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Q: How do you set up Windows 10 on corporate accounts? We are a small construction company and really don’t know how to set up Windows 10 on multiple computers. We have also run into issues with setting up Microsoft Office 365 on these computers. So far we are just dealing with the laptops for field use. The use of email accounts and passwords to set up Windows 10 is frustrating. Do we use different accounts for each? We’ve been using just one account, but even that causes issues. If you could point us in the right direction, something that is easy to follow, we would greatly appreciate it. We’ve tried researching this, but dadgum, there is a lot of stuff out there.

– Debbie F.
Odessa, Texas

A: I’m not sure you fully understand the magnitude of what you’re asking, Debbie.  One of the reasons you’re not finding the information you want is because configuring and maintaining Windows in a corporate environment is really a full-time job, called “System Administrator” or “IT Technician”.  This is an actual career path, and people get formal training, certifications, and make good money doing this sort of work for companies.  Such environments usually include one or more servers, which are usually rack-mounted, that provide such things as network file storage, domain control (being able to log-in as a corporate user), network firewall, system policy administration, corporate e-mail, and more.  It’s a completely different world than configuring a PC for use at home.  And before the “I hate Win 10!” crowd comes pounding on my door, this is not an issue that’s specific to any one version of Windows.  It applies to pretty much any version that you’re trying to configure for, as you called it “corporate accounts”.

Does that mean you can’t use Windows for business use without being an IT expert?  Well, no, but without a corporate LAN you’re not going to have the full span of control and services that a System Administrator normally enjoys.  Since you don’t seem to have such a person anyway, and since yours is a small corporation, perhaps that’s not a concern.  If, in thinking about the issue, you decide that it is, I would encourage you to stop reading right now, and go find an IT consultant in your area who can provide proper guidance.

If you’re still reading, I’m guessing that means you think you can do this without an IT guy.  Okay then.  As with so many issues, how you proceed is going to be determined by exactly what you want to actually accomplish with your company’s computer assets. Generally, I would think that you want to have them networked, to provide Internet access and share resources such as printers and mass storage.  In that capacity, setting things up would be no different than it would be for a home user. You asked in your question about using a single user account.  Whether you’re a business or home user, I would recommend getting away from that idea.  If you try to do it that way, you’ll quickly find your employees stepping on each other with everything from the background picture on a PC to their e-mail identity.  Individual user accounts allow each person to have their own identity on a PC, with their own customizations for everything from the appearance of the system, to the programs on the Start menu, to the default e-mail account.

If you shift your paradigm just a bit, and think of your company as a family, then realize that Windows has several layers of family sharing and control built-in, you may find a path through the set-up that you can live with.  Whoever is responsible for administering your systems takes the roll of the “parent”, and then grants permissions to other “family members”.  Each user has their own Microsoft account, and can sign-in independently of everybody else.  You would then connect everything to a central router (to provide IP addresses) and use Windows’ built-in Homegroup setup to share resources. The problem with this, and what separates home use from domain (corporate) use is that user account settings are unique to each PC.  So, if someone needs to work on another computer than they usually use, none of their customizations or installed software comes along with them.

As you said, there is a lot of stuff out there to wade through.  I tried to find a few good ones to recommend by Googling “Manage small office network” and “How to set up a small business network”, but to quote you, “dadgum!”  I’m sure you can use Google just as well as I, so I will wish you good luck, and leave you with one final thought: don’t forget a good back-up solution, so when the inevitable strikes, you’ll be prepared.