How to Switch Users on Windows

Co-authored by wikiHow Staff

Last Updated: October 25, 2021

This wikiHow teaches you how to log out of your current user account on Windows 10, and sign in to a different account on the same computer. You can also use the same methods on earlier versions of Windows.

Method 1

Method 1 of 2:
Using Your Keyboard

1
Press Control+Alt+Del on your keyboard. This key combination will open your blue-screen menu with your current account information.
2
Click Switch user below your account name. This will open a list of all the accounts saved on this computer.
3
Click the account you want to use. Find the account you want to sign in with, and click on it.
4
Enter your account password. If the selected account is secured with a password, you'll be prompted to enter it here.
- If you don't have a password for this account, it will automatically open up to your desktop.
5
Click the right arrow button. This button is located next to the Password field. It will sign you into the selected account, and open your desktop.
- Alternatively, you can hit ↵ Enter or ⏎ Return on your keyboard.

Method 2

Method 2 of 2:
Using the Start Menu

1
Open your computer's Start menu. Click the Start button or the Windows icon in the lower-left corner of your screen to open it.
2
Click the profile picture of the current user. The profile picture of your current account is displayed on the left-hand side of the Start menu. It will open your account options.
3
Click Sign Out. This will sign you out of your current account.
4
Select a different account to sign in with. You'll be prompted to enter your account password to sign in.
5
Enter your account password. If your account is secured with a password, you'll have to enter it here to sign in.
6
Hit ↵ Enter or ⏎ Return on your keyboard. This will confirm your password, and sign you into the selected account.