Newsletter Archives

• How to add all types of accounts in Windows 11

  Posted on November 11, 2024 at 02:44 CST by Lance Whitney • Comment in the Forums

  WINDOWS 11

  

  By Lance Whitney

  Need to juggle more than one account in Windows? Here’s how I do it.

  I use a Microsoft account to sign in to my main Windows 11 PC. But that’s not the only account I’ve set up on the computer. I also have a domain account that I use for work, accounts for email and calendar appointments, an account for an old email forwarding service, and an account for my wife to sign in. That sounds like a lot to juggle. But after the initial setup, I can access all these accounts throughout Windows.

  Maybe you also need to work with multiple accounts in Windows 11. You might have a local account, a Microsoft account, a work or school account, accounts for specific apps, and accounts for other family members. Whatever types of accounts you use, you’re able to add them to Windows — all from the same place.

  Read the full story in our Plus Newsletter (21.46.0, 2024-11-11).

  Windows 11 Accounts, Gmail, Microsoft Accounts, Multiple accounts, Newsletters, Windows 11 Settings, Yahoo

• How to set up a local Windows account

  Posted on September 9, 2024 at 02:44 CDT by Will Fastie • Comment in the Forums

  WINDOWS 11

  

  By Will Fastie

  Microsoft is pushing Microsoft accounts for Windows, but there are good reasons to have a separate local account other than avoiding Redmond.

  Susan discussed Windows Remote Desktop Protocol (RDP) connections in her On Security column last week. Setting up such a connection works only with a username/password credential. But if the PC to which a connection is desired has gone passwordless (perhaps because Windows Hello has been configured), how can RDP connect? More importantly, how can ordinary shares work?

  Read the full story in our Plus Newsletter (21.37.0, 2024-09-09).

  Windows 11 Accounts, File sharing, Local account, Microsoft Accounts, Newsletters, Windows 11 Settings

• Microsoft Backup triggers help-desk calls and confusion

  Posted on October 2, 2023 at 02:45 CDT by Susan Bradley • Comment in the Forums

  

  ISSUE 20.40 • 2023-10-02

  ON SECURITY

  

  By Susan Bradley

  I applaud Microsoft for admitting that we all need to back up our computers and workstations, or at least have a recovery plan of some sort.

  But Microsoft’s recent backup implementation, its suddenly appearing Microsoft Backup app, is not well thought out and is a one-size-fits-all solution — that doesn’t fit well at all.

  Here’s the backstory. The new Backup app is available for both Windows 10 and 11. That’s a surprise, because we’ve been put on notice that Windows 10 22H2 is the final release, with only security updates coming our way until October 2025.

  Read the full story in our Plus Newsletter (20.40.0, 2023-10-02).
  This story also appears in our public Newsletter.

  On Security Backup, KB5029331, KB5030211, Microsoft Accounts, Newsletters, Patch Lady Posts, Windows backup

• Where to store your OneNote notebooks

  Posted on August 22, 2022 at 02:45 CDT by Mary Branscombe • Comment in the Forums

  

  ISSUE 19.34 • 2022-08-22

  ONENOTE

  

  By Mary Branscombe

  OneNote is meant to be one place for all your notes, but even though it’s great to have one location to look at all your notes, you might want to have a bit more control about where those notes are actually stored.

  For many users, it might seem as if you didn’t have a choice: unless you’re using the Windows desktop version of OneNote and you paid for a license, your notebooks must be stored in OneDrive. That’s what allows them to sync onto any device you use — PC, Mac, iPhone, Android, or anything with a suitable Web browser.

  But even though your notebooks must be stored in OneDrive, they don’t need to be stored in the same OneDrive account you use for other things on that device. You can even open notebooks that are stored in someone else’s account, if they share them with you.

  Read the full story in our Plus Newsletter (19.34.0, 2022-08-22).
  This story also appears in our public Newsletter.

  OneNote Collaboration, Microsoft Accounts, Newsletters, OneDrive, OneNote, Synchronization

• The twists and turns of Office Fast Account Switching

  Posted on May 16, 2022 at 02:45 CDT by Peter Deegan • Comment in the Forums

  

  ISSUE 19.20 • 2022-05-16

  MICROSOFT 365

  

  By Peter Deegan

  Fast Account Switching lets you quickly “change hats” between work, home, and other Microsoft accounts in Microsoft 365, Office 2021 and 2019, and now the browser-based Office.com apps.

  Most of us have more than one online life, usually a work account — and a personal account and possibly more for other work or voluntary commitments. For Office users, that means separate Microsoft accounts and switching between those accounts to see recent documents and online storage related to that part of your life. In the past, and still in Office for Mac, changing accounts meant reopening the Office app.

  Read the full story in our Plus Newsletter (19.20.0, 2022-05-16).
  This story also appears in our public Newsletter.

  Microsoft 365 Microsoft 365, Microsoft Accounts, Newsletters, Office 365, tips

• Microsoft account or local account – which one should you choose?

  Posted on June 28, 2021 at 02:41 CDT by Lance Whitney • Comment in the Forums

  MICROSOFT

  

  By Lance Whitney

  Which type of account should you use for your personal Windows 10 computer? That depends on your situation, though there are benefits and drawbacks to each.

  When you set up a Windows 10 PC for personal use, Microsoft makes you select which type of account you want to use to sign in. A Microsoft account will synchronize certain apps and settings across multiple devices and give you access to services beyond Windows. A local account provides an entryway solely to your current PC.

  Read the full story in the AskWoody Plus Newsletter 18.24.0 (2021-06-28).

  AskWoody Plus Newsletter, Microsoft AskWoody Plus Newsletter, Local account, Microsoft Accounts, Windows 10

• How to control the privacy of your Microsoft account

  Posted on May 3, 2021 at 01:02 CDT by Lance Whitney • Comment in the Forums

  MICROSOFT

  

  By Lance Whitney

  You can review and manage a host of privacy settings and collected data for your Microsoft account via a dedicated account website.

  I know that some Windows users shy away from creating a Microsoft account because they’re concerned about the software giant siphoning up too much information about them. That’s certainly a valid concern. Like other tech companies, Microsoft will track many of your activities to “customize your experience” but also, sadly, to serve you targeted ads and other content.

  Read the full story in the AskWoody Plus Newsletter 18.16.0 (2021-05-03).

  AskWoody Plus Newsletter, Microsoft 365, Privacy AskWoody Plus Newsletter, Microsoft, Microsoft 365, Microsoft Accounts, Privacy