Ways to Lock Down Your Windows PC with A Dedicated Local Administrator Account

Blocking off sections of Windows may be helpful in several situations, including when you want to monitor your children's computer use or when you need to simplify a computer for a loved one. Even if you lock your computer while you're not using it, there may still be a security risk due to other user accounts' access. Let's look at the many options available in Windows 10 for limiting access to user accounts.

Use Standard Accounts and UAC

Making an account a standard type is the quickest and easiest approach to limit the rights associated with that account. These restricted accounts can execute software and make adjustments to settings that don't have an impact on other users, but they do not have complete control. For example, a normal account cannot alter the system time, install software, or adjust the settings for the internet connection.

• To modify the permissions associated with an account, go to Settings >'' Accounts.

Click an account name shown under the other user's section of the tab labeled Family &'' other users, and then choose the Change account type option. This allows you to either log in as a local administrator or a Standard User.

Windows Change Account Type

Click the "Add someone else to this PC" button if you need to establish a new account for this computer. Follow the on-screen instructions to log in using a Microsoft account (if you so want), and when asked for the account type, select Standard User from the list of options.

When talking about user accounts, you should be familiar with User Account Control (UAC). This Windows feature enables you to execute applications in administrator mode only when necessary. If you have a Standard account, UAC will ask you for an administrator password before allowing you to do administrative tasks like installing software or altering settings that apply to the whole system.

Take Advantage of Microsoft's Family Group

Standard accounts are fantastic for situations where you do not want other individuals to interfere with the settings of your computer. However, they do not consider the one-of-a-kind difficulty involved in ensuring the safety of children when they use a computer. You may achieve this by using the "family group" function included in Windows 10 from Microsoft. To begin, return to the previous screen and choose Settings >'' Accounts >'' Family &'' other users. You have the option to create a new kid account on your computer, but if you choose Manage family settings online, you can access the Microsoft Family Safety website, which makes the process a little bit simpler. Please continue when you have signed in with your Microsoft account.

Microsoft New Family Member

Your youngster will get an invitation to join your family group through email, which they may either accept or decline. Make sure they understand this and approve it before the family settings take effect since this is a prerequisite. You will be able to begin utilizing the family group choices for them after they have acknowledged it, signed onto the computer with their Microsoft account, and accepted the terms of the agreement.

Controlling the Members of Your Family Group

After your kid's account has been added to your family group, you will have the ability to adjust a number of settings pertaining to the functionality of their account. For configuration options, please go to the Microsoft Family Management website. There, you will find a list containing each family member. To see the applications your kid has used, the websites they've visited, the online searches they've conducted, and their screen time, choose Activity from the drop-down menu next to their name.

Utilize Group Policy Tweaks

Group Policy is a feature included in the Professional versions of Windows and allows you to handle various account-related issues. Even though it was designed for business use, Group Policy enables users to create various great customizations. A workaround involves installing the Group Policy Editor on Windows Home, which will allow you to acquire the needed utility on those editions of Windows even though it isn't officially accessible in Windows Home editions.

To enter the Run dialogue and type in gpedit. MSc to access the Group Policy editor, press the Win and R keys simultaneously. After that, you will need to browse to the item whose configuration you need to alter, then double-click it to change its state from Not Configured to either Enabled or Disabled. Check out some of these customizations to tighten the security on Windows:

Allow Microsoft Store Apps Only

It's likely that most of your computer programs weren't purchased via the Microsoft Store. On the other hand, if you want to restrict an account's capabilities by preventing it from downloading and installing software, you may restrict software installations in Windows to only be permitted via the Microsoft Store by activating an option.