How to change the administrator in Windows 10

Sometimes we need to create a Windows user account different from ours to which we can assign administrator permissions. This is usually done for greater protection and security. In this post we will see how you can change administrator in windows 10 and thus have two accounts: one for regular use and another where to save the permissions.

We must highlight the importance of administrator permissions when it comes to perform certain advanced actions on the system, from installing programs to changing the system configuration itself. In these and many other cases, it is not enough to be a normal user without administration permissions.

Surely we have all used the option of “Execute as an administrator”, that box that appears on the computer screen with the well-known blue and gold shield. This means that we are using a user account, which is insufficient to make certain changes to certain programs and files. There is a compelling reason to apply this filter: an incorrect modification can have serious consequences for the operating system.

Related article:

How to open applications with administrator permissions in Windows 10

That is the reason why the Windows administrator account exists, which is hidden and disabled by default in Windows 10. In this way, unauthorized users or a malware program that could have slipped into our computer are prevented from make changes to the system. An elementary security issue.

That is why it is not a bad idea to manage two accounts with different uses. The account that we usually use and a second account in which to deposit the permits and to which we will only resort when we are really going to need it. Let’s see how we can organize ourselves:

Create a second user account

As is logical, the first thing to do to change the administrator in Windows 10 is to create a new user account, to which we will transfer the management of these permissions. This is how we can do it:

1. First of all, inside the menu Start Let’s go to the settings window clicking on the gear icon (the cogwheel).
2. Then we click on “Accounts”.
3. In the new window that opens, click on the tab Family and users.
4. There we use the option “Add someone else to this team.”

From here, you just have to follow the normal steps that we already explained in this post: how to create a Microsoft account. Once the account is created, we move on to the second phase.

Methods to change the administrator in Windows 10

To carry out the change of administrator, which is the subject of this entry, we have several possibilities: from the control panel or using the netplwiz command. We explain both methods:

From the control panel

1. First of all, we go to Start and there we write “Control Panel”option on which we click.
2. In the next screen that opens, we are going to “User account”.
3. Next we select “Change account type”.
4. The next window shows us all the accounts that are available in the system. There will be the one we created in the previous section, to which we want to assign administrator permissions. We select the account and, in the options that are displayed, we choose “Change account type”.
5. Then we check the box that corresponds to “Administrator”, to assign these permissions to it.
6. Finally, we will click again on the option “Change account type” so that the changes are saved.

Using the netplwiz command

Another way to carry out this procedure of changing the administrator in Windows 10 is through the netplwiz command, which allows us to access the advanced options of system user accounts. These are the steps we have to follow:

1. To begin we have to resort to the key combination Windows+R and thus open the Run tool.
2. In the box that appears at the bottom left of the screen, We type netplwiz and press Enter.
3. Next, we select the account that we want to change.
4. In the options that are displayed, we choose the tab “Properties”.
5. Then we go to the tab “group membership”in which we will be able to directly assign the user’s administrator permissions.

Finally, one last recommendation: sometimes, during the process of changing the administrator in Windows 10, small failures can occur that can have negative consequences. To avoid loss of files or irreversible modifications, always It is recommended to make a backup of the most important data in our system.

A good way to guard your back is to use some antivirus and protection program that guarantees us a safe and automatic saving of our data, whatever the device we are using. Take a look at the best free antivirus for Windows 10.