change to administrator windows 10

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How to Change Your Computer Wallpaper in Windows

Some of us work at our computers for many hours during the day and night, but there’s no reason you can’t bring a little fun and charm to your desk by personalizing your computer’s wallpaper. Make your computer feel like home with a little “digital decorating.”

Determine Your Computer’s Operating System

The exact steps for changing your computer’s wallpaper will vary depending on your machine’s operating system. For example, users of Macintosh computers will need to follow different steps than those who use Windows machines. Also, the process can be different depending on which exact version of Windows you have. For this tutorial, we’ll supply the directions for changing your wallpaper in Windows 10 — Microsoft’s current version. Here’s how you can find out which version you have:

• Press the Windows Key + R.
• Type “winver” into the dialog box and click OK.
• A window will appear showing the version number.
• If you’re running Windows 10, then proceed!

Navigate to the Desktop

Now you’ll needed to go to the “desktop” area of Windows. A quick way to access this is to right-click your taskbar (at the bottom of the screen) and then select “Show the desktop.” This will automatically minimize any windows you have open and display an uncluttered desktop. (There are other ways to access the settings we’re after, but this one will suffice for our purposes).

Access the Personalization Settings Panel

Next, right-click on any vacant location on the desktop (don’t right-click on an icon or shortcut), then select “Personalize” from the list. This will bring up the “Personalization” settings panel, where you can adjust settings like colors, themes and backgrounds.

Select an Image

Select “Picture” from the “Background” drop-down menu. (The other settings are “Solid color” and “Slideshow.” Use Slideshow if you’d like your wallpaper to cycle through multiple images.) Next, click the “Browse” button, and use the Windows Explorer to navigate to the photo/image you’d like for you wallpaper. User images are often stored in the “Pictures” library of Windows 10, or you might select an image from a camera card reader or flash drive. Click “Choose picture” when done.

Optimize the Wallpaper

Almost done! There is one last task to do, which you will find under the “Choose a fit” drop-down menu. Not all images automatically fit the aspect ratio of your computer’s screen perfectly, so experiment with the options in this drop-down menu until you find one that works well with your file. The “Fit” or “Fill” options often work well with photos, while “Stretch” may cause some distortion.

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Create a local user or administrator account in Windows

You can create a local user account (an offline account) for anyone who will frequently use your PC. The best option in most cases, though, is for everyone who uses your PC to have a Microsoft account . With a Microsoft account, you can access your apps, files, and Microsoft services across your devices.

If needed, the local user account can have administrator permissions; however, it's better to just create a local user account whenever possible.

Caution:  A user with an administrator account can access anything on the system, and any malware they encounter can use the administrator permissions to potentially infect or damage any files on the system. Only grant that level of access when absolutely necessary and to people you trust.

As you create an account, remember that choosing a password and keeping it safe are essential steps. Because we don’t know your password, if you forget it or lose it, we can't recover it for you.

Create a local user account

Select Start  >  Settings  > Accounts and then select  Family & other users. (In some versions of Windows you'll see  Other users .)

Next to Add other user , select Add account . 

Select I don't have this person's sign-in information , and on the next page, select Add a user without a Microsoft account .

Enter a user name, password, or password hint—or choose security questions—and then select Next .

Open Settings and create another account

Change a local user account to an administrator account

Select Start  >  Settings  > Accounts .

Under  Family & other users , select the account owner name (you should see "Local account" below the name), then select Change account type .

Note:  If you choose an account that shows an email address or doesn't say "Local account", then you're giving administrator permissions to a Microsoft account, not a local account.

Under Account type , select Administrator , and then select  OK .

Sign in with the new administrator account.

If you're using Windows 10, version 1803 and later, you can add security questions as you'll see in step 4 under Create a local user account . With answers to your security questions, you can reset your Windows 10 local account password. Not sure which version you have? You can check your version .

Select Start  >  Settings  > Accounts  and then select  Family & other users. (In some versions of Windows you'll see  Other users .)

Select Add someone else to this PC .

Under  Family & other users , select the account owner name (you should see "Local Account" below the name), then select Change account type .

Related topics

Microsoft account help

How to reset your Microsoft account password

Get help with Windows activation errors

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Top Contributors in Windows 10: Ramesh Srinivasan  -  neilpzz  -  Bug Locker  -  Kapil Arya MVP  -  Horace Wiggins

August 10, 2023

Top Contributors in Windows 10:

Ramesh Srinivasan  -  neilpzz  -  Bug Locker  -  Kapil Arya MVP  -  Horace Wiggins

• Search the community and support articles
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how do i change administrator on windows 10

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One possible reason why you're unable to add a family member is due to missing or corrupted account component on your computer. For us to better assist you, we'd like to ask a few questions.

• When did the issue start? Have you made any recent updates to your computer before the issue happened?
• Is your Administrator account a Microsoft account or a local user account?
• Have you tried any troubleshooting steps before posting this concern? If yes, what are those?

For you to change the Administrator account and add a family member, you should be logged in as an Administrator. Follow the steps below to change a user account.

• Press the Windows key + X to open the Power User menu and select Control Panel .
• Click Change account type .
• Click the user account you want to change.
• Click Change the account type .
• Select Standard or Administrator .
• Click the Change Account Type button to complete the task.

To add a family member, refer to the article below:

Set up your family

Looking forward to your response.

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Switching to an Administrator Account (Windows 10)

To switch to an administrator account, you need to know the user name and password of an administrator user account. If you do not know the user name and password of an administrator user, you need to ask your administrator to change your account type, or to install Rapport .

• Click Start .
• On the Start menu, click your account picture.
• Click the user that you want to switch to.

• Disk & Data Manager
• Partition Wizard
• Power Data Recovery
• ShadowMaker
• Media Toolkit
• uTube Downloader
• Video Converter
• Download Partition Wizard Free Edition: Download Pro Edition: Try Demo Server Edition: Try Demo
• Partition Magic

How to Change Administrator on Windows 10? (5 Methods)

This post shows you how to change administrator on Windows 10 via several different programs on the computer. Detailed steps and screenshots are provided for you. Now, read this post of MiniTool for details.

How to Change Administrator on Windows 10 via Settings

Step 1: Open Settings by pressing Windows and I keys and then click Accounts on the home menu of Settings .

Step 2: In the next window, click Family & other people in the left pane and then move to the right side of the window. Scroll down the content to locate to the Other people section. As there’s no other accounts, you need to add one. For that, click Add someone else to this PC and then follow the prompted instruction to finish the operation.

Step 3: Then click on the newly created account and click Change account type .

Step 4: In the Change account type window, you will see the name and type of the chosen user account. Open the drop-down menu by clicking the down arrow under Account type and choose Administrator . Then click OK to save the changes.

Also read:  How Windows 10 Change Account Picture? Here Are Detailed Steps

How to Change the Administrator on Windows 10 via Control Panel

Step 1: Type control i n the search box and click on Control Panel under Best match .

Step 2: In the Control Panel window, change the View by to Category and then click Change account type link under User Accounts .

Step 3: In the Manage Accounts window, click Add a new user in PC settings to add an administrator.

Step 4: Follow the elevated instruction to complete the process.

Step 5: Click on the newly created user account to continue.

Step 6: Click on the Change the account type in the left pane.

Step 7: Choose Administrator and then click Change Account Type to save the changes.

Windows 10 display too big? How do I resize the screen on my computer? If you are bothered by these questions, read this post to find answers.

How to Change Administrator on Windows 10 via PowerShell

Step 1: Right-click on the Windows icon on the desktop and then click Windows PowerShell (Admin) in the pop-up menu.

Step 2: In the elevated window, type the command below and hit Enter to change the account to administrator. After that, your Windows 10 administrator will be changed to the target user.

add-LocalGroupMember -Group “Administrators” -Member “ACCOUNT-NAME”

How to Change the Administrator on Windows 10 via Netplwiz

Step 1: Open the Run window by pressing Windows and R keys, and then type netplwiz and hit Enter .

Step 2: In the User Accounts window, click the Add button and then follow the on-screen instruction to add the new user.

Step 3: Then back to the User Accounts window and click on the newly added account. Click on Properties to continue.

Step 4: Navigate to the Group Membership tab and highlight the Administrator option. Finally, click OK and Apply to execute the operation. Now, your Windows 10 administrator is changed successfully.

How to Change Administrator Account on Windows 10 via Computer Management

Step 1: Type computer management and click on Computer Management under Best match .

Step 2: Click on Local Users and Groups and then click Users .

Step 3: Right-click on the user entry you would like to edit and click Properties . Alternatively, you can also double-click on the entry to open the properties.

Step 4: Navigate to the Member of tab in the Guest Properties window and click the Add button.

Step 5: In the pop-up window, type Administrators in the text field and click Check Names . At last, click OK to save the changes.

Out of some reasons, you may want to uninstall Windows 10. However, you don’t know how to do that. Then this guide on how to uninstall Windows 10 helps.

How to change administrator on Windows 10? If you are still seeking for answers, read this post now! Top 5 methods are discussed.

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How To Change Administrator On Windows 10

Just like a company, your computer also has a hierarchy of users as well, where depending on your role, there are certain functions that may or may not be off-limits to you. With Microsoft Windows, the highest possible role you could have is administrator. This basically gives you access to all of the features of Windows where you can make changes that affect how the operating system runs.

This is important because it can also help prevent a regular user from making a change that could have a negative impact on performance as well as security, so obviously choosing the administrator is crucial, and here’s how you can assign that role to yourself or someone.

Change administrator on Windows 10

• Select Family & other users
• Click on the person’s name and select Change account type
• From the drop-down menu, select Administrator

• Click the Start menu and type Control Panel and launch it

• Select Administrator
• Click Change Account Type and you’re good to go

Do note that when you give someone an Administrator role, they could make changes that might have negative consequences. As Microsoft warns on their support page :

“A user with an administrator account can access anything on the system, and any malware they encounter can use the administrator permissions to potentially infect or damage any files on the system. Only grant that level of access when absolutely necessary and to people you trust.”

An Administrator account in Windows 10 basically lets the user do pretty much whatever they want on the computer. It will give them full system control, which includes changing global system settings, installing apps, delete files, changing security settings, and more.

Administrator accounts have complete access to Windows and its settings, whereas Standard user accounts are limited. If you share a computer at home or at school or at the office, creating Standard accounts is a good way to ensure that the computer isn’t too affected by the changes the users make on it.

For example, if a school gave all students Administrator accounts, they could make changes to the computer’s security, delete system files, run programs that haven’t been approved, and more.

If it’s just you using the computer at home, making yourself the Administrator is probably a good idea so that you can make changes quickly and easily.

Filed in Computers . Read more about Microsoft , Security , Windows and Windows 10 .

6 Ways to Change the Administrator in Windows

While Windows usually sets the first user on a PC as the administrator, there are a variety of reasons and ways to change the administrator in Windows. Whether you're adding new administrator-level users, want to promote a Standard user, or switch to a new administrator completely, this guide provides six ways to change the administrator in Windows. Just pick your favorite method and get started.

Note: to prevent non-administrators from simply promoting themselves to gain unauthorized access, Windows requires you to make changes from an existing administrator account.

Tip: not able to make changes in Windows because you received the "This Setting Is Managed by Your Administrator" error message ? Read on to learn how to fix it

1. Using Windows Settings

2. via control panel, 3. with command prompt, 4. use powershell, 5. use netplwiz, 6. via computer management, frequently asked questions.

When trying to learn how to change the administrator in Windows, the most straightforward way is in Windows Settings.

• Open "Settings."
• Select "Accounts" in the left pane.

• Select "Other users" in the right pane. This is called "Family & other users" in Windows 10.

• Select the desired user from the list.
• Press "Change account type."

• Select "Administrator" from the account type list and press "OK" to confirm.

You can easily demote an administrator account using the same method.

If you prefer changing settings from the Control Panel versus Settings, follow these steps:

• Go to Start and search for "control panel," then click "Open."

• Select "User Accounts."

• If you want to change your own account type, select "Change your account type." For other accounts, select "Manage another account."

• Select the account you want to change, then "Change the account type."

• Select "Administrator" (or "Standard" if you're demoting) and press "Change Account Type."

If you don't mind typing in a few commands, it's easy to change Windows user accounts between Standard and Administrator. Let's start by changing a Standard user to Administrator.

• Press Win + R , type cmd , then press Ctrl + Shift + Enter to open Command Prompt with admin privileges.

• Type the following to change the user account type to administrator:

Replace "User Account" with the user account name. For Microsoft accounts, use the first five letters of the account's email address. For example, for [email protected], the user account name would be "windo." Remember, you can use Windows 11 without a Microsoft account .

• Verify the change by typing:

If you need to demote an administrator, the process is similar:

• Enter the following command, replacing "User Account" with the account name:

• Verify the change with:

Helpful hint: confused between Command Prompt and PowerShell? We can help!

Windows 11 put PowerShell front and center over Command Prompt. In fact, later versions of Windows 10 even removed Command Prompt from the power user Start menu in lieu of PowerShell. If you also prefer PowerShell, this is how to change the Administrator in Windows 10 and 11:

• Press Win + X and select "Terminal (Admin)." For Windows 10, select "PowerShell."

• Type the following at the prompt, replacing "user account" with the account name:

Just like Command Prompt, the user name for Microsoft accounts is the first five letters of the account's email address. You can also use -Member "MicrosoftAccount\emailaddress".

This promotes a Standard user to an Administrator. If you need to demote an account:

• Open PowerShell and enter the following, replacing "User Account" with the account name:

• This switches the account to a Standard user.

Another quick and easy method to change the administrator in Windows is with netplwiz. With this method, every user is listed, and you can change the user type back and forth as needed.

• Press Win + R to open the Run box.
• Enter "netplwiz" and click "OK."

• Select the desired user and click "Properties."

• Select the "Group Membership" tab and change the account type. Click "Apply."

FYI: follow this guide to change the account and user name in Windows .

This method only works on Pro versions of Windows 10 and 11. If you have the Home version, like me, this option won't be available. Follow these steps for changing the account in Windows 10 and 11.

You can use the third-party tool lusrmgmr to get the same results. For the purpose of this tutorial, I'm including the steps for both the Pro version of Windows and lusrmgmr. The screenshots are from lusrmgmr.

• Open the Start menu and search for "Computer Management." Select "Run as administrator."

• Expand "System Tools -> Local Users and Groups."

• Select "Users" to open the list of users in the center pane.
• Right-click the user and select "Properties." Click "Edit" for lusrmgmr.

• Select the "Member Of" tab and click "Add." If using lusrmgmr, click the "Group membership" tab and select "Add membership."

• Select "Advanced."
• Select "Find Now."
• Choose the "Administrators" group from the list. In lusrmgmr, the group list appears immediately. Choose "Administrators."

• Click "OK" to confirm your choice. In lusrmgmr, choose "Select."
• Click "OK" again to exit the window. You should then see the user listed as both a user and administrator.

You can also demote a user using the same process. However, you'll be revoking the permission versus adding it.

Can I disable the built-in administrator account?

Yes. Do this through Computer Management in the Local Users and Groups section. Or, use the lusrmgmr tool instead. Click the account to disable under the "General" tab (or the "Account" tab in lusrmgmr).

This account is highly useful if you forget your password and need to log in. Of course, this only applies if you haven't reset the password for this account already.

Yet, it's beneficial to disable this account if you're not using it. Since it doesn't have a password enabled by default, it can be a security risk. Standard users can use it to bypass your own administrator access.

Should I let all users be administrators on my personal computer?

Only do this if you don't mind every user having full permissions to make any changes they want to the PC. Usually, a family PC only has the adults as administrators and the kids as standard users.

Why should I promote another user to administrator?

Standard users are rather limited. They can't install software or make any major system changes, such as editing the registry, without the administrator's permission. They'll see a UAC (user account control) window prompting for the password.

If you don't want to bother approving every change and software install, it may be worth promoting them. If an administrator is going to edit the registry, first learn how to back up and restore the Windows registry .

Can I change user access temporarily?

Yes. You can temporarily grant administrator access any time you want. Once the user is done with their tasks, you can change them back to a Standard user.

Can I just change the user account name?

Yes. If you misspelled the name or just want something different, use these steps to change it .

Image credit: Unsplash . All screenshots by Crystal Crowder.

Crystal Crowder has spent over 15 years working in the tech industry, first as an IT technician and then as a writer. She works to help teach others how to get the most from their devices, systems, and apps. She stays on top of the latest trends and is always finding solutions to common tech problems.

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