How to Make a User an Administrator in Windows 11 Using CMD: A Step-by-Step Guide

This detailed guide explains multiple Command Prompt (CMD) methods to grant admin rights to a standard user account in Windows 11 — perfect for both beginners and power users. It’s written in a friendly, conversational tone, fully optimized for search engines, and formatted for readability and featured snippets.

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📘 Summary (Key Takeaways)

✅ You can make any user an administrator with one CMD command.
✅ Works on both local and Microsoft accounts.
✅ Administrator access lets you install software, modify settings, and manage other users.

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1. Introduction: Why You Might Need to Make a User an Administrator

Sometimes you need more control over your Windows 11 PC — to install programs, manage users, or change security settings.
But what if your account isn’t an administrator?

That’s where CMD (Command Prompt) comes in. With just one or two commands, you can elevate any user account to administrator privileges, without navigating complex menus.

In this guide, you’ll learn how to make a user an administrator using CMD, plus alternative methods for every scenario — from home users to system admins.

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2. Understanding Administrator vs. Standard Accounts in Windows 11

Before we jump in, it’s important to understand the difference between account types:

👉 To make a user an administrator, you’ll simply modify their account type from Standard to Administrator using CMD commands.

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3. Prerequisites: What You Need Before Using CMD

Before you start:

• You must log in as an Administrator (or have an admin password).

• The account you want to promote must already exist.

• Know the exact username of the target account.

📝 Tip: To view all local users on your PC, open CMD and type:

This will list all user accounts currently on your system.

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4. How to Make a User an Administrator in Windows 11 Using CMD

Here’s the main method you’re looking for. It’s fast, simple, and works on all editions of Windows 11 (Home, Pro, and Enterprise).

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Step 1: Open Command Prompt as Administrator

1. Press Windows + S and type cmd.

2. Right-click Command Prompt and choose Run as administrator.

3. Click Yes when prompted by User Account Control (UAC).

You should now see a black window titled Administrator: Command Prompt.

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Step 2: View All Available Users

Type the following command:

You’ll see a list of all accounts on your system.
Example output:

Here, suppose you want to make John an administrator.

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Step 3: Add the User to the Administrators Group

Type the following command and press Enter:

Replace John with your actual username.

✅ Success Message:

That’s it! The user John now has administrator rights.

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Step 4: Verify the Change

To confirm the user is now an administrator, type:

You’ll see something like:

If the username appears under the Administrators group, the promotion worked.

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5. Example: Full Command Summary

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6. How to Revert (Remove Administrator Access via CMD)

If you ever need to revoke admin privileges, use:

The account will return to standard user status.

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7. How to Make a New User and Give Admin Rights via CMD

If the user doesn’t exist yet, you can create and promote them in CMD.

Steps:

1. Open Command Prompt (Admin).

2. Type this to create a new user:

   net user John mypassword /add


   Replace “John” with the username and “mypassword” with a strong password.

3. Add the user to the Administrators group:

   net localgroup administrators John /add


4. Verify:

   net localgroup administrators


✅ The new user “John” is now an administrator.

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8. How to Make a User Administrator Using PowerShell (Alternative Method)

You can also achieve the same goal using Windows PowerShell — a more modern and powerful tool.

Steps:

1. Press Windows + X → select Windows Terminal (Admin) or PowerShell (Admin).

2. Type this command:

   Add-LocalGroupMember -Group "Administrators" -Member "John"


3. Press Enter.

✅ Output confirmation:

To verify:

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9. How to Make a User Administrator via Local Users and Groups (GUI Alternative)

If you prefer a graphical method:

1. Press Windows + R, type:

   lusrmgr.msc


   and hit Enter.

2. Click Users → Right-click your user (e.g., John).

3. Choose Properties → Member Of → Add → Advanced → Find Now.

4. Select Administrators → OK → Apply.

✅ This gives the same result — John now has admin privileges.

📝 Note: lusrmgr.msc is not available in Windows 11 Home edition. For that, CMD or PowerShell works best.

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10. How to Check if a User Is an Administrator

You can easily confirm by running this command:

Scroll through the details — if you see:

…it means the user is indeed an Administrator.

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11. Troubleshooting: CMD Says “Access Denied” or “System Error 5”

If you see:

It means CMD doesn’t have admin rights.

✅ Fix:

• Reopen CMD as Administrator (right-click → “Run as administrator”).

• Try the command again.

If the issue persists:

• Check if User Account Control (UAC) is blocking actions.

• Make sure your logged-in account is already an admin.

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12. How to Make Microsoft Account an Administrator Using CMD

If your Windows 11 account is a Microsoft account (email-based), you can still promote it using CMD — just use the username portion.

Example:

✅ After executing, sign out and back in for changes to take effect.

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13. Security Tip: Don’t Leave Extra Administrator Accounts Enabled

While granting admin rights is convenient, it can also pose security risks if not managed properly.

• Disable unused admin accounts:

  net user AdminUser /active:no


• Regularly audit who has admin privileges:

  net localgroup administrators


Only trusted users should have administrative access.

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14. Common CMD Errors and How to Fix Them

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15. Tips for Managing Administrator Accounts Safely

• Use strong passwords for all admin users.

• Limit the number of administrators on your system.

• Turn off Guest accounts when not needed.

• Use a standard account for daily work to prevent accidental system changes.

• Create a backup admin account in case of lockout.

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✅ Conclusion: Elevating Users with CMD Made Simple

You now know exactly how to make any user an administrator in Windows 11 using CMD.

To recap:

1. Open Command Prompt (Admin).

2. Type:

   net localgroup administrators [username] /add


3. Press Enter and verify the change.

With this simple command, you can unlock full system access, install programs, manage settings, and troubleshoot efficiently. Just remember to use admin power responsibly — with great power comes great responsibility!

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❓ FAQs: How to Make a User an Administrator in Windows 11 Using CMD

1. What is the CMD command to make a user an administrator?

Use:

2. How do I open CMD with admin privileges?

Press Windows + S, type “cmd,” right-click it, and select Run as administrator.

3. Can I make a Microsoft account an administrator?

Yes. Use:

4. How do I remove a user from administrator group?

Run:

5. What if CMD says “System error 5 has occurred”?

That means CMD wasn’t opened as administrator. Close it, then reopen with admin privileges.

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🧭 Final Takeaway

Making a user an administrator in Windows 11 using CMD is one of the fastest and most efficient methods available.
In just one line of code, you can grant or revoke admin privileges — perfect for IT management, troubleshooting, or setting up shared PCs.

With this guide, you now have complete control over user permissions on your Windows 11 system.