If you want to promote trusted users or restrict permissions for untrusted users on a Windows 11 PC or laptop, there are several ways to change the account type from standard to administrator and vice versa. A standard account allows one user to access the device and make changes that do not affect other users, but to have full control of your Windows 11 computer, its apps, and sensitive settings, you need an administrator account.
In this tutorial, I’ll help you learn How to make a user an administrator on a Windows 11 PC and laptop. you can change a user account type from standard to administrator and vice versa in four quick ways.
What are standard and administrator accounts on Windows 11?
There are two types of user accounts in Windows 11:
- Standard accounts: When you create a new account on Windows 11, it will default to the Standard account type. A standard account is a restricted type of account that can use existing applications, perform basic tasks, and change system settings as long as they don’t affect other Windows 11 users.
- Administrator accounts: You have full control and autonomy over Windows 11 computers or devices. An account with administrator rights can do everything from installing software and hardware to accessing protected system files, changing security settings, and performing advanced tasks.
You also need to be an administrator to be able to manage other user accounts on your Windows 11 PC, including changing their type to Administrator or Standard as shown in this tutorial. If you want to demote an administrator to a standard user, you must authenticate with an administrator account that is different from the administrator account you want to switch to.
4 ways to change a Windows 11 user account type
In the following you will learn 4 simple methods how to change the account type from a standard user to an administrator and vice versa.
Method 1. Change the administrator in Windows 11 via the control panel
In addition to the new Windows 11 Settings app, there is also the Control Panel utility, which too Used to change the account type of a user account.
- To change a Windows 11 user account type in Control Panel, open Switchboard by searching for it in Windows search.
- Now tap on that Change account type Option under the User Accounts category.
- In the list of local accounts on your Windows 11, tap the user account that you want to change to administrator.
- Then tap the Change account type the option on the left.
- Finally select Administrator and then click on ‘Change account type ‘.
- The selected account becomes the administrator. Now restart your computer for the changes to take effect.
Note: If you follow the above step, you can also change the administrator account type back to ‘Standard’ through the control panel.
Method 2. Make a user an administrator on Windows 11 via netplwiz
You can also use the ‘User Accounts’ account management tool to turn a user into an administrator in Windows 11.
- To make a user an administrator with the user accounts tool, open the Run dialog using the key combination Windows + R and type netplwiz, and press Enter.
- Next, under the User tab of the User Accounts window and select the account from the list. and tap on ‘properties‘Button.
- In the next window, switch to the “Group Membership” tab and then tap on “Administrator‘ Possibility. Then clickApply‘and press’OK‘.
- That’s it! The user is now the administrator.
Note: When you tap the Other option, you can choose from a number of different user groups such as device owners, guests, event log readers, remote management users, backup operators, and so on.
Method 3. Change the administrator on Windows 11 using Windows settings
First, let’s see how to use the Windows 11 Settings utility to change an existing default account to an administrator account. You can only use one of the following methods if you are logged in to an administrator account.
- To change an account to Administrator or Standard, open Settings by pressing the Windows + I key combination in Windows 11.
- Next, tap the Accounts section in the left pane and selectFamily and other users‘Option in the right window.
- Now tap on the name of the user account you want to make the administrator and click on the ‘Change account type‘Button that is revealed.
- Now you will see the account name and its type. Open the drop-down menu under the Account Type option and select ‘Administrator‘.
- Finally, tap on ‘OK‘to apply the change and the selected standard user account will now be converted to an administrator account.
Note: If you don’t want a user to have administrator rights and you want an administrator account to be changed to a standard user account in Windows settings, just tap ‘Standard user‘and click on’OK‘in the’ Change Account Type ‘window.
Method 4. Make a user an administrator on Windows 11 from the command prompt
If you are a terminal enthusiast, you can also use an elevated command prompt to change the account type from standard to administrator and vice versa.
- To start, look for ‘command prompt“In the Windows search bar and select” Run as administrator “in the right pane.
- To list all local user accounts including the default accounts, type the following command and press Enter:
- Internet users
- Then type the following command to convert a standard user account to an administrator account and press Enter
net localgroup Administrators "Account name" /add
- Remember to replace those Account designation with the name of the user account. After you hit Enter, the default account changes to an administrator account.
Note: If you don’t want a user to have administrator rights and you want to change an administrator account to a standard user account using the command prompt, use the following command:
last words
These 4 Easy & Quick Ways to Make a User an Administrator on Windows 11 PC & Laptop. You can easily change the account types from Standard to Administrator or vice versa by using your Windows Settings, Control Panel, CMD and Account Management program. Hope you found this guide helpful. If you have any questions, please let us know in the comments section below. Good luck! Have fun with Windows 11 😊!
Also read:
- How to Start Windows 11 in Safe Mode with 7 Easy Methods
- How to create a Windows 11 virtual machine on VMware with TPM and Secure Boot support
- How to Hide & Show Recycle Bin in Windows 11 PC & Laptop