Fix Windows 10/11 Account Not an Administrator: Settings, Control Panel, and Local Users

If your Windows 10 or Windows 11 account is shown as Standard user rather than Administrator, sign in with a different administrator account on the PC and change your account type to Administrator. The quickest supported method is Settings > Accounts > Other users (Windows 11) or Settings > Accounts > Family & other users (Windows 10), then select the account, choose Change account type, select Administrator, and click OK. You must then sign out and sign back in before testing elevated tasks. This guide applies to personal Windows 10 and Windows 11 PCs; work, school, domain-joined, and Microsoft Entra-joined devices may be controlled by an organization instead.

Prerequisites and compatibility​

Before changing an account type, make sure you have all of the following:

• An account that is already a local administrator on this PC, or its username and password/PIN.
• The name or email address of the account that needs administrator rights.
• Saved work, because you will need to sign out of the account being changed.
• A personal PC, or permission from the organization that manages the device.

Warning: An administrator can install software, change security settings, access other users’ files, and make system-wide changes. Promote only a trusted account. Keep at least one known, password-protected administrator account available so you do not lock yourself out of administration later.

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You cannot use a standard account to make itself an administrator unless Windows prompts for—and accepts—the credentials of another administrator. If the PC has no accessible administrator account, skip to Troubleshooting: No administrator account is available.

Primary procedure: Change the account to Administrator in Settings​

Use this method first. It works for local accounts and Microsoft accounts on a personal PC.

1. Sign in with an existing administrator account.
   Do not sign in to the account you intend to promote. If you are unsure which account is the administrator, open Settings > Accounts > Your info while signed in. Windows normally identifies an administrator account beneath the account name.
2. Open Settings.
   Press Windows key + I.
3. Open the list of other accounts.
   • Windows 11: Select Accounts in the left pane, then select Other users.
   • Windows 10: Select Accounts, then select Family & other users. Under Other users, locate the account to change.
4. Select the account that needs administrator rights.
   Expand the account entry. Make certain you select the correct person and account. A Microsoft account may appear by its display name and email address; a local account normally appears by its local username.
5. Choose the account-type control.
   Select Change account type.
6. Promote the account.
   In the Account type drop-down list, choose Administrator, then select OK.
   Expected result: The dialog closes and the account remains listed under Other users. The change is made to the local Administrators group on this PC.
7. Sign out of the newly promoted account, then sign back in.
   The newly promoted user should save work first, then select Start > account picture/name > Sign out. At the sign-in screen, select that account and sign in again.
   A full restart is not normally required, but signing out and back in is required so Windows creates a new sign-in session with the updated group membership. If the privilege change does not appear after sign-in, restart the PC once.

Verify that the account is now an administrator​

Use at least one of these checks after signing in to the changed account.

1. Check the account type in Settings.
   Open Settings > Accounts > Your info.
   Expected result: Windows identifies the account as Administrator beneath the account name, or the account no longer behaves as a standard account when it requests elevation.
2. Check through Control Panel.
   1. Select Start, type Control Panel, and open it.
   2. Select User Accounts.
   3. Select User Accounts again.
   4. Look beneath the current account name.
   Expected result: The account type reads Administrator.
3. Test a harmless elevated action.
   1. Select Start and type cmd.
   2. Right-click Command Prompt and select Run as administrator.
   3. When the User Account Control prompt appears, select Yes.
   Expected result: Command Prompt opens with the title beginning Administrator: Command Prompt, without asking for credentials from a different account.
   Do not use this test to run untrusted commands. The purpose is only to verify that Windows recognizes the account as an administrator.

Alternate method: Use Control Panel​

Control Panel is useful when the Settings account page is unavailable or when you prefer the classic interface.

1. Sign in with an existing administrator account.
2. Select Start, type Control Panel, and open it.
3. Select User Accounts.
4. Select Manage another account.
5. Select the account that needs to be changed.
6. Select Change the account type.
7. Select Administrator, then select Change Account Type.
8. Sign out of the promoted account and sign back in.

Expected result: Control Panel labels the account as Administrator, and elevated apps can be approved with that account’s own User Account Control prompt.

Warning: Do not change the type of the only administrator account to Standard until you have verified another administrator account works. Removing the final usable administrator can prevent you from installing software, managing accounts, or changing protected settings.

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Roll back an accidental promotion​

If you promoted the wrong account:

1. Sign in with a known administrator account.
2. Return to the same Settings or Control Panel location.
3. Select the mistakenly promoted account.
4. Change its type from Administrator to Standard User.
5. Have that user sign out and sign back in.

Do not remove the account unless you have backed up its files. Removing an account from the device can also remove its local data.

Alternate method: Local Users and Groups​

This method is genuinely useful when you need to see exactly which local groups an account belongs to. It is generally available on Windows 10/11 Pro, Enterprise, and Education. It is not included with Windows Home.

1. Sign in with an administrator account.
2. Press Windows key + R.
3. Type:
   lusrmgr.msc
4. Select OK.
5. In Local Users and Groups, select Users.
6. In the right pane, double-click the local account to change.
7. Open the Member Of tab.
8. Select Add.
9. Type:
   Administrators
10. Select Check Names.
    Expected result: Windows resolves the entry to the local Administrators group.
11. Select OK, then select OK again to close the account properties.
12. Have the user sign out and sign back in.

Verify in Local Users and Groups​

1. Open lusrmgr.msc again.
2. Select Groups.
3. Double-click Administrators.
4. Confirm the intended account appears in the member list.

Roll back through Local Users and Groups​

Warning: Removing a group membership affects the account immediately after its next sign-in. Before removing anyone from Administrators, confirm that another working administrator account remains listed.

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1. Open Local Users and Groups > Groups > Administrators.
2. Select the account to demote.
3. Select Remove.
4. Select OK.
5. Have that user sign out and back in.

Alternate method: Command Prompt for a local account​

Use this only if you are comfortable entering commands and you are already running an elevated Command Prompt. It is helpful on Windows Home, where Local Users and Groups is unavailable.

1. Sign in with an existing administrator account.
2. Select Start, type cmd, right-click Command Prompt, and select Run as administrator.
3. If you do not know the exact local username, run:
   net user
   Expected result: Windows lists local user accounts.
4. Add the intended local user to the Administrators group. Replace UserName with the exact local username. Keep the quotation marks if the name contains spaces.
   net localgroup Administrators "UserName" /add
5. Press Enter.
   Expected result: Windows reports:
   The command completed successfully.
6. Sign out of the changed account and sign back in.
7. Verify membership with:
   net user "UserName"
   Look for Local Group Memberships and confirm that *Administrators is listed.

Command rollback​

To remove the local account from the Administrators group, run an elevated Command Prompt and use:
net localgroup Administrators "UserName" /delete
Then sign out and sign back in to the affected account.

Troubleshooting and recovery​

“Change account type” is missing, grayed out, or asks for credentials you do not have​

This is expected when the current account is not an administrator. Windows requires an existing administrator to approve a change to account privileges.

• Sign in with another administrator account already on the PC.
• At a User Account Control credential prompt, enter the username and password for a local administrator account.
• If this is a work or school device, contact the organization’s IT administrator. Local account changes may be blocked by domain, Microsoft Entra, Intune, or other device-management policies.

Do not download “administrator unlock” tools or registry scripts. They can weaken security or damage account configuration without giving you legitimate administrative authority.

The account says Administrator, but an app still asks for an administrator password​

First, sign out and sign back in; an existing session can retain the old standard-user token. Restart if necessary.
If the app still asks for credentials:

• Right-click the app and select Run as administrator.
• Confirm that the User Account Control prompt shows Yes rather than fields requesting another account’s username and password.
• Check whether the PC is managed: open Settings > Accounts > Access work or school. A connected organization account may impose rules that override local expectations.
• For a work or school app, administrative access may be required on a server, domain, or cloud service—not merely on the local PC.

Local Users and Groups is missing from Computer Management​

This is normal on Windows Home editions. Use the Settings, Control Panel, or elevated Command Prompt method instead.
To check your edition:

• Windows 11: Settings > System > About > Windows specifications > Edition.
• Windows 10: Settings > System > About > Windows specifications > Edition.

Do not install unofficial copies of lusrmgr.msc or enable unsupported system components merely to obtain this console.

The account does not appear under Other users​

You may be looking for the currently signed-in account. Settings manages other accounts from the Other users page; use Settings > Accounts > Your info to inspect the current account.
If the desired account truly is not listed, it may be a work/school identity, a domain account, or an account that has never signed in locally. On a personal PC, add the account first:

• Windows 11: Settings > Accounts > Other users > Add account.
• Windows 10: Settings > Accounts > Family & other users > Add someone else to this PC.

After the account exists locally, sign back in with an administrator and change its account type.

The device is joined to a workplace or school​

Do not assume a local change will persist. On Microsoft Entra-joined PCs, an organization can manage local administrator membership centrally. A local administrator may be able to add a user on that one PC, but organizational policy can later remove or replace the membership.
For organization-managed systems, request local administrator rights through the approved IT process. Include the device name, the account name, the business reason, and whether the access should be temporary or permanent.

No administrator account is available​

If every usable account is standard and no administrator credentials are known, do not try to bypass Windows security with boot-media hacks, password utilities, or registry edits. The supported paths are:

1. Use a known administrator account. Ask the PC owner or another authorized administrator to sign in and promote your account.
2. For an organization-managed PC, contact IT. They can restore local administrator access through the organization’s management tools or a domain/Entra account.
3. For a personally owned PC with no recoverable administrator account, back up accessible personal files and use Windows Recovery to reset the PC. From the sign-in screen, hold Shift while selecting Power > Restart, then select Troubleshoot > Reset this PC > Keep my files. This reinstalls Windows and removes installed apps, so record needed software and license information first.

Warning: Reset this PC is a recovery measure, not an account-type change. Although Keep my files is designed to retain personal files, installed applications and many settings are removed. Back up important documents, photos, encryption recovery keys, and application data before proceeding.

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References​

1. Official source: support.microsoft.com
   
   

   Manage User Accounts in Windows | Microsoft Support

   Learn how to add user accounts in Windows 10 and Windows 11. With an account, each person has separate files, browser favorites, and a private desktop.

   support.microsoft.com
2. Official source: support.microsoft.com
   
   

   Change From a Local Account to a Microsoft Account in Windows | Microsoft Support

   Learn how to change your Windows sign in from a local account to a Microsoft account to sync your settings across all your devices.

   support.microsoft.com
3. Official source: learn.microsoft.com
   
   

   Local users and groups not showing in computer management window 11 - Microsoft Q&A

   Local users and groups not showing in computer management windows 11. I was following steps to remove a hacked in admin guest I found in command prompt. My manager broke into my apt and allowed her tech to do whatever it took to get her access to my…

   learn.microsoft.com
4. Official source: learn.microsoft.com
   
   

   Local Users and Groups missing from Computer Management - Microsoft Q&A

   Local Users and Groups is not listed on Computer Management (Local)

   learn.microsoft.com