How do I add a 2nd user that can play games off the main account?

GetTheClicker · Jul 21, 2023

I know the obvious answer is to make a new save for whatever game they're wanting to play but I'd rather not let someone accidentally save over my progress or lose my place.

The goal here is to make a separate account for a guest that can play the games already installed to my account and will keep their saved games completely separate in their user folder.

Ghot · Jul 21, 2023

Hello @GetTheClicker and welcome to ElevenForum.

It would help to know which game we're discussing.
If you want a way for a guest to be able to play the installed games at the same time you do... the game itself will probably prevent that.
The game(s) in question will probably also prevent a different Windows "user" from having a separate save game.

I do know of some older games that will allow a different Windows "user" to have a separate save game.
But if the game itself doesn't allow that, then you're probably out of luck.

GetTheClicker · Jul 21, 2023

I'm not asking to play at the same time, just to simply keep their progress completely separate from my own.
Horizon Zero Dawn
Generation Zero
Trail Out
Saints Row
Those just happen to be games I don't have through an app like Steam or Xbox Live for Windows.

Ghot · Jul 21, 2023

GetTheClicker said:
I'm not asking to play at the same time, just to simply keep their progress completely separate from my own.
Horizon Zero Dawn
Generation Zero
Trail Out
Saints Row
Those just happen to be games I don't have through an app like Steam or Xbox Live for Windows.

Like I said above... it depends on the game itself.
In Windows you can make separate user accounts. But if the game doesn't allow more than one "game account"... nothing in Windows can change that.

There may be ways to "hack" the game's DRM, but we can't discuss that on here.

GetTheClicker · Jul 21, 2023

Hmm well then I guess I can just make backups and place the saves in different folders then move them back later. I just thought there was a simpler solution. Just a thought. Thank you though.

Ghot · Jul 21, 2023

GetTheClicker said:
Hmm well then I guess I can just make backups and place the saves in different folders then move them back later. I just thought there was a simpler solution. Just a thought. Thank you though.

If there was a way to do that... the game companies would go broke.
One person in a 6 person family could buy a game, and everyone in the whole house, or on the whole block, could have their own main character.

Now IF the game allows you to make more than one main character, then anyone playing the game (on your computer), could have their own save game.

Diablo II was like that. I could make any number of characters, with their own save games, but those characters were attached to my IP/email. So others could play one of my characters and things they did would not affect MY character.

Unless they got banned. Getting banned would affect ALL the characters attached to my IP/email.

zebal · Jul 22, 2023

Ghot said:
In Windows you can make separate user accounts. But if the game doesn't allow more than one "game account"... nothing in Windows can change that.

Hi Ghot, are you sure about that?
games usually save files into "My Games" folder or somewhere in documents which is in user profile.
some games also save files into appdata which is also in user profile.

There are also games which save files into installation directory but these are very rare cases.

Ghot · Jul 22, 2023

zebal said:
Hi Ghot, are you sure about that?

What I "am" sure about is that game companies are becoming ever more crafty at blocking more than one person from creating an account... IN the game.

And no, I'm "not" sure about the exact way they do it, these days... but there won't be a legal Windows work-around.

But if you think you have a solution... feel free to post it.

zebal · Jul 22, 2023

even if game is from steam you can log in from another windows account and then log into steam with same steam account of other user and save file location will be in user folder for local games, ex. not cloud saves.

for DRM free games ex. GOG save file location is also set in user profile.

I agree with you though that in-game account is limited to one user but that's not relevant for save file location and likely a user can log in into same in-game account from another windows account for the purpose of separate save files.

Issue is only when game saves files into install directory, but it's very rare case.
There is nothing illegal with this.

Ghot · Jul 22, 2023

zebal said:
even if game is from steam you can log in from another windows account and then log into steam with same steam account of other user and save file location will be in user folder for local games, ex. not cloud saves.

for DRM free games ex. GOG save file location is also set in user profile.

I agree with you though that in-game account is limited to one user but that's not relevant for save file location and likely a user can log in into same in-game account from another windows account for the purpose of separate save files.

Issue is only when game saves files into install directory, but it's very rare case.
There is nothing illegal with this.

My point here, is that I don't "know for sure", as I am NOT a game developer. But I doubt a game that doesn't normally allow more than one game account, will have over looked what someone could do with Windows User accounts.

As usual though... if you feel differently... feel free to address the OP, and offer whatever YOU think, might work.

zebal · Jul 22, 2023

Ghot said:
As usual though... if you feel differently... feel free to address the OP, and offer whatever YOU think, might work.

Ofc. I meant no offense, but for the OP it should work as long as game doesn't save into program data or installation directory.
and (if there is in-game account) as long as he\she is willing to share his in-game account with other windows user.

@GetTheClicker
You should confirm save file location is in user profile and that in-game account is not present.

Ghot · Jul 22, 2023

zebal said:
but for the OP it should work as long as game doesn't save into program data or installation directory.

I'm "guessing" that even that won't work these days.
Maybe they have something that won't let the save game (if in the User folder), be accessed... unless there is a paid for game account for that "other" game player.
DRM would be pretty useless, if we could just create another Windows User to get around it.

But I have no way of knowing for sure.

zebal · Jul 22, 2023

Ghot said:
I'm "guessing" that even that won't work these days.
Maybe they have something that won't let the save game (if in the User folder), be accessed... unless there is a paid for game account for that "other" game player.
DRM would be pretty useless, if we could just create another Windows User to get around it.

Honestly I never tried, but games are just like any other programs, in a sense that they are installed system wide and runnable by all users.
I'm not knowable enough to see how DRM could prevent that beyond setting up in-game account which is in control of a user anyway.

Perhaps it could prevent multiple users using a game with in-game account in same time, but if you log out and log in from another win. account then DRM is helplessness.
Otherwise users would be prohibited from creating multiple win account because it would lock their game which makes no sense to me.

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