How to change a Windows 10 user account type and why you might want to

How-to
By Mauro Huculak
last updated

If you have to extend or restrict user control on a device, you can quickly complete this task by changing the account type, and here's how on Windows 10.

How to change user account type using PowerShell

To change a Windows 10 account type with PowerShell, use these steps:

  1. Open Start.
  2. Search for PowerShell, right-click the top result, and select the Run as administrator option.
  3. Type the following command to change the account type to "Standard User" and press Enter:Remove-LocalGroupMember -Group "Administrators" -Member "ACCOUNT-NAME"In the command, make sure to change the ACCOUNT-NAME for the actual name of the account that you want to change. If you're trying to change an account using a Microsoft account, then the account name would be the first five letters of the email address.

Source: Windows Central (Image credit: Source: Windows Central)
  1. Type the following command to change the account type to "Administrator" and press Enter:Add-LocalGroupMember -Group "Administrators" -Member "ACCOUNT-NAME"In the command, make sure to change the ACCOUNT-NAME for the actual name of the account that you want to change.Quick note: Users with administrator accounts are part of both, the "Administrators" and "Users" groups. As a result, to make a user standard, you only need to remove the user from the "Administrators" group.

Source: Windows Central (Image credit: Source: Windows Central)

After you complete the steps, the account type will switch to the Administrator or Standard group depending on your configuration.

Mauro Huculak
Mauro Huculak

Mauro Huculak is technical writer for WindowsCentral.com. His primary focus is to write comprehensive how-tos to help users get the most out of Windows 10 and its many related technologies. He has an IT background with professional certifications from Microsoft, Cisco, and CompTIA, and he's a recognized member of the Microsoft MVP community.