How to Change the Administrator Account on Your Windows PC

The fastest way to change your PC administrator

To change the administrator on your Windows PC, you open Settings, go to Accounts, select "Other people," and either promote an existing user account to administrator or create a new administrator account. The exact steps depend on whether you want to give administrator rights to someone already on your PC or set up a brand-new account with those rights.

You must be logged in as the current administrator to make this change. If you are not, you will not see the option to modify other accounts. Windows will ask for your administrator password to confirm the change.

Key Takeaways

• Only the current administrator can change who has administrator rights on the PC.
• You can promote an existing user account to administrator status through Settings > Accounts > Other people.
• Creating a new administrator account takes the same path and takes about two minutes.
• If you forget your administrator password, you will need to use password recovery options or contact Microsoft support.
• Removing administrator rights from an account is the same process in reverse — select the account and choose "Change account type."

Promote an existing user account to administrator

If someone already has a standard user account on your PC and you want to give them administrator rights, start by opening Settings. Press the Windows key and type "Settings," then click the Settings app when it appears.

Once Settings is open, click "Accounts" in the left sidebar. Then click "Other people" — this shows all the user accounts on your PC besides the one you are currently logged into. Find the account you want to promote and click it once to select it.

Click the "Change account type" button. A small window will pop up with a dropdown menu that currently shows "Standard user." Click that dropdown and select "Administrator," then click OK. Windows will confirm the change, and that account now has administrator rights. The next time that person logs in, they will have full control over the PC.

Create a new administrator account from scratch

If you need to set up a brand-new administrator account rather than promote an existing one, the process is almost identical. Open Settings, go to Accounts, and click "Other people" as before.

This time, look for the button that says "Add account" or "Add another person to this PC" — the exact wording varies by Windows version. Click it. Windows will ask whether the person has a Microsoft account. If they do, enter their email address. If they do not, click "I don't have this person's sign-in information" and then "Add a user without a Microsoft account."

Fill in the username and password you want for the new account, then click Next. Once the account is created, go back to "Other people," select the new account, click "Change account type," and set it to Administrator. The new account is now ready to use with full administrator rights.

What administrator rights actually let someone do

An administrator account can install software, change system settings, create or delete other user accounts, and access all files on the PC. A standard user account can run most programs and access their own files, but cannot install software or change settings that affect the whole computer.

If you are giving administrator rights to someone you do not fully trust, understand that they will be able to see and modify almost everything on the PC, including your files. Administrator rights are not something to hand out lightly — only give them to people who genuinely need to manage the computer.

Remove administrator rights from an account

If you want to take administrator rights away from someone, the process is the reverse. Open Settings, go to Accounts, click "Other people," select the account, click "Change account type," and choose "Standard user" from the dropdown instead of Administrator.

That person can still use their account and run programs, but they will no longer be able to install software or change system settings. They will see a prompt asking for an administrator password if they try to do something that requires those rights.

What to do if you forgot the administrator password

If you are locked out of the administrator account and cannot remember the password, Windows offers a few recovery options. On the login screen, click "I forgot my password" below the password field. Windows will walk you through answering security questions or using a recovery email address to reset the password.

If you set up a password reset disk when you first created the account, you can use that instead. If you have none of these options available, you will need to contact Microsoft support or use a local account recovery tool — this is more involved and may require technical help.

Common mistakes to avoid

Do not give administrator rights to a child's account unless you have a specific reason — they will be able to uninstall parental controls and change settings you have set up. Do not create multiple administrator accounts if you only need one; it makes it harder to track who made changes to the PC.

Do not assume that removing administrator rights from an account will delete it — the account and all its files stay on the PC, just with fewer permissions. If you want to delete an account entirely, that is a separate step in the same "Other people" menu.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I have more than one administrator account?

Yes. You can have as many administrator accounts as you want on a single PC. However, each one has full control, so only create additional administrator accounts if multiple people genuinely need that level of access.

Will changing the administrator affect my files or programs?

No. Changing who has administrator rights does not delete files, uninstall programs, or affect anything already on the PC. It only changes who has permission to make future changes to settings and install new software.

What if I am the only person on the PC and I want to stay administrator?

You do not need to do anything. Your account is already set to administrator. You only need to change administrator settings if you want to give or remove those rights from another person's account.

Can a standard user change themselves to administrator?

No. Only someone already logged in as an administrator can change account types. A standard user will not see the "Change account type" option.

Do I need to restart the PC after changing administrator rights?

No restart is required. The change takes effect when ready. If the person whose rights you changed is currently logged in, they may need to log out and back in to see the change reflected in their permissions.