Running two copies of the same app on your PC tin can exist helpful. Possibly you have multiple accounts for a chat app that you want to utilise at the same time, or demand to test something on two profiles at in one case.

For those times when just 1 running copy of an app won't practice, there are several options that allow you run multiple instances of the same program in Windows. Here's what y'all can do.

How to Run the Same App Twice on Windows: The Bones Solution

At that place's a handy trick that doesn't run fully independent instances of a program, but it could be all you lot need. To open up a second window of certain open up apps, just hold Shift and click on the icon in your taskbar.

For programs like Discussion, Notepad, File Explorer, and Chrome, this will open a second window with a blank document. You tin can work in that separately from whatever else yous already have open.

Windows Two Open Notepad Instances

However, this won't work with all apps. You can't run 2 Discord windows by property Shift, for example—doing then will have no effect. To run the aforementioned program twice for apps that don't back up the in a higher place method, bank check out the other solutions below.

How to Run Multiple Instances of a Plan as Different Users

When yous open an app in Windows, the operating organisation creates a new process of that programme under your user account. If you have more one user on your organization, you can thus create new instances of the same program under a different user.

You can observe this yourself by opening the Chore Director (Ctrl + Shift + Esc), clicking More than details if needed, and viewing the Details tab. The User proper name column contains the user who started the procedure.

Task Manager Username Details

Of grade, switching between user accounts all the fourth dimension to employ two copies of an app would exist tedious. There'south a meliorate way, though: you tin can choose to run a certain program as a different user, while staying logged into your current account.

If you lot don't already accept at least a second user on your reckoner, you tin create a new local business relationship that's simply a dummy profile. Ane style to do this is by opening the Settings app, and then going to to Accounts > Family unit & other users > Add together someone else to this PC.

When you're prompted to enter the person'due south electronic mail address, click I don't take this person's sign-in information at the lesser instead. You lot don't demand to use a Microsoft business relationship to sign in, then click Add a user without a Microsoft account at the bottom of the next console.

Windows 10 Add New Local Account

Set a username and a password for the account. We recommend making both easy to type (merely don't use a weak password!) if you plan to use this ofttimes. If you don't set a password, the ability to run another case of the programme under this account won't piece of work.

For all-time results, you should also make the new account an administrator. If you don't, it volition only exist able to open software that you lot have installed for all users. You lot'll run across an fault message if a standard account tries to open an app that's but installed for another account.

Duplicating a Windows App Nether Another Account

At present that you take two accounts, you can run programs under whichever ane you lot choose. When you lot launch a programme as you normally would, it opens under your business relationship past default. To launch it every bit your second user, search for information technology using the Offset bill of fare. Right-click the proper noun of the app, and so choose Open File Location to open its executable in File Explorer.

Windows Search Open File Location

At present, hold Shift while y'all right-click on the icon of the program. This will open a context menu with more options than usual. Click Run equally unlike user in the menu and you'll open a login box request you to sign in with some other business relationship. Enter the login info for the account yous just created, and the app will launch a 2d version under that user.

This also works for app icons already on your taskbar. Hold Shift while correct-clicking on the name of the app to open a similar menu. If this doesn't work, right-click on the icon one time, then hold Shift and correct-click the app'south name once more on the resulting flyout menu.

Windows Run Program as Another User

If you see an error that says Windows cannot access the specified device, path, or file, then the user account yous chose doesn't have permission to open up the app. Most likely, you're trying to apply a standard business relationship to open up a program that'southward only installed for your main user account. Try promoting the secondary account to an ambassador and doing this again.

This method isn't perfect. Sometimes, you need to run the app equally the secondary user earlier yous open information technology under your usual account for it to properly launch two versions. Not all apps let you run two instances at once. And this doesn't do anything for Store apps.

Then information technology's worth a endeavour to run two instances of one program, but might not work depending on the app.

Bitwarden Multiple Instances Windows

How to Install Ii Versions of the Same Software With Sandboxie

As information technology turns out, sandboxing software works perfectly for installing the same app twice on your system. Windows has a built-in sandbox you can use for this purpose, but Sandboxie is even easier. It lets you run anything in a special window that's isolated from the remainder of your computer.

This is a great way to test potentially unsafe downloads in a controlled environment, simply lets you run multiple versions of an app, too.

Get started by downloading Sandboxie Plus (the latest version later the original ended its development) and running through its installation process. One time you're done, yous'll see a Run Sandboxed entry when you right-click on a program in File Explorer, every bit long as you left this option enabled during installation.

Like before, you'll likely have to correct-click an app'due south entry in the Start menu and choose Open File Location to bear witness information technology File Explorer, then right-click on the app there and choose Run Sandboxed.

A programme in a sandbox shows up in your taskbar like anything else, only you'll see a yellow outline around it when you lot mouse over the window borders. Note that anything you create in the sandbox gets destroyed when you close it, and then make sure to relieve whatsoever important files on your computer and then y'all don't lose them.

Opera Sandboxie Example

You can create multiple sandboxes, beyond the default one, to run several instances of programs. And information technology's non limited to only running software that's already on your computer; you can install software inside a sandbox to run it from a fresh land.

Sandboxie is a powerful utility with a variety of uses, just it tin can take a scrap to learn properly. Have a look at Sandboxie's help page if you're interested in learning more than.

Use Browser Apps to Run Multiple Software Instances

Considering and so many apps are at present bachelor as web versions, an easily overlooked selection for running multiple instances of an account is through your browser. For example, you could employ Discord's desktop app for 1 business relationship, then open Discord in your browser to sign into another account.

If yous utilize this method ofttimes, incognito or private windows are even more than useful. These provide a "clean" browser window that doesn't go on any sign-in or other identifying information. Thus, you lot can use a individual window to sign into multiple accounts at once for services like Facebook, Gmail, or web versions of apps like Skype. You lot won't have to sign out of your master account, either.

Chrome Incognito

Similarly, Google Chrome includes a profile switcher that lets you lot open Chrome under a dissimilar user business relationship, making it easy to switch between a few configurations you often use.

Congenital-In Options and App Boxes

Don't forget that a lot of software already has the selection to sign into multiple accounts, so you might not need to run more one instance of the app.

For instance, Slack lets y'all switch between multiple workspaces with its switcher on the left side. Telegram'due south desktop app has the option to add some other account and switch betwixt them.

If zippo so far has worked for a particular app you use, then a utility that lets you access multiple accounts in one identify is the way to go. Try services like Franz, Stack, or Rambox that let y'all run many productivity apps side-by-side.

It's easy to add together more than than one business relationship for each app. Most of these tools accuse for the full feature fix, but it's worth it if you juggle a lot of accounts.

Two Versions of the Same Software: No Problem

While it might seem impossible at first, with these tools and methods you have many options for running several instances of i program. Some are a bit more work than others, merely one of these solutions should work for pretty much any app. Now you don't take to practise anything inconvenient, like constantly signing in and out of accounts.

Similar to this, did you lot know that you lot tin can go deeper and even run multiple operating systems on i estimator?

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About The Writer

Ben Stegner (1801 Articles Published)

Ben is the Editor in Master at MakeUseOf. He left his It job to write full-time in 2016 and has never looked back. He's been covering tech tutorials, video game recommendations, and more every bit a professional author for over eight years.

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