Forum Discussion
Configure guest account in Windows 11
I have a personal administrator account that I use on a daily basis on Windows 11. I just created a guest account which is a standard account on my machine. As the name suggests, I will have guests at my house who will use my PC and I would like to configure what they can do with this account. I don't know what can be done.
I wish :
1) that they can only access a specific folder in which they can put whatever they want. And so I would like them not to be able to access any other folder including C:
2) that they can only use a few programs that I have defined
3)Also, I wanted to change some visuals on the desktop and taskbar, but I can't access the guest account settings.
2 Replies
- Right-click the folder, select Properties.
- Go to the Security tab.
- Click Edit to change permissions.
- Remove all groups/users except "Guests" or the guest account you're using.
- Grant Full Control only to the guest account or "Guests".
- Out of the box, Windows can’t fully block a standard user from seeing other folders like . You can make this mostly work by creating a dedicated folder, giving the guest account permissions only to that folder, and removing its access to your personal folders (Documents, Desktop, Pictures, etc.).
That said, they will still technically be able to see parts of the file system, even if they can’t open or modify most of it.C:\ - Windows 11 Home doesn’t offer an easy or reliable way to whitelist apps for a standard user. Features like AppLocker or Assigned Access (kiosk mode) are very limited or unavailable on Home, and kiosk mode only works for a single app.
Realistically, a standard user can run any installed app unless you move to Windows 11 Pro and use Group Policy or AppLocker. - You must sign into the guest account to change its desktop, taskbar, and UI settings. An admin account cannot fully customize another user’s UI from the outside.
Once logged in as the guest, you can change wallpaper, pin/unpin apps, and adjust taskbar behavior just for that account.
What I’d recommend instead
If this is for occasional visitors, the safest and simplest option is:Create a standard local account
Don’t store sensitive data on the PC unencrypted
Lock down permissions on your personal folders
Or use a separate Windows user profile, a virtual machine, or a cheap secondary laptopIf you truly need strict restrictions (single folder + selected apps only), you’ll need Windows 11 Pro or a different setup entirely (kiosk, VM, or separate device).
- Out of the box, Windows can’t fully block a standard user from seeing other folders like . You can make this mostly work by creating a dedicated folder, giving the guest account permissions only to that folder, and removing its access to your personal folders (Documents, Desktop, Pictures, etc.).
