How To Change Administrator On Windows 10

Tips
1

I need help switching the main administrator account on my Windows 10 PC. The computer was originally set up with a different admin user, and now I want to change who has full control without messing up files, apps, or settings. What’s the proper way to safely change the administrator on Windows 10 and avoid permission issues or losing access to anything?

2

Short version. You do not “move” the original admin. You create a new one, log into it, then demote or ignore the old one. Your files and apps stay fine as long as you do not delete their folders blindly.

Here is the clean way.

  1. Make sure you have access to an admin now
    If you are already on an admin account, skip to step 2.
    If not, you need someone who knows an admin password on that PC, or you need to sign in as the original admin.

  2. Create a new local account

    1. Press Win + I
    2. Go to Accounts
    3. Click Family and other users
    4. Under Other users, click Add someone else to this PC
    5. In the popup, click I do not have this persons sign in information
    6. Click Add a user without a Microsoft account
    7. Enter a username, password, and security questions
    8. Click Next

  3. Turn that new account into an administrator

    1. Still in Family and other users
    2. Click the new account
    3. Click Change account type
    4. Set Account type to Administrator
    5. Click OK

  4. Log into the new admin and test it

    1. Sign out of the current account
    2. Log into the new admin
    3. Check you can
      • Install an app
      • Change a simple setting
      • Access C:\Users and see other profiles

  5. Move personal data you care about
    Apps installed for “Everyone” will keep working.
    Personal files live in:
    C:\Users\OldAdminName\Documents
    C:\Users\OldAdminName\Desktop
    C:\Users\OldAdminName\Pictures

    Copy, do not move, from the old profile to the new one at first. Use something like:
    • Documents to Documents
    • Desktop to Desktop
    Avoid copying AppData unless you know what you are doing. That folder holds configs that break things if moved wrong.

  6. Demote or disable the old admin
    If you want to keep the old account but limit it:

    1. While on the new admin, Win + I
    2. Accounts
    3. Family and other users
    4. Click the old account
    5. Change account type
    6. Set to Standard user
    7. OK

    If you want to remove it:

    1. Same screen
    2. Click the old account
    3. Remove
    4. Confirm

    Before you delete it, double check you copied anything important. Deleting the account clears that user’s folder under C:\Users, including Desktop and Documents. No recycle bin safety there.

  7. If the original admin is tied to a Microsoft account
    That is fine. Your new admin can be a local account or a different Microsoft account. Windows does not care which one is “main” in a special way. It only cares that at least one admin exists.

Extra tips to avoid messes
• Do not rename the old user folder in C:\Users manually. Windows hates that.
• You do not need to reinstall apps in most cases. Store apps are per user sometimes, traditional programs in Program Files are system wide.
• If you use Outlook, Chrome, Firefox, etc, set them up fresh on the new profile, then import bookmarks or export things first from the old account.

If something fails, the original admin is still there until you delete or demote it, so you have a safety net.

3

If you just want to switch “who’s in charge” without nuking stuff, think of it like this: Windows does not really have a single “main” admin crown. It just cares that at least one account is in the Administrators group. The rest is how you decide to use it.

@codecrafter already laid out the clean path (new account, make it admin, move files, demote/delete old one). I’ll add some angles they didn’t dig into and push back on a couple of details.

1. Decide what “switching main admin” actually means

Pick which of these you actually want:

  1. You log into a different account for daily use, with admin powers.
  2. You keep using the current account but just change which Microsoft account it’s tied to.
  3. You mostly want the old admin neutered so it can’t control stuff anymore.

The safest combo in practice:

  • Create a new admin account.
  • Use it to create a standard everyday account for yourself.
  • Use the admin only when needed.

Yes, that is more secure than what @codecrafter suggested (using the new admin directly as your daily account). Running as admin all the time makes it easier for malware or bad software to wreck your system.

2. Shortcut method using netplwiz (less clicking, more nerdy)

If you already have any admin account logged in:

  1. Press Win + R, type:
    netplwiz
    and hit Enter.
  2. Select the account you want to become the “main” admin.
  3. Click Properties → Group Membership tab.
  4. Choose Administrator → OK → OK.

This does the same thing as Settings but is faster and gives you a quick overview of who’s in what group. Good for sanity checking: you should always have at least two admins, even if one is a “backup” you never normally use.

3. If your goal is: “keep same profile, switch Microsoft account”

A lot of people actually want this: same desktop, same files, same apps, but tied to a different Microsoft account.

You cannot just swap the account behind the scenes, but you can sort of “rebind”:

  1. Log into the account you currently use.
  2. Win + I → Accounts → Your info.
  3. If it says “Sign in with a Microsoft account instead” or “Sign in with a local account instead”, use that to:
    • Turn it into a local account, then
    • Sign in again with the new Microsoft account.

This keeps the same user folder under C:\Users\YourName and doesn’t blow up your installed apps. It’s more seamless than making a totally new profile, but can get weird if you use a lot of Microsoft Store / OneDrive stuff across multiple PCs.

Personally, I prefer a clean new profile for long‑term sanity.

4. Moving stuff without breaking things

Where I slightly disagree with @codecrafter: copying only Documents/Desktop/Pictures is fine, but in some cases you do want a bit more, just not the whole AppData swamp.

Safe-ish extras to migrate:

  • C:\Users\OldAdmin\Downloads
  • Browser data via proper export/import:
    • Chrome/Edge/Firefox: export bookmarks, then import in the new account.
  • For apps with their own export:
    • Password managers, mail clients, game launchers, etc.

Stuff to generally avoid copying directly:

  • C:\Users\OldAdmin\AppData entirely.
  • Anything under AppData\Local\Packages for Microsoft Store apps.
  • Random program folders under AppData\Roaming unless you know exactly what you’re doing.

If you want to be careful:

  1. Sign into new admin.
  2. Open File Explorer → go to C:\Users\OldAdmin.
  3. Copy (not move) only user data folders into your new profile.
  4. Test apps. If something complains, reinstall it in the new account.

5. Handle Microsoft Store & licensed apps

Some extra gotchas that often show up:

  • Microsoft Store apps
    Tied mostly to the Microsoft account and the user, not just the PC. After you sign into the Store with your new Microsoft account, you may have to re-install some apps per user. The underlying files in Program Files usually stay intact, but the per-user reg / data may not.

  • Big boy apps (Adobe, Office, some games)
    Many of these license per Microsoft account, Adobe ID, Steam, etc., not per Windows account. You usually just:

    • Install once as admin
    • Sign in in each user profile

Some very old software still binds to a specific user profile path. If that’s you: yes, you might end up reinstalling or reactivating.

6. Demoting, disabling, or “parking” the old admin

Options from safest to most nuclear:

  1. Keep it as spare admin

    • Just set a strong password and log out forever.
    • Rename it slightly (e.g. “Admin_Backup” in the account name only, not the folder).
    • This is actually what I recommend. If your main profile breaks, you have a rescue account.

  2. Demote to Standard user

    • Works if someone else still uses that account occasionally but you don’t want them doing system changes.
    • Make sure you have another admin first, or you’ll lock yourself out of admin rights.

  3. Delete it

    • Honestly, I’d only do this once you’ve lived on the new account for a while with zero issues.
    • When Windows asks “Delete files,” if you confirm, that user’s folder under C:\Users\OldAdmin is gone for real. No Recycle Bin.

I disagree slightly with the “just delete when done” mindset. Keep it around for a few weeks as a backup admin. Windows isn’t exactly gentle when a profile gets corrupted.

7. Quick sanity checklist

Before you flip the old admin off the cliff:

  • New admin account exists.
  • You can:
    • Install and uninstall something simple.
    • Change system time or user settings.
    • See C:\Users and open the old user’s folders.
  • Important files copied from old profile and opened successfully.
  • You know at least one password for an admin account.
  • You’re signed into Store / OneDrive / browsers where needed.

Once all that checks out, the “main admin” is effectively whatever account you actually use for admin tasks. Windows does not care which was “original.”

If you say what exactly you want to keep (Office activation, games, work stuff, etc.), people can be more specific about what to move and what to leave alone.