Am I just wasting my time trying to create 2 distinct Users (Win10)?

NoUsernamesLeft said:

Hi everyone,
I'm stuck on Windows 10 and have recently got into customising Windows, first through RainMeter but then I found and stuck with MyDockFinder. Along the way I created some really nice RainMeter layouts and would like to put them on a YouTube channel but it seems fate is against me. No matter what I try I simply can't have two distinct Users on my PC.

Here's what I've wasted the last month on:

- Dual Boot
I could only do another Win10 as my PC cant run Win11. But that second Win10 wouldn't be licensed so in 30 days I'd lose my ability to 'personalise' it, therefore that was a waste of time.

- VirtualBox
My PC is 16GB RAM with a 3GHZ i5 processor so VBox was super-slow and thus of no use.

- Another User Account
I did try this originally but am currently trying again. Here's the issue: I use MyDockFinder and Groupy2 on my main User account and don't want to get rid of them but they are burrowed deep enough that there is no way to have them auto-start only for me (not the new User where I'd do my custom work), I've tried all the simple stuff you see repeated everywhere online plus some startup management software, all to no avail.

Am I just kidding myself that this is even possible? I doubt it would be any different even if I bought a new PC.
Sorry if it comes across negative but I should have given up weeks ago.

Welcome to Ten Forums.
Dual boot should be a practical answer. Your PC has a digital licence stored on the Microsoft activation servers and linked to the unique hardware ID of the PC. As long as you install the same edition of Windows as you already have (Home or Pro) then it will activate from the PC's existing digital licence.

NoUsernamesLeft said:

Thank you but I use Local Account, not MS Login, will that still be okay?

Yes, whether you use a local account or a Microsoft account makes no difference. The digital licence is linked to the hardware ID of the PC and as long as the hardware is the same and the Windows edition is the same then a clean or a second install will activate as soon as it can contact the activation servers. The hard drive is not part of the hardware ID, so you are free to upgrade that if you wish, or swap it out and put another drive in for your new install.

Linking your digital licence to your MS account is an optional extra that can be useful for reactivating Windows after you make a significant hardware change, such as replacing the motherboard. It is not a requirement though, the digital licence is primarily linked to your PC's hardware ID.

No matter what I try I simply can't have two distinct Users on my PC.

I'm guessing that when you try to customise the appearance or layout of one thing, you see the same in two user accounts on the PC.

You will probably be aware that some 3rd party programs let you choose whether to install it just for the current user, or for all users. Sometimes that option is obscure, and sometimes simply not available.