How to Change Administrator in Windows 10

Changing the administrator account in Windows 10 lets you switch which user has full control over the system, or promote a standard user to admin rights. This guide covers both changing the primary admin and making another account an administrator, with steps that work on current versions of Windows 10.

What You’ll Need

An existing administrator account (you must be logged in as one to change others)
The password for that administrator account
If you’re changing your own account, you’ll need another admin account to do it from

Step-by-Step

Open Settings. Click the Start button (Windows icon) in the bottom-left corner, then click the gear icon labeled Settings. Alternatively, press Windows key + I.
Go to Accounts. In the Settings window, click Accounts (it shows a person icon).
Open Family & other users. In the left sidebar, click Family & other users. This shows all accounts on the PC.
Select the account to change. Under Other users, you’ll see a list of accounts. Click on the account you want to make an administrator. If the account isn’t listed, click Add someone else to this PC and follow the prompts to create one first.
Change account type. After clicking the account, a Change account type button appears. Click it.
Select Administrator. In the drop-down menu, choose Administrator (instead of Standard user). Click OK.
Verify the change. The account now shows Administrator under its name. Log out and log into that account to confirm it works.

If you want to change which account is the primary administrator (the one that owns the system), you can’t simply rename it. Instead, you promote a different account to admin, then optionally remove the old one:

Promote the new account using steps 1–6 above.
Remove the old admin (optional). In the same Family & other users screen, click the old account and select Remove. This deletes the account and its files—make sure you’ve backed up anything important.

Common Mistakes

Forgetting you need admin rights to change another account. If you’re logged in as a standard user, you’ll be prompted for an admin password. You can’t bypass this.
Removing the last administrator. Windows requires at least one admin account. If you try to remove or demote the only admin, the system will block it or leave you locked out.
Deleting an account instead of just changing its type. The Remove button deletes the account and its files. If you only want to change permissions, use Change account type, not Remove.
Not logging out after the change. Sometimes the change doesn’t take effect until the user logs out and back in.

Tips

Use a standard account for daily work. Running as administrator all the time increases the risk of malware. Keep one admin account for changes and use a standard account for browsing and email.
Set a strong password for the admin account. Since it has full control, a weak password is a security risk.
Create a separate admin account for troubleshooting. If your main account gets locked out, a secondary admin account can help you regain access.
Use Microsoft account vs. local account. If the account is linked to a Microsoft account, the admin status applies to that Microsoft account on this PC. Changing it here doesn’t affect other devices.

Troubleshooting

You don’t see the “Change account type” button. Make sure you’re logged in as an administrator. If you are, try restarting Settings or signing out and back in.
You get “You can’t remove this account because it’s the last administrator.” Promote another account to admin first, then try removing the old one again.
You forgot the admin password. You can reset it using another admin account, or use a password reset disk (if you created one). If you have a Microsoft account, you can reset the password online at account.microsoft.com.
The change doesn’t stick after reboot. This can happen if the PC is managed by an organization (work or school). Check with your IT admin—group policies may override local changes.
You’re locked out of the admin account. If you have another admin account, log in with that and change the password. If not, you may need to use Windows recovery options or reinstall Windows.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I change the administrator without logging in as an admin?

No. You must be logged in as an administrator (or provide an admin password) to change account types. Windows enforces this for security.

What’s the difference between a standard user and an administrator?

An administrator can install software, change system settings, and manage other accounts. A standard user can only run apps and change their own settings, but needs admin approval for system-level changes.

Does changing the administrator affect my files?

No. Changing the account type doesn’t move or delete files. It only changes the permissions that account has. However, if you remove an account, its files are deleted.

Can I have more than one administrator?

Yes. You can have multiple admin accounts. This is useful for families or shared computers, but each admin has full control, so use it sparingly.

How do I switch to the new administrator account?

Click Start, click your profile picture, and select Sign out. Then on the lock screen, click the new account and enter its password.

What if I only have one account and it’s a standard user?

You can’t promote it without an admin account. If you have no admin access, you may need to reinstall Windows or use a recovery tool to reset the account type.

General steps for current mainstream versions; menus can differ by device and version. See the disclaimer or report an error.

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