User account management can be performed in various ways.

1. Thru Control Panel, User Accounts, where you have the option to "Pick a Task"
   
   
2. Thru Control Panel, Administrative Tools, Computer Management, Local Users and Groups, which offers kind of a ""do it yourself" approach, targeted at the more advanced user/administrator of a system.

A third way of configuring User Account settings and behavior is, by default, not exposed thru a user interface, especially if the XP system is part of a Workgroup.
This interface allows a number of User Account configuration setting not offered thru methods 1 and 2 (above).

Create a more permanent shortcut to
 rundll32.exe %SystemRoot%\System32\netplwiz.dll,UsersRunDll
(note: case sensitive !)

or simply just open a Command Prompt and type: control userpasswords2
to bring up the interface.

Note: that typing control userpasswords brings up the new XP "Pick a Task" interface.

Here you have the possibility to configure things like:

• "Users must enter a user name and password to use this computer" (in other words: Autologon, an administrative logon with a specified user account)
• Group Membership, ie. whether the user is a Standard User (Power Users group), Restricted User(Users group) or Other
• Reset the password of Administrator
• Manage Stored User names and Password used to access specified (web)servers
• Manage .NET Passports
• Advanced User Management (ie. User management snap-in)
• Securing logon (ie. requiring users to press Ctrl+Alt+Delete to logon)