How to Use Separate OneDrive Accounts for Multiple Users on One Windows PC
Question details
User needs to set up separate OneDrive accounts for multiple family members sharing a single Windows laptop.
- Product
- OneDrive
- Device & OS
- Windows
- Scenario
- Three people are sharing a Windows laptop using Microsoft 365 Family accounts, causing their documents and OneDrive files to mix.
- Observed behavior
- Files and Documents folders from different users are merging into a single shared location instead of remaining private.
Ensure you have the login credentials (email and password) for all the Microsoft accounts you plan to use, and verify that you have administrative privileges on the shared Windows laptop to create new user profiles.
Create Dedicated Windows User Profiles for Each Account
The most reliable way to separate OneDrive files on a single PC is to give each user their own Windows profile.
By setting up individual Windows accounts for each family member, Windows will create separate, secure local directories (like Documents, Desktop, and Pictures) for everyone. When a user logs into their respective Windows profile, their specific OneDrive account will sync only their files, keeping everything completely private and organized.
Click the Start button on your Windows taskbar and select 'Settings' (the gear icon).
Click on 'Accounts' and select 'Family & other users' from the left-hand navigation menu.
Click on 'Add someone else to this PC' and follow the on-screen prompts to enter the family member's individual Microsoft account credentials.
Sign out of your current Windows session. From the Windows lock screen, select the newly created user profile and complete the initial desktop setup.
Once logged into the new profile, open the OneDrive app from the system tray (cloud icon) and sign in using that specific user's Microsoft account to begin syncing their files independently.
Unlink and Relink OneDrive Accounts on a Shared Profile
If you prefer using a single Windows profile for everyone, you can manually unlink the current OneDrive account and sign in with a different one when needed.
Manage Your Documents Easily with WPS Office
While setting up multiple Windows profiles can be time-consuming, switching to WPS Office provides a lightweight, all-in-one workspace. You can easily manage multiple cloud storage accounts and enjoy seamless compatibility with Microsoft Word, Excel, and PowerPoint files—all for free.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I run multiple personal OneDrive accounts at the same time on one Windows profile?
No, Microsoft only allows one personal OneDrive account and one work or school OneDrive account to run simultaneously on a single Windows profile. To use multiple personal accounts, you must create separate Windows user profiles.
Will creating new Windows profiles delete my existing files?
No, creating new Windows user profiles will not delete the files on the original admin account. However, newly created profiles will start with empty Documents, Desktop, and Pictures folders until they sync with their respective OneDrive accounts.
How do I stop OneDrive from syncing my Desktop and Documents to a shared profile?
Open OneDrive settings, go to the 'Sync and backup' tab, click 'Manage backup', and toggle off the folders you no longer want to sync to the shared OneDrive account.
What happens to files downloaded on one Windows profile? Can other users see them?
If you create separate Windows user profiles, files saved to a user's local Documents or OneDrive folder are protected by their login credentials and cannot be accessed by other standard users on the same PC.
