How to Change the Administrator on Windows 11

To change the administrator on Windows 11, sign in with an account that’s already an administrator, go to Settings > Accounts > Other users, select the account you want to promote, click Change account type, and choose Administrator. To take admin rights away from the old account, do the same thing in reverse, choosing Standard User. Always keep at least one administrator account. Below are the Settings, Control Panel, netplwiz and command-line methods, plus how to rename the admin account or change its email.

Before you start

• You must be signed in as an administrator to change account types. If you don’t have admin access, see how to get permission from an administrator in Windows 11 or how to find the administrator password.
• The account you want to make an administrator must already exist on the PC.
• Promote the new administrator before you demote the old one, so the PC always has at least one.

Method 1: Settings

1. Press Windows + I and go to Accounts > Other users. On some versions, it’s called Family & other users.
2. Click the account you want to change.
3. Click Change account type.
4. Choose Administrator (or Standard User to remove admin rights) and click OK.

The change takes effect the next time that person signs in. You can’t change your own account type here. Sign in as a different administrator to do that.

Method 2: Control Panel

1. Open Control Panel and go to User Accounts > User Accounts > Manage another account.
2. Click the account, then Change the account type.
3. Choose Administrator or Standard and click Change Account Type.

Method 3: netplwiz

1. Press Windows + R, type netplwiz and press Enter.
2. Select the account and click Properties.
3. Open the Group Membership tab, choose Administrator, and click OK.

Method 4: Command line

1. Right-click Start and choose Terminal (Admin).
2. To make an account an administrator, run net localgroup administrators "AccountName" /add.
3. To remove admin rights, run net localgroup administrators "AccountName" /delete.
4. To check who’s an administrator, run net localgroup administrators.

For a Microsoft account, the account name is often the first five letters of the email address. Run net user to see the exact names.

PowerShell alternative

In Terminal (Admin) with PowerShell, run Add-LocalGroupMember -Group "Administrators" -Member "AccountName" to promote an account, and Remove-LocalGroupMember -Group "Administrators" -Member "AccountName" to demote it. Get-LocalGroupMember -Group "Administrators" lists the current administrators.

Rename the administrator account

• Local account: Go to Control Panel > User Accounts > User Accounts > Change your account name, or select another account under Manage another account.
• Microsoft account: The display name comes from your Microsoft account, so change it in your account profile online. It updates on the PC after the next sign-in.

Change the administrator’s email address

The email address shown for an admin account is its Microsoft account. To use a different one, add a new Microsoft account as an administrator and remove the old one, or switch the account to a local account and back. See how to change the administrator email on Windows 11.

The built-in Administrator account

Windows also has a hidden account named Administrator. You don’t need it to change admin rights, and it should normally stay off. If you need it for troubleshooting, see how to enable the administrator account in Windows 11.

Standard user or administrator: which to choose?

Account type	Can do	Best for
Administrator	Install software, change system settings, manage other accounts	The PC’s owner or IT person
Standard User	Use apps and change their own settings. Needs an admin password for system changes.	Family members, children and everyday use

Using a standard account day to day and approving admin prompts when needed limits the damage malware can do. To run one program with admin rights, see how to run as administrator in Windows 11.

Troubleshooting

“Change account type” is greyed out or missing

You’re not signed in as an administrator, or you selected your own account. Sign in with another admin account.

“System error 1378: The specified account name is already a member of the group”

The account is already an administrator. Nothing more to do.

The account doesn’t appear

It may be a work or school account managed by your organization. Contact IT. To remove an old administrator completely, see how to remove an administrator account.

Frequently asked questions

Can I change the administrator without an admin password?

No. Windows requires an administrator to grant admin rights. That’s a security feature. If you’ve lost access to every admin account, you’ll need to reset a password or reset the PC.

How many administrators should a PC have?

Two is a sensible number on a shared home PC, so you’re not locked out if one password is forgotten. Everyone else can use standard accounts.

Does changing the account type delete any files?

No. The account’s files, apps and settings stay the same. Only its permissions change.

Summary

1. Sign in as an administrator.
2. Go to Settings > Accounts > Other users > Change account type > Administrator.
3. Demote the old account to Standard User if needed, keeping at least one admin.
4. Or use net localgroup administrators "Name" /add.