Another user changes my settings
How do I stop another user's settings from affecting my account on a shared laptop?
Written by The CommonFixes team · fact checked by CommonFixes review desk
Last updated
Short answer
The most common reason is that everybody is actually sharing one Windows account rather than having their own. If there really are separate accounts, then what carries across is the small set of things that are machine wide rather than per user: installed programs, drivers, some default app choices and anything a browser was told to make the system default. It also happens when both people sign into the same browser profile or the same Microsoft account, because settings then travel through the cloud rather than through Windows. The quickest thing to try first: give each person a real account of their own — Open Settings, Accounts, Other users, Add account. If they do not want a Microsoft account, choose I do not have this person's sign-in information, then Add a user without a Microsoft account. Leave them as Standard user rather than Administrator. Separate accounts keep desktop, documents, browser and app settings completely apart, which is the whole fix for most households. Most people are done in about 20 minutes.
Full walkthrough below: 7 steps for Windows, rated medium.
Sounds like this
- •Your wallpaper, browser or default apps change after someone else uses the laptop
- •Programs appear that you never installed
- •Your files show up in the other person's folders
Why it happens
The most common reason is that everybody is actually sharing one Windows account rather than having their own. If there really are separate accounts, then what carries across is the small set of things that are machine wide rather than per user: installed programs, drivers, some default app choices and anything a browser was told to make the system default. It also happens when both people sign into the same browser profile or the same Microsoft account, because settings then travel through the cloud rather than through Windows.
Work through these in order
0% done- 1
Give each person a real account of their own
Open Settings, Accounts, Other users, Add account. If they do not want a Microsoft account, choose I do not have this person's sign-in information, then Add a user without a Microsoft account. Leave them as Standard user rather than Administrator. Separate accounts keep desktop, documents, browser and app settings completely apart, which is the whole fix for most households.
- 2
Make the other account a Standard user
Settings, Accounts, Other users, click the account, Change account type, and set Standard user. An Administrator can install software and change settings for everybody, and that is how one person's changes end up on your desktop. Keep exactly one administrator account, ideally yours, with a password on it.
- 3
Put a password or PIN on your own account
Settings, Accounts, Sign-in options. Without one, anyone can simply click your name and sign in as you, and no amount of separation helps. Also turn on Require sign-in when the computer wakes from sleep.
- 4
Stop browser profiles from mixing
In Chrome or Edge, each person should have their own browser profile signed in with their own Google or Microsoft account. Click the profile circle at the top right, then Add. Sharing one signed-in profile means bookmarks, extensions and the home page follow whoever changed them last, even from separate Windows accounts.
- 5
Turn off settings syncing if you use one Microsoft account on two machines
Settings, Accounts, Windows backup, and switch off Remember my preferences. Otherwise the theme and settings you set on one computer are pushed to the other and it looks like someone has been changing yours.
- 6
Set your own default apps rather than relying on theirs
Settings, Apps, Default apps. These are stored per user, so set your own browser and PDF reader once inside your account. If they keep changing, an installer being run by the other person is claiming them, which is another reason to remove their administrator rights.
- 7
Keep private files out of shared folders
Anything in C:\Users\Public is visible to everyone. Keep your work in your own Documents folder. For anything sensitive, right click the folder, Properties, Advanced, and tick Encrypt contents to secure data on Windows Pro, or use a password protected archive with 7-Zip on Home.
If none of that worked
If someone keeps installing things, set up a child or family account for them through Microsoft Family Safety, which lets you approve installs and set screen time without you having to police the machine yourself.
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The CommonFixes team
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We are a small group of people who spend our days repairing laptops and desktops for family, friends and small offices. Every guide here starts with a problem someone actually brought to us, and we only write down the steps that put the machine right.
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This guide was last updated on 10 August 2026. If a step no longer matches what you see on screen, tell us on the contact page and we will test it again.
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