How do I add extra accounts to OS X when I have multiple people using my Mac?
Creating new user accounts sounds like a difficult task, but it actually only takes about a minute. Like most other things, Apple has designed many system administration processes to be as easy as possible. To give a new user their own account on your Mac that they can customize to their liking, you need to open up the System Preferences pane. The icon for your Mac’s system preferences is in the Dock at the bottom of the screen, and looks like this:
When you click on this icon, the System Preferences pane will open up. Under the System heading, locate the Accounts icon and click it.
Clicking on this Accounts icon will open up a new preference pane for User Accounts. Before you can make any changes you must be authenticated as a system administrator. Look for the lock icon at the bottom of the User Accounts preference pane. If the lock is closed, you are not authenticated. In order to authenticate, click on the lock icon. You will be asked for your password.
* You must be logged in with a computer administrator’s account in order to proceed. You cannot make these changes as a regular, non-administrative user.
Once you are authenticated, you will have access to all of the features of the User Accounts preferences pane. To add a new account, click the “plus” (+) icon located directly above the lock icon.
A new window will appear on your screen and ask you for the details of the new user account. It looks like this:
- Name: The full name of the user, e.g. Joe Smith.
- Short Name: The username of the user, e.g. jsmith.
- Password: The password that this new user will authenticate with.
- Verify: Type the same password again, to eliminate the possibility of a spelling mistake.
- Password Hint: If this user forgets their password, this optional phrase should be something that reminds them of it.
- Finally, check off the administrator checkbox if this new user should be allowed to make changes to system preferences.
After you fill in all of these fields, press the Create Account button to finish creating the new user account. OS X will create the new user account and allow you to edit further settings such as the user’s icon and parental controls.
When you are finished with these details, close any remaining preference panes and your new user is ready to log in.
[tags]mac,os x,mac os x,system administration[/tags]
