Modern Windows 10 does not provide the old built-in Guest account experience that many earlier Windows versions used. The practical replacement is to create a separate standard local account for a visitor. This keeps the visitor out of your personal profile and avoids giving them administrator rights.
Create a visitor account
- Sign in with an administrator account you are authorized to use.
- Open Settings > Accounts > Family & other users or the equivalent Other users page on your Windows 10 build.
- Choose the option to add another user to the PC.
- If you want a local visitor account, choose the path for adding a user without a Microsoft account when Windows offers it.
- Create a neutral account name such as Visitor.
- Use a password when the PC’s security needs justify one and store it appropriately.
- After creating the account, confirm that its account type is Standard User, not Administrator.
- Sign out and test the visitor account before handing over the computer.
Why a standard account is safer
A standard user cannot normally install system-wide software or change protected settings without administrator approval. It still has its own files and browser data, which is better than allowing a visitor to use your everyday account.
Do not enable the legacy Guest account with old command-line tricks
Older tutorials may suggest activating a built-in account named Guest. That does not recreate the supported guest-user experience people remember from older Windows versions and can produce confusing restrictions or security behavior. A normal standard account is easier to understand and manage.
When the visitor no longer needs access, sign back into an administrator account, copy out any files that should be preserved, and remove the visitor account. Account removal can delete that profile’s local files.
Windows 10 standard support ended in October 2025. For a shared PC still in regular use, move eligible hardware to Windows 11 or another supported platform.
Use a standard local account instead of reviving Guest
Older Windows tutorials sometimes enable the legacy Guest account with command-line or registry tricks. Modern Windows 10 is better served by a separate standard local account with no administrator rights. Give it only the file and application access the visitor actually needs.
A separate account is only one layer of isolation
Review permissions on shared folders and remove the visitor account when it is no longer needed. Browser guest mode can keep browser history separate for a short session, but it does not create a separate Windows security boundary.
Kermit Matthews is a freelance writer based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania with more than a decade of experience writing technology guides. He has a Bachelor’s and Master’s degree in Computer Science and has spent much of his professional career in IT management.
He specializes in writing content about iPhones, Android devices, Microsoft Office, and many other popular applications and devices.