalUser | Select-Object Name,Enabled,LastLogon,PasswordRequired | Format-Table -AutoSize
Show Details for a User
Beginner
Displays full account details for a specific user including group membership and password settings.
USE WHEN Checking account status, lockout, or group membership for a specific user.
⚡ Replace USERNAME with the actual account name.
🪟 Command Prompt (CMD)
net user USERNAME
💻 PowerShell
Get-LocalUser -Name USERNAME | Format-List *
Reset a Local User Password
Intermediate
Changes the password for a local user account.
USE WHEN User forgot password, or resetting access for maintenance.
⚡ Requires Administrator. Replace USERNAME and the password. Use a strong password.
🪟 Command Prompt (CMD)
net user USERNAME NewPassword123!
💻 PowerShell
Set-LocalUser -Name USERNAME -Password (ConvertTo-SecureString 'NewPassword123!' -AsPlainText -Force)
Enable the Built-in Administrator
Intermediate
Enables the hidden local Administrator account which is disabled by default.
USE WHEN Main account locked out or corrupted, need admin access to repair.
⚡ Requires Administrator. Set a password immediately after enabling.
🪟 Command Prompt (CMD)
net user Administrator /active:yes
💻 PowerShell
Enable-LocalUser -Name Administrator
Disable the Built-in Administrator
Intermediate
Disables the built-in Administrator account after maintenance is complete.
USE WHEN After using the built-in admin for repairs — re-disable for security.
⚡ Good practice to re-disable once repairs are done.
🪟 Command Prompt (CMD)
net user Administrator /active:no
💻 PowerShell
Disable-LocalUser -Name Administrator
Add a New Local User
Beginner
Creates a new local user account.
USE WHEN Setting up a new machine, creating a test account, or adding a maintenance account.
⚡ Replace USERNAME and password. Account will not be in any groups — add to Users or Administrators separately.
🪟 Command Prompt (CMD)
net user USERNAME Password123! /add
💻 PowerShell
New-LocalUser -Name USERNAME -Password (ConvertTo-SecureString 'Password123!' -AsPlainText -Force) -FullName 'Display Name'
Add User to Administrators Group
Intermediate
Grants a local user account administrator privileges.
USE WHEN Promoting a standard user to admin, or setting up a maintenance account.
⚡ Requires Administrator. Replace USERNAME with the account name.
🪟 Command Prompt (CMD)
net localgroup Administrators USERNAME /add
💻 PowerShell
Add-LocalGroupMember -Group Administrators -Member USERNAME
Show Local Groups
Beginner
Lists all local security groups on the machine.
USE WHEN Checking group structure or finding which group a user needs to be in.
🪟 Command Prompt (CMD)
net localgroup
💻 PowerShell
Get-LocalGroup | Format-Table Name,Description
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