Windows 10 has a standard user account and an administrator account, each with different rights to use the device and apps.
The administrator account offers full control over the system with privileges such as access to all files on the device. You can also change other user accounts and change them to Standard or Administrative, install software and hardware, change security settings, and perform tasks with elevated privileges.
However, if your computer is locked, you forgot your administrator password, or your administrator rights were accidentally revoked, you will not be able to make any changes on the device.
On the other hand, the standard user account is more restrictive. Regular users can work with applications and change settings that do not affect other user accounts. Unlike administrators, standard users cannot install new applications. In addition, if they need to perform an elevated task, they will need administrator credentials to complete it.
There are various reasons why you might want to change the administrator in Windows 10 For example, if you transfer the device to someone else or want to add someone else as an administrator and become a standard user yourself. There are several ways to change the administrator in Windows 10 which we will explain in this guide.
How to change admin in Windows 10
There are five different ways to change the administrator in Windows 10 You can use:
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- Settings.
- Control panel.
- User accounts.
- PowerShell.
- Command line.
How to change the Windows 10 administrator using settings
- Click Start> Settings and select Accounts.
- Click Family & Others.
- Click a user account and select Change Account Type.
- Select the type of administrator account and click OK.
- Restart your computer for the changes to take effect and start using an account with administrator privileges.
How to change the administrator in Windows 10 using the Control Panel
- Click Start, select Control Panel and go to User Accounts
- Click the account you want to change and select Change Account Type.
- Select the user account you want to change to administrator.
- Click the Change Account Type link on the left.
- Select a standard account or an administrator account.
How to change Windows 10 administrator using user accounts
You can set up an account of type “Administrator” using the netplwiz command or “User Accounts”.
- To do this, click the Start button and type netplwiz in the search box. Click the result to open user accounts.
- Click the account you want to change and select Properties.
- Then click the Group Membership tab. Select the regular user or administrator account that you want to change. You can also select different user groups in the Other Membership section. Here you can select Remote Desktop Users, Guests, Power Users, Crypto Operators, and Backup Operators, among others.
- Click Apply> OK. Repeat this step to confirm, and then reboot the device to apply the changes and use the new administrator account.
How to change the administrator in Windows 10 using PowerShell
How to change admin in Windows 10 using PowerShell
PowerShell is a command line shell that allows sysadmins to automate tasks like creating new users, passwords, and more, so they don’t have to waste time on such mundane things (see our PowerShell guide for home users for more details) ).
- To change the administrator in Windows 10 using PowerShell, right-click Start> Windows PowerShell (Admin).
- Enter this command to change the account to administrator: add-LocalGroupMember -Group “Administrators” -Member “ACCOUNT-NAME”
Note. Replace “Account-Name†with the actual name of the account you are changing to administrator.
How to change administrator in Windows 10 using the command line
- Click Start and type CMD in the search box. Select Command Prompt> Run as administrator.
- Enter this command to change the account type to Administrator: net localgroup Administrators “ACCOUNT-NAME” / add. Press Enter.
Note. Remember to replace “Account-Name” with the actual name of the account you are changing to administrator.
- To view the account type, enter the following command: net user ACCOUNT-NAME and press Enter. After completing these steps, the account will boot up with administrator privileges the next time the user logs on to the device.
Create a local administrator account in Windows 10
You can also create a local user or administrator account in Windows 10 and give it administrator rights. Users of Windows 10, version 1803 and later can add Security Questions, which allows them to reset their local account passwords at any time.
- To create a local user account and give it administrator rights, click Start> Settings> Accounts and select Family & other users.
- Select “Add someone else to this computer”.
- Then enter your username and password.
- Select the security questions you prefer to answer in case you lose or forget your password, and click Next.
Enter your username and password and enter a password hint or select security questions. When finished, click Next and then use any of the above methods to change the user account to Administrator.
Did you manage to change the administrator on Windows 10? Let us know in the comments.
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