How to create different user accounts that have the same email address in Windows 11

Question

I have lots of Windows computers running different versions of Windows. However, Windows 11 is new to me. Up to now the same user accounts are defined on all of my computers and I want to do the same thing on Windows 11. While I do have multiple user accounts on each computer they are all for me. In that, the same person. This means all of the users have the same email address. Therefore, it makes no sense to use an email address for the identity of new user accounts.

How can I set up multiple user accounts with different credentials while still having only one email address.

Answer 1

In Windows 11, each user account must have a unique identifier, which typically includes an email address if you're using Microsoft accounts. Unfortunately, you cannot create multiple Microsoft accounts that share the same email address. Each Microsoft account is tied to a unique email address, which serves as the username for that account.

However, you can create local user accounts on your Windows 11 computers. Local accounts do not require an email address and can be set up with unique usernames and passwords. Here’s how you can create local user accounts:

1. Open Settings: Click on the Start menu and select Settings.
2. Go to Accounts: In the Settings window, click on Accounts.
3. Family & other users: Select Family & other users from the left sidebar.
4. Add a new user: Under the Other users section, click on Add someone else to this PC.
5. Choose account type: When prompted, select I don’t have this person’s sign-in information, and then choose Add a user without a Microsoft account.
6. Set up the account: Enter a username and password for the new local account. You can repeat this process to create multiple local accounts with different usernames and passwords.

By using local accounts, you can have multiple user accounts on the same computer without needing to associate them with a single email address.

Answer 2

Hello Snookred,

The good news is you don’t have to create multiple Microsoft accounts. You can simply create local user accounts, which don’t require an email address at all. In Windows 11, go to Settings → Accounts → Other users → Add account, then choose I don’t have this person’s sign-in information and click Add a user without a Microsoft account. From there, you can set unique usernames and passwords for each account.

If you prefer to keep one Microsoft account for syncing and apps, you can use that for your main account and create additional local accounts for other purposes. Another option is to use Microsoft account aliases, which let you sign in with different usernames under the same email, but that’s optional.

This might help

https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/manage-user-accounts-in-windows-104dc19f-6430-4b49-6a2b-e4dbd1dcdf32