If you want to grant a Standard user complete control over the operating system, its apps, and its settings, there are several ways to set it as Administrator on Windows 11. An Administrator account can install software and hardware, access any files (including system-protected ones), and manage other user accounts. Furthermore, it’s recommended to have a backup Administrator account in case you forget your password or get locked out of your computer. This guide shows how to set up a user account as Administrator on Windows 11. The process is similar if you want to withdraw the permissions of a misbehaving Administrator by demoting him. Follow the steps illustrated in this guide to change the type of user account in Windows 11:
NOTE: If you truly want to change the user that has Administrator permissions in Windows 11, you first need to create a new user account which, by default, has standard non-admin permissions. Then, you need to set this newly created user as Administrator, using the instructions shared in this guide. Next, log in with the newly “minted” Administrator, and then set the current Administrator account as Standard or remove it completely from Windows 11, depending on what you want. However, before doing all this, we recommend reading our guide about user accounts and their types.
1. How to change the Administrator on Windows 11 from the Settings app
The Settings app offers a simple way to grant administrator privileges to an existing account or limit the permissions of a naughty Admin. First, open Settings, go to Accounts on the left sidebar, and click or tap Other users in the right pane.
Go to Settings > Accounts > Other users
The Other users section shows all the user accounts in Windows 11 other than the one you’re using right now. Clicking or tapping on the user account you want to change reveals more options. Next, click or tap “Change account type.”
Click or tap the name of the account you want to promote or demote
The “Change account type” pop-up window shows the account’s name and type. Next, click or tap on the Account type dropdown list.
Click or tap Account type to open a dropdown menu
Select the type of account you want (Standard User to remove administrative privileges or Administrator to grant them), and then click or tap OK.
Change the account type to Administrator or Standard
You are returned to the Settings app, where a promoted user is listed as Administrator, as seen below.
The selected user is now set as Administrator
One important aspect to remember is that this action doesn’t change the Administrator in Windows 11 from one user to another. It only changes the type of account and associated permissions for the user you selected. Therefore, other accounts, if any, can continue to be set as Administrator. However, if you want only one user to be the Administrator, select all the other accounts and set them as Standard User.
2. How to change an account to Administrator or Standard from the Control Panel
If you like consistency, the Control Panel in Windows 11 helps you change an account’s type just like it did in previous operating systems. To begin, open the Control Panel and click on the “Change account type” link under the User Accounts section.
Under User Accounts, click Change account type
This takes you to the Manage Accounts page, which lists all the user accounts on your Windows 11 PC. Administrator accounts have their types displayed underneath, while Standard accounts don’t. Find the user account whose type you want to change and click on its name.
Click on the account you want to change to Administrator or Standard
Next, click on the “Change the account type” link from the options on the left.
Click on Change the account type
Finally, select Standard or Administrator, depending on what you want, and click the Change Account Type button.
Change the account type to Administrator or Standard
Your change is applied immediately. Next, you can edit other user accounts or close the Change an Account window.
3. How to set an account as Administrator on Windows 11 with netplwiz
You can also change an account’s type with the User Accounts utility or netplwiz. To open the utility, launch the Run window (press Win + R on your keyboard), type netplwiz, and then press OK or Enter.
Type netplwiz and click or tap OK
This takes you to the Users tab of the User Accounts window, which displays a list of all the “Users for this computer.” Select the user account whose type you want to change and click or tap Properties.
Select the user account and click Properties
You see the Properties window for the selected user. Open the Group Membership tab, select the level of access you want to grant (Administrator or Standard user), and click or tap OK.
Choose the Group Membership
The selected user account is now an admin in Windows 11, and you can close the User Accounts window.
4. How to change the account type in Windows 11 using the Command Prompt or Windows Terminal
You can also use the Command Prompt to change an account’s type. Open CMD as administrator or a Command Prompt tab in Windows Terminal. Click or tap Yes in the UAC window that pops up.
To change a user from Standard to Administrator, run the following command, replacing NAME with the actual name of that user account:
Changing a Standard account to Administrator from CMD
If you typed everything correctly, the command is completed successfully, and the account now has administrative privileges.
To demote an Administrator to Standard, copy and paste the following, remembering to replace NAME with the actual username:
Changing an Administrator account to Standard from CMD
Don’t forget to press Enter to execute the command after you’ve typed it.
IMPORTANT: If you want to change the type of a Microsoft account in any command-line environment, replace NAME with the first five letters of the email address associated with it.
5. How to set an account as Administrator on Windows 11 with Windows Terminal or PowerShell
You can also use PowerShell or a PowerShell tab inside Windows Terminal for this task. First, open PowerShell as administrator. Then, click or tap Yes when you see the UAC prompt on your screen.
To change the type of an account to Administrator, enter the following command, where you replace NAME with the name of the user account you want to promote:
Change a Standard account to Administrator with PowerShell
To remove administrator rights from an account and set it to Standard, the command you have to type is a bit different:
Change an Administrator account to Standard from PowerShell
Unlike the ones for Command Prompt, these PowerShell commands don’t give you any feedback.
6. How to set a user as Administrator from Computer Management
One final method, that works on all Windows editions except Home, involves opening Computer Management. In the panel on the left, double-click on Local Users and Groups, followed by Users. In the center of the Computer Management window, you see all the user accounts on your computer, including hidden or disabled accounts. Double-click on the user account you want to set as Administrator.
Go to Computer Management > Local Users and Groups > Users
The Properties window opens for the selected user. Go to the Member Of tab and click the Add button.
Open the Member Of tab and click the Add button
In the Select Groups window, type Administrators and click Check Names, followed by OK.
Type Administrators and click Check Names, followed by OK
You are back to the Properties window, where the user has been added as a member of the Administrators group. Click OK, and you’re done.
Click OK
You can now edit other user accounts or close the Computer Management window.
How many accounts are set as Administrator on your Windows 11 computer or device?
There is no need for administrative privileges when it comes to accounts intended for your children or users you don’t completely trust. However, I recommend creating at least one backup Administrator account just to be safe. Before you close this guide, use the commenting options below to share how many accounts are set as Administrator on your Windows 11 computer or device. Is it just one or several accounts?
