How to Add and Delete Users in Windows Server

On a Windows Server installation with Desktop Experience, create or remove a local user in Computer Management: open compmgmt.msc, then go to System Tools > Local Users and Groups > Users. Use New User to add an account or right-click an existing account and choose Delete. These steps affect only that server. If you mean a domain account, use Active Directory Users and Computers instead.

This guide covers local accounts on a standalone server or a domain-joined member server. A local account has permissions on that computer only. On a domain controller, Local Users and Groups is not used to manage the domain's accounts. See Microsoft's local accounts guidance and Active Directory user account instructions for the distinction.

Add a local user in Computer Management

1. Sign in with an account that has administrative rights. Open Start, search for Computer Management, and open it. You can also press Windows+R, type compmgmt.msc, and press Enter. Approve the administrator prompt if Windows asks.
2. In the left pane, expand System Tools, then Local Users and Groups, and select Users. Right-click the Users folder and choose New User....

3. Enter a unique User name. Add the person's full name and a short description if useful for administration. Type and confirm a temporary password that meets your server's password policy.
4. For a person who will sign in, leave User must change password at next logon selected when you assign a temporary password. Avoid selecting Password never expires without an approved reason. Select Create, then Close. The new account appears in the Users list and normally belongs to the standard Users group.

Make the user an administrator only when needed

A regular local user is the safer default. Membership in the local Administrators group grants broad control over that server, so give it only to accounts that need to perform administrative work.

1. In the Users list, right-click the account and choose Properties.
2. Open Member Of, choose Add, enter Administrators, and select Check Names. Confirm the resolved group, select OK, then apply the change.

Have the user sign out and back in before relying on changed group permissions. Microsoft recommends limiting the number of local Administrators because that group has full control of the device.

Disable an account or delete it

If access should stop temporarily, disable the account instead of deleting it. Disabling is reversible and prevents that account from signing in; you can clear the same checkbox later to enable it again.

1. In the Users list, open the account's Properties.
2. On the General tab, select Account is disabled, then choose Apply and OK.

Before permanent removal, confirm the account is no longer needed by a service, scheduled task, remote access workflow, or file permission. Back up or transfer any files the person needs. Deleting the account does not replace the separate task of reviewing and removing its local profile; use Microsoft's Windows Server profile removal guidance if profile cleanup is also required.

1. In Local Users and Groups > Users, right-click the account and select Delete.
2. Check the account name in the confirmation prompt, then confirm only if you intend to remove it. If you are uncertain, disable the account first and review its access before deleting it.

Do not try to delete built-in accounts such as Administrator or Guest. Windows does not allow default local user accounts to be deleted. Guest is disabled by default, and Microsoft recommends leaving it disabled unless a specific need has been reviewed.

Use PowerShell on Server Core or for repeatable tasks

When the graphical console is unavailable, open an elevated PowerShell session. The LocalAccounts module provides commands for creating, disabling, and removing local users and for adding them to local groups. This example prompts for a password as a secure string rather than putting a password in the command line:

$password = Read-Host -AsSecureString "Temporary password"
New-LocalUser -Name "jdoe" -FullName "Jordan Doe" -Description "Operations account" -Password $password

Run only the action you need. These examples add administrator rights, disable an account, or permanently remove it:

Add-LocalGroupMember -Group "Administrators" -Member "jdoe"
Disable-LocalUser -Name "jdoe"
Remove-LocalUser -Name "jdoe"

For syntax and version notes, see Microsoft's New-LocalUser, Add-LocalGroupMember, Disable-LocalUser, and Remove-LocalUser documentation. Use Active Directory tools and domain permissions for domain accounts; local-user commands do not create domain users.