Can I have help Deleting a duplicate User account of mine in my Home Windows 11 PC?

Question

Can I have help Deleting a duplicate User account of mine in my Home Windows 11 PC?

Jeff Davis 70

Months ago I had help setting up a new User account for myself to fix some problems on my home Windows 11 PC. I'm finally wanting to get rid of that account since it makes my Disc Images bigger and I don't want to be keep backing the unnecessary stuff up. I'm now totally happy with my NEW User deal, but I can't figure out what to do about a few things that I see before I Delete the old one. I see them both in Control Panel\User Accounts\User Accounts\Manage Accounts. They're both set up a Administrator but my old one also shows my outlook.com email address under my User Name, which is my actual name & then it says Password Protected under that. The new one that I've been using for months doesn't show either. I can see how I can Delete the old User Account, but it seems like first I should get the new one setup with my outlook.com email address the same as the old one and add my outlook.com Password to it too.

I actually don't understand why it's not already there. Everything in my Outlook 2019 syncs perfectly with the live.com server for online access and with the Outlook for iOS on my iPhone. Also, all of my EDGE Favorites for both device's EDGE are available on both devices.

What should I do? I don't see anywhere to add this outlook.com email address on my NEW User Account. I only see where I can add a Password.

Here's what I see:

Control Panel User Accounts

If I click on Jeff Davis NEW, here's what I see. There's a link to add my Password, which is my outlook.com Password on the old login, but there's nowhere to add my outlook.com email address:

Control Panel Change Account

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Answer 1

EmilyS726 270.3K Independent Advisor

Hello

Please make sure you currently sign in the new Jeff account. Then go through the following steps:

If you have data at the old username folder, go to C:\users\old username folder, find them and copy them into C:\users\new username folder.
Type sysdm.cpl in the search on the taskbar and hit enter, go to Advanced tab, click on the "Settings" button at the User Profile section. Then delete the old user profile. Don't touch the default and public ones, or your current one.

3.. Type netplwiz in the search on the taskbar and hit enter. When launched, delete the old user (should be the one listed as email address)

Restart the computer (don't skip)
Go to Settings > Accounts > Your info

Click on Sign in with Microsoft account instead. follow the steps and finish the rest. This is where you will sign into your outlook.com address. When promted for the "current Windows password" "one last time", that's when you enter your local user's password.

Restart the computer (Do Not skip)

Jeff Davis 70 Reputation points

2026-05-17T18:19:28.92+00:00

Cool. Thanks for that detailed list of steps. As far as Data, we transferred or maybe copied all of it to my NEW login when we made it.

Here's a weird thought that I had after I posted this Question earlier, do I even need to add my outlook.com account to the NEW User account that I'm going to use, that I’ve been using ever since making it? Does Microsoft require that to be on at least one Admin User account on each PC?

Also, isn't there a deal now where I can setup a 4 digit numeric PIN for logging in instead of needing to type in the more complicated Password? I'm pretty sure that I remember having done that on my old User Account.
EmilyS726 270.3K Reputation points Independent Advisor

2026-05-17T18:37:00.0466667+00:00

Linking your local user to your outlook.com (microsoft account) would allow more features to be available, such as syncing Windows settings across devices, locating device from your Microsoft account online, etc. But you don't have to.

As for setting up PIN, you can do it by going to Setitngs > Accounts > Sign in options to do that.
Jeff Davis 70 Reputation points

2026-05-18T22:48:26.3466667+00:00

Thanks a bunch so far, Emily. I wanted to say that I'm a little tech savvy but nowhere near what you are.

It's interesting that you suggest typing things into the Windows Search box, where the Cortana box used to be, and not just by navigating to places on the Control Panel when I'm logged in as an Administrator, which I am on this home computer regardless of which User I'm logged in as. I'll definitely do it your way. I'd already started a list of what I thought I should do in what order. Now I'll modify it with your specific steps.

😋👍
EmilyS726 270.3K Reputation points Independent Advisor

2026-05-19T13:44:03.2133333+00:00

You are welcome Jeff.

Yeah, I am used to using the search box to get to where I need to directly. Navigation can work too via the interface, I just don't remember well the path if it requires too many clicks :)
Jeff Davis 70 Reputation points

2026-05-19T14:15:19.0533333+00:00

Emily, on remembering paths, I’ve got a weird short story. I use an old version of PaintShop Pro that was made by Jasc a lot on jpgs. I love it & I know where everything is to do all my stuff to images for posting on social media. Jasc sold the program to Corel awhile ago and their idiotic programers did something stupid that I've never known anyone else to do. They made it so that the icons on the main screen change to something different based on the last item you'd clicked on an item in their dropdown list. That gets really confusing since your mind doesn't remember what to click on the next time.

I’ve told them how bad that is for us Users and their response was "Oh, we'll tell the programmers & maybe it will be different in the next version.

Well, next versions are sold & aren't sent out as free updates. GRRRR

I'm still using the old one, although it needed to be setup as a Program Designed For Previous Windows or whatever that's called

The Search box that you said you use used to be named Cortana but she's nameless now. 😉

You'd said "Linking your local user to your outlook.com (microsoft account) ...". I'm trying to figure out if I should. Since I'm an old retiree with 1 home PC and an iPhone 13 that I put Outlook for iOS and EDGE on to keep everything in sync, what advantage would I get by linking?
EmilyS726 270.3K Reputation points Independent Advisor

2026-05-19T15:15:22.7566667+00:00

I hear you. Muscle memory is a thing, and change can be challenging sometimes.

Indeed, Cortana is nameless, in fact, it is discountinued.

Linking to your Microsoft account basically enableds all cloud feature. For example, you can go to your Microsoft account online https://account.live.com > Devices, and use it to locate device, stage remote lock if it is stolen, logging out of all sessions remotely via your account online on a different device. Although the biggest benefits is syncing preferences, apps and files across devices. If that's not the need for your scenario, then local account can suffice.
Jeff Davis 70 Reputation points

2026-05-19T16:54:28.72+00:00

I'm not into cloud storage. I actually hate them. I don't even like that OneDrive thing. I tried it since Microsoft almost makes it impossible not to. I make my own cool easy backups of all Data onto a few SD cards that I store in different places for safety. I use a great APP called Total Commander that goes thru reslly quickly & only Saves New or Modified files.

I also use the paid version of Macrium Reflect to write monthly Full disc images and daily Incrementals onto an external HDD.

That program can even let you Recover just 1 file if that's sll you need.

But you said "Although the biggest benefits is syncing preferences, apps and files across devices".

What type preferences or APPs if I only I use a Windows 11 desktop pc & an iPhone 13?

Also, how would it sync files? OneDrive?
Jeff Davis 70 Reputation points

2026-05-20T03:41:28.73+00:00

Emily, here is a screen shot of the Total Commander app that I'd mentioned. It goes pretty fast except for the first time when it is Copying everything that you highlighted onto the SD card backup.

As you're selecting the folders on C:, which you put on the left, that you see listed over on the SD card on the right to do, you hold down the Ctrl or Shift key so that you can select multiple which it turns RED. Then you just press F5 and it goes to work. That's when it pops a box that you click Options on, click the dropdown arrow next to "1. All users" and pick "4. Overwrite all older" so that it only adds new files found and overwrites any that had been Modified.
EmilyS726 270.3K Reputation points Independent Advisor

2026-05-20T14:12:18.03+00:00

Very neat. Thanks for sharing the cool tools you used.

Regarding syncing preferences, apps and files, yes, files are via OneDrive. And preferences and apps won't apply since you only use one computer.

So in this case, I don't see you would benefit from using Microsoft account.
Jeff Davis 70 Reputation points

2026-05-31T08:52:02.93+00:00

Hi Emily. I been busy selling our house so I haven't had a chance to work on this User issue on my computer. I just knew that I should Reply to you since I think this site auto closes Questions if they haven't been Replied on in 30 days or so. I'll get on this real soon. I do have another question about it that you probably know the answer to. Talk to you soon.