FOR~GO
(For Geeks Only)
By Joe Callison
29 May 2026
Managing User Accounts in Windows Terminal
Managing user accounts in Windows Terminal depends on whether you are using the Command Prompt (CMD) or PowerShell profile. Most of these commands require administrative privileges to function.
Command Prompt (CMD) Account Commands
The net user command is the primary tool for managing accounts in CMD.
- List all user accounts:
net user - Create a new local user:
net user <username> <password> /add - Delete a user account:
net user <username> /delete - Change a user’s password:
net user <username> <new_password> - Activate/Deactivate the built-in Administrator account:
net user administrator /active:yes (or no to disable) - Add a user to the Administrators group:
net localgroup administrators <username> /add
PowerShell Account Commands
PowerShell uses “cmdlets” for more modern account management.
- List all local users:
Get-LocalUser - Create a new local user:
New-LocalUser -Name “Username” -FullName “Full Name” -Description “Description” - Disable a user account:
Disable-LocalUser -Name “Username” - Remove a local user:
Remove-LocalUser -Name “Username” - Add user to a local group (like Administrators):
Add-LocalGroupMember -Group “Administrators” -Member “Username”
Quick Shortcuts & Utilities
These commands can be typed into either terminal to quickly open GUI account settings or identify the current user.
- Identify current user and computer name:
whoami - Open Advanced User Accounts GUI:
netplwiz or control userpasswords2 - View current active/logged-in users:
query user - Run a command as a different user:
runas /user:<username> “cmd.exe”
