How to Change Account Type of Users in Windows 10
When you set up Windows, you were required to create a user account. This account is an administrator account that allows you to set up your PC and install any apps that you would like to use. When you add an account on your PC in Windows, it will be a standard user account by default.
Guest - No longer valid in Windows 10. Guest accounts were good to allow people temporary use of your PC. A guest account is not able to install apps, hardware, change settings, and can only be a local account. See: How to Add a Guest Account in Windows 10
Standard User - Standard user accounts are good for everyday usage, and can be a local account or Microsoft account. Standard user accounts can use most apps and change system settings that do not affect other users. If any action that requires elevated rights is attempted while signed in as a standard user, Windows will display a UAC prompt for the password of an administrator for approval. If UAC is set to "Never notify", then a standard user will automatically just be denied the elevated action.
Administrator - Administrator accounts have complete access to the PC and can make any desired changes. Administrators can be a local account or Microsoft account. If any action that requires elevated rights is attempted while signed in as an administrator, Windows will display a UAC prompt for the administrator to confirm (Yes or No) or enter their password first.
This tutorial will show you how to change the account type of users to be either a guest, standard user, or administrator in Windows 10.
You must be signed in as an administrator to change a user's account type.
If you do not have another administrator account to use, you can enable and use the built-in "Administrator" account to change a user's account type.
You need to always keep at least one administrator account enabled on the PC to be able to sign in to for performing any action in Windows that require administrator (elevated) rights.
Contents
- Option One: To Change a User's Account Type in Settings
- Option Two: To Change a User's Account Type in Control Panel
- Option Three: To Change a User's Account Type in netplwiz
- Option Four: To Change a User's Account Type in Command Prompt
1 Open Settings, and click/tap on the Accounts icon.
2 Click/tap on Family & other users on the left side, click/tap on an account (ex: Brink3) under Other users or Your family you want to change the type of, and click/tap on Change account type. (see screenshot below)
3 Select the account type you want to change the account to, and click/tap on OK. (see screenshot below)
4 You can now close Settings if you like.
1 Open the Control Panel (icons view), and click/tap on the User Accounts icon.
2 Click/tap on the Manage another account link. (see screenshot below)
3 If prompted by UAC, click/tap on Yes.
4 Click/tap on the account (ex: Brink-Test} that you would like to change the type of. (see screenshot below)
5 Click/tap on the Change the account type link. (see screenshot below)
6 Select (dot) the account type you want to change the account to, and click/tap on Change Account Type. (see screenshot below)
7 You can now close the Control Panel if you like.
1 Type netplwiz in the search box (Win+S) on Start menu or taskbar, and press Enter to open advanced User Accounts.
2 If prompted by UAC, click/tap on Yes.
3 Check the Users must enter a user name and password to use this computer box, select the user name (ex: Brink-Test) of the account that you want to change the type of, and click/tap on the Properties button. (see screenshot below)
4 Select (dot) the account type you want to change the account to, and click/tap on OK. (see screenshot below)
5 If you had set Windows to automatically sign in to an account at startup, then you will need to set it again.
6 You can now close the netplwiz if you like.
1 Open an elevated command prompt.
2 Do step 3 (see current type), step 4 (guest), step 5 (standard user), step 6 (administrator), or step 7 (remove) below for what you would like to do.
A) In the elevated command prompt, copy and paste the commands below one at a time for each account type, and press Enter after each one. (see screenshots below)
B) Do step 4 (guest), step 5 (standard user), step 6 (administrator), or step 7 (remove) below for what you would like to do.
A) Type the command below into the elevated command prompt, and press Enter. (see screenshot below)
net localgroup guests "UserName" /add
Substitute UserName in the command above with the actual user name (ex: Brink-Test) from step 3.
For example:net localgroup guests "Brink-Test" /add
B) Go to step 7 below, and remove the user from being a standard user and administrator account type.
A) Type the command below into the elevated command prompt, and press Enter. (see screenshot below)
net localgroup users "UserName" /add
Substitute UserName in the command above with the actual user name (ex: Brink-Test) from step 3.
For example:net localgroup users "Brink-Test" /add
B) Go to step 7 below, and remove the user from being a guest and administrator account type.
A) Type the command below into the elevated command prompt, and press Enter. (see screenshot below)
net localgroup administrators "UserName" /add
Substitute UserName in the command above with the actual user name (ex: Brink-Test) from step 3.
For example:net localgroup administrators "Brink-Test" /add
B) Go to step 7 below, and remove the user from being a guest and standard user account type.
A) In the elevated command prompt, type the commands below one at a time for only the account types you want to remove the user from, and press Enter after each one.
net localgroup guests "UserName" /delete
net localgroup users "UserName" /delete
net localgroup administrators "UserName" /delete
Substitute UserName in the command above with the actual user name (ex: Brink-Test) from step 3.
For example:
net localgroup guests "Brink-Test" /delete
net localgroup users "Brink-Test" /delete
net localgroup administrators "Brink-Test" /delete
B) When finished, go to step 8 below.
8 When finished, you can close the elevated command prompt if you like.
That's it,
Shawn Brink
Related Tutorials
- How to Add a Local Account or Microsoft Account in Windows 10
- How to Add a Guest Account in Windows 10
- How to Enable or Disable User Accounts in Windows 10
- How to Enable or Disable Built-in Elevated Administrator Account in Windows 10
- How to Check if User is a Local Account or Microsoft Account in Windows 10
- How to Switch to a Local Account from a Microsoft Account in Windows 10
- How to Switch to a Microsoft Account from a Local Account in Windows 10
- How to Determine if Users are an Administrator or Standard User in Windows 10
- How to Add or Remove Users from Groups in Windows 10
- How to Change User Name of Account in Windows 10