The fastest way to change your admin account

To change which account has admin rights in Windows 11, open Settings, go to Accounts > Other users, select the account you want to promote, click "Change account type", and switch it from Standard to Administrator. The reverse process — removing admin rights from an account — follows the same path: select the admin account, change its type back to Standard. Both changes take effect when ready, though the account holder may need to sign out and back in to see the full effect.

You do not need to restart your computer. If you are changing your own account type, you will be asked to confirm the change with your current password. If you are changing another person's account, you must already have admin rights to make the change.

Key Takeaways

  • Admin account changes happen in Settings under Accounts > Other users, not in Control Panel or System Properties.
  • You can promote a Standard account to Administrator or demote an Administrator account to Standard from the same screen.
  • The person whose account you are changing does not need to be signed in, and the change takes effect the next time they sign in.
  • Removing admin rights from your own account will lock you out of Settings until you sign in with a different admin account.
  • If you have only one admin account and remove its rights by mistake, you will need to use Windows Recovery or a second device to restore access.

Step-by-step: promoting a Standard account to admin

Start by opening Settings. Press the Windows key + I on your keyboard, or right-click the Start button and select Settings from the menu. Once Settings opens, click Accounts on the left sidebar, then select Other users.

Find the account you want to make an admin. Click on it once to select it. A button labeled "Change account type" will appear below the account name. Click that button. A small window will pop up with a dropdown menu that currently shows "Standard user". Click the dropdown, select "Administrator", then click OK. The change is complete.

The account holder will see the change the next time they sign in. If they are currently signed in, they can sign out and back in to refresh their permissions when ready, though most changes will work without signing out.

Step-by-step: removing admin rights from an account

The process is identical to promoting an account, but in reverse. Open Settings > Accounts > Other users, select the admin account you want to change, click "Change account type", select "Standard user" from the dropdown, and click OK.

Be careful if you are removing admin rights from your own account. Once you click OK, you will no longer have permission to open Settings or make system-wide changes. You will need to sign in with a different admin account to change anything else. If you have only one admin account on the computer and you remove its rights, you will lock yourself out of the Settings app entirely.

What happens when you change account type

An Administrator account can install software, change system settings, create or delete other accounts, and access all files on the computer. A Standard user account can run most programs and change settings that affect only that account, but cannot install software or change system-wide settings without an admin password.

When you promote a Standard account to Administrator, that person when ready gains the ability to make changes that affect the whole computer. When you demote an Administrator account to Standard, they lose that power. Any programs they have already installed will continue to work, but they will not be able to install new ones or modify system settings.

Windows 11 will not let you remove admin rights from the account that created the computer during setup, unless you first create a second admin account. This is a safety feature to prevent you from locking yourself out completely.

Using the Local Users and Groups window as an alternative

Windows 11 Pro, Enterprise, and Education editions have a second way to change account types: the Local Users and Groups window. Home edition does not have this tool. To open it, press Windows key + R, type lusrmgr.msc, and press Enter.

In the Local Users and Groups window, click Users in the left panel. Right-click the account you want to change and select Properties. Click the Member Of tab. If the account is in the Administrators group, select Administrators and click Remove. If it is not in the group, click Add, type Administrators, click Check Names, then click OK. This method works the same way as Settings but gives you more detail about group membership.

Most people find Settings faster and simpler. Use Local Users and Groups only if you need to manage multiple accounts at once or if you are troubleshooting a permissions problem.

What to do if you locked yourself out

If you removed admin rights from your only admin account and cannot sign in with another account, you have two options. The first is to restart the computer in Safe Mode with Command Prompt and use the command net localgroup administrators [username] /add to restore admin rights. The second is to use Windows Recovery on another computer to reset the account type.

Safe Mode is faster if you can remember the account name exactly. Restart your computer, press F8 repeatedly as it starts up (before the Windows logo appears), select Safe Mode with Command Prompt, sign in, and type the command above with your actual account name in place of [username]. Press Enter and restart normally.

If Safe Mode does not work, you will need access to another Windows 11 computer and a USB drive to create a recovery drive. This process is longer but works when Safe Mode does not. Most people never need this — the key is to always keep at least one admin account active before you remove rights from another.

Why you might want multiple admin accounts

Having two admin accounts on one computer is good practice. If you lock yourself out of one, you can sign in with the other and fix the problem. If one account gets compromised by malware, you can use the second account to clean it up. If you share the computer with family members, you can give one person admin rights for installing software while keeping others as Standard users.

You do not need more than two admin accounts. Each admin account can do everything the others can do, and having too many makes the computer harder to manage. One account for daily use and one backup admin account is the standard setup.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I change account type without knowing the current admin password?

No. If you are changing your own account type, Windows will ask for your current password to confirm. If you forgot your password, you will need to reset it using another admin account or a password reset disk before you can change account types.

Will changing account type affect my files or programs?

No. Your files stay in your user folder, and programs you have installed will continue to work. The change only affects what system-wide actions you are allowed to perform going forward.

What is the difference between Administrator and Standard user?

An Administrator can install software, change system settings, create accounts, and access all files. A Standard user can run most programs and change personal settings, but cannot install software or modify system-wide settings without an admin password.

Can I have a computer with no admin accounts?

No. Windows requires at least one admin account to exist on the computer. If you try to remove admin rights from your last admin account, Windows will show an error and prevent the change.

Do I need to restart after changing account type?

No restart is required. The change takes effect when ready, though the account holder may need to sign out and back in to see all permissions update. Most changes work without signing out.