How to Create an Administrator Account in Windows 10

To create an administrator account in Windows 10, sign in with an account that is already an administrator, open Settings > Accounts > Other user, select Add account and finish the prompts. Then select the new account, choose Change account type, pick Administrator and select OK. Windows treats these as two separate jobs: first the account is created, then it is given administrator rights.

Applies to: Windows 10, on a PC you own or already administer. Checked against Microsoft Support on October 7, 2026.

What you need before you start

• An existing administrator sign-in. Only an administrator can add accounts or change their type. If you are signed in with a standard account, Windows shows a User Account Control prompt that asks for an administrator’s credentials before it lets the change through. If you are not sure how to get to an administrator account on your PC, see our guide on how to log in as an administrator in Windows 10.
• A decision about the kind of account. A Microsoft account signs in with an email address and works across devices. A local account exists on this one PC only. Either kind can be an administrator. Microsoft recommends a Microsoft account for its sync and security features, while a local account suits a spare “repair” administrator that does not depend on anyone’s email.
• A user name and a strong password. For a local account, Microsoft’s command reference allows a user name of up to 20 characters and a password of up to 127 characters. The name cannot match another user or group name on the PC.
• Permission, on a work or school PC. Accounts on those computers are normally controlled by the organization. Ask the IT administrator instead of adding one yourself.

Microsoft ended support for Windows 10 on October 14, 2025. The steps here still apply to a Windows 10 PC, but the system no longer receives regular security updates, which is one more reason to be careful about who gets administrator rights.

Create an administrator account in Settings

This is the route Microsoft documents in its Manage user accounts in Windows article, which covers both Windows 10 and Windows 11. The labels below are the ones in that article. On a Windows 10 PC the accounts page and the add button can be worded a little differently, for example with family and other users grouped on one page. If so, pick the entry for other users and the button that adds another person to the PC.

1. Sign in with an administrator account and open the Settings app. The Settings home screen appears.
2. Select Accounts, then select Other user. You see a list of the other accounts on this PC, which may be empty.
3. Under Add other user, select Add account. A window opens and asks for the person’s account details.
4. Choose the kind of account. For a Microsoft account, type the person’s email address and follow the prompts. For a local account, select I don’t have this person’s sign-in information, and on the next screen select Add a user without a Microsoft account.
5. Follow the instructions to finish setting up the account. For a local account that means choosing the user name and password. When you finish, the new account appears in the list under Other users.
6. Select the new account in that list. Its options expand below the name.
7. Next to Account options, select Change account type. A small window opens with a dropdown list of account types.
8. From the dropdown, select Administrator, then select OK. The window closes and the account now has administrator rights.

The same last three steps work on an account that already exists. If the person already has a standard account on the PC, you do not need to create a second one. Select it under Other users, choose Change account type and switch it to Administrator.

Create an administrator account with Command Prompt

Two commands do the same job without the Settings window. This method creates a local account. It is handy when Settings will not finish, or when you prefer typing to clicking. The examples use the name Sam. Replace it with the user name you want.

1. Search for Command Prompt, right-click it and choose Run as administrator. Approve the User Account Control prompt. A Command Prompt window opens with administrator rights.
2. Type net user Sam * /add and press Enter. The asterisk tells Windows to ask for the password instead of showing it on the command line.
3. Type the password when asked and confirm it. The characters are not displayed while you type, which is normal. The account now exists.
4. Type net localgroup Administrators Sam /add and press Enter. This adds the account to the Administrators group, which is what makes it an administrator.
5. Type net localgroup Administrators and press Enter to check. The command lists the members of the group, and the new name should be among them.

Microsoft documents both the /add option and the asterisk in its net user command reference, which lists Windows 10 among the supported systems. Typing net user on its own shows every account on the PC, and net user Sam shows the details of one account.

Create an administrator account with PowerShell

Windows PowerShell has dedicated commands for local accounts. Open Windows PowerShell with Run as administrator, then run these three lines one at a time, replacing Sam with your own user name:

1. $Password = Read-Host -AsSecureString and press Enter. PowerShell waits for you to type the password and stores it in protected form.
2. New-LocalUser -Name ‘Sam’ -Password $Password and press Enter. PowerShell prints a short table showing the new account’s name and that it is enabled.
3. Add-LocalGroupMember -Group “Administrators” -Member “Sam” and press Enter. This command returns no output when it succeeds.

Microsoft’s reference pages for New-LocalUser and Add-LocalGroupMember note one limit: these commands are not available in 32-bit PowerShell on a 64-bit system. If PowerShell says it does not recognize them, make sure you opened the 64-bit Windows PowerShell rather than a 32-bit one. The same reference shows that a Microsoft account already on the PC can be added to the group by writing the member as MicrosoftAccount\ followed by the email address.

Create the account in Computer Management

Microsoft’s older administration documentation describes a fourth route through the Computer Management console. In the console tree, go to System Tools > Local Users and Groups > Users. On the Action menu, select New User, fill in User name, Password and Confirm password, select Create, and then select Close.

That creates the account but does not make it an administrator. Finish the job with Change account type in Settings or with the net localgroup command above. If Local Users and Groups does not appear in Computer Management on your PC, use one of the other methods. They produce the same result.

Which method should you use?

Method	Account type it creates	Best for
Settings	Microsoft account or local account	Most people. No commands to type.
Command Prompt	Local account	A quick local administrator, or when Settings will not complete.
PowerShell	Local account	Scripts and setting up several PCs the same way.
Computer Management	Local account	People who already manage accounts in that console.

Confirm the new administrator account works

Do not rely on the label alone. Sign out, choose the new account on the sign-in screen and sign in with its password.

Then try something that needs administrator rights, such as opening Command Prompt with Run as administrator. An administrator sees a consent prompt that only needs approval. A standard user sees a credential prompt that asks for an administrator’s user name and password. If you get the first kind, the account has the rights you intended.

Test the new account before you change or remove any other administrator. A PC should always have at least one administrator account that somebody can sign in to.

Undo it: demote or remove the account

To take the rights away but keep the account, go back to Settings > Accounts > Other user, select the account, choose Change account type and pick the standard type instead of Administrator. From an administrator Command Prompt, net localgroup Administrators Sam /delete removes the account from the group without deleting the account itself.

To remove the account completely, select it under Other users and, next to Account and data, select Remove. Microsoft notes that this deletes the person’s sign-in information and their data on this device, so copy any files they need first. Removing a Microsoft account from the PC does not delete the Microsoft account itself. The command-line equivalent for a local account is net user Sam /delete.

Use administrator accounts sparingly

Members of the Administrators group have full control of the device, and Microsoft’s local accounts documentation calls it a best practice to limit how many users are in that group. Its advice for everyday work is to sign in with a non-administrator account and use Run as administrator for the occasional task that needs more.

In practice, that leads to a simple setup for a home PC:

• One administrator account for the owner, with a strong password that is not shared.
• Optionally, a second administrator account kept as a spare, so a forgotten password or damaged profile on the first one does not leave the PC without an administrator.
• Standard accounts for children, guests and everyday use. If you only need a limited account for visitors, see our guide on creating a guest account on Windows 10.

Troubleshooting

Windows asks for an administrator password you do not have

You are signed in with a standard account. Windows will not let a standard user create an administrator or promote an account without an existing administrator’s approval, and that is by design. Ask the person who administers the PC to sign in or to type their credentials at the prompt. If it is your own PC and you have lost access to its administrator account, our guide to recovering a Windows 10 administrator password covers the legitimate recovery options.

The add button or Change account type is missing or unavailable

Check that you are signed in as an administrator. Also remember that Change account type appears for the accounts listed under Other users, not for the account you are signed in with. To change your own account, sign in with a different administrator account and change it from there.

On a PC that is connected to a workplace or school, the organization can restrict these controls. Open Settings > Accounts > Access work or school to see whether a work or school account is connected, and contact that organization’s IT support.

The Settings window will not finish creating the account

Adding a Microsoft account depends on an online check of the email address. If the window stalls or you are offline, create a local account with the Command Prompt or PowerShell method instead. The result is the same kind of local account that the Settings option produces.

A command is refused or does nothing

The Command Prompt or PowerShell window was probably not opened with Run as administrator. Close it, open it again that way and repeat the command. If net user rejects the name, check it against the rules: no more than 20 characters, not the same as an existing user or group, and none of the characters Microsoft lists as invalid, which include / \ [ ] : ; | = , + * ? < > @ and the double quotation mark.

The new account signs in but still gets credential prompts

The account was created but never added to the Administrators group. Run net localgroup Administrators to see the current members. If the name is missing, repeat the Change account type steps or the net localgroup Administrators Sam /add command, then sign out and back in.

Frequently asked questions

Is a new Windows 10 account an administrator automatically?

No. Creating the account and giving it administrator rights are separate steps in every method here. In Settings you add the account and then use Change account type. On the command line you create the user and then add it to the Administrators group.

Can I create an administrator account from a standard account?

Only with an administrator’s approval. Windows shows a credential prompt, and an existing administrator has to enter their user name and password. There is no supported way around that on a PC you do not administer.

Can a local account be an administrator?

Yes. The account type is separate from whether the account is a local or a Microsoft account. Our guide on creating a local account on Windows 10 explains the local option in more detail.

Is this the same as the built-in Administrator account?

No. Windows includes an account that is literally named Administrator. Microsoft’s documentation says Windows setup disables it and creates another local account in the Administrators group instead. The account you create with the steps above is an ordinary user account with administrator rights. You do not need to enable the built-in one.

How many administrator accounts should a PC have?

As few as you can manage with. Microsoft advises limiting the number of users in the Administrators group because each one has full control of the device. One for the owner plus one spare is a sensible ceiling for most homes.

Does the new account get my files and apps?

No. Each account has its own profile with its own desktop, documents and settings. Creating a new administrator account does not move or copy anything from your existing account.

Do these steps work in Windows 11?

Microsoft’s account article and command references apply to both Windows 10 and Windows 11, and the commands are identical. The Settings app is laid out differently in Windows 11, so follow a Windows 11 guide for the exact clicks.

Once the new administrator account signs in and passes the consent-prompt test, store its password somewhere safe and keep using a standard account for everyday work. If you need to switch into the administrator account later, our guide on logging in as an administrator in Windows 10 walks through it.