Setting up different user accounts on Windows 8 is a smart thing. You don’t want to share secure accounting information with your kids. Vice versa, you don’t want to see Dora the Explorer cartoons or get a computer virus from your kids! At the same time, if you’ve paid for an app from the Windows Store, why not be able to use it on all accounts? Games and apps should be useable by all.
By default, you are unable to share Windows 8 apps. But, as your Windows 8 expert, I beg to differ and will show you a trick.
Here’s how to share your Windows 8 apps between accounts:
- Keep your user account the same.
- Go to the other user accounts and change the Windows Store accounts to your Microsoft account.
- Protect this account with a password so your kids or others don’t have a shopping spree.
- Buy apps and have them available for all accounts.
Keep in mind that having the same Windows support store account is isolated to just that function of sharing and using apps. Everything else, such as Xbox Music, Video, and other Microsoft non-store apps will work independently on all user accounts.