Administrator privileges in Windows 10 should be granted through an authorized administrator account. They are not something a standard user should bypass when the computer is managed by another person, school, or employer.
- Sign in with an existing administrator account.
- Open Settings > Accounts.
- Open the section for other users or family accounts, depending on the Windows configuration.
- Select the account you are permitted to change.
- Choose the account-type option and select Administrator.
- Confirm the change, then sign out and back in if necessary.
Windows may still display User Account Control prompts when an administrator performs a system-level action. That is normal and should not be disabled simply to avoid confirmation dialogs.
If you do not have an administrator account
Use the legitimate account-recovery process or contact the device owner or administrator. Offline password-reset utilities, privilege-escalation tricks, and recovery-environment bypasses can defeat intended access controls and are not appropriate substitutes.
Because Windows 10 is outside standard free support after October 2025, administrative access should also be used to plan updates, backups, and migration to a supported platform.
Matt Jacobs has been working as an IT consultant for small businesses since receiving his Master’s degree in 2003. While he still does some consulting work, his primary focus now is on creating technology support content for SupportYourTech.com.
His work can be found on many websites and focuses on topics such as Microsoft Office, Apple devices, Android devices, Photoshop, and more.