This time, we will show you how to revert to the original administrator account if you have changed the administrator account to a standard user in the Windows 11 user account settings.
"Run” and press Enter to display the User Account Settings, where you can change your account type.
You will be asked if you want to sign out immediately after changing to a standard user, but you can switch back to an administrator account before signing out.
However, once you sign out, you will no longer be able to run "netplwiz," and the "User Account Control" screen will only show "No," preventing you from doing anything.
Please note that if you change your only administrator account to a standard user, you will no longer be able to perform operations that require administrator privileges.
However, there is no need to worry as you can restore it using the method we will introduce here.
How to change your administrator account back to a standard user
1.Start buttonWhen right-clicking and selecting "Restart," hold down the Shift key while clicking "Restart."
2.Windows Recovery Environment (WinRE)will open, click "Troubleshooting".
3. Click "Advanced options".
4. Click Startup Settings.
5. Click "Restart" at the bottom right.
6. Press the F4 key on your keyboard.
7. Windows 11 will start in Safe Mode, so type "netplwiz" in the Run box and press Enter.
8.Then, the "User Account Control" screen will appear, allowing you to enter the Administrator password. If you have never set a password, simply click "Yes."
* There is no need to enable the Administrator account.
9. Open the properties of the account that you changed to a standard user, change it to "Administrator," and click OK.
10. If "Group" has changed to "Administrator" as shown below, the settings are complete. Click OK and restart your PC from the Start button.
When your PC starts up, you will be back to your administrator account, so try opening the settings.
[Urgent] Last resort when you lose administrator privileges and cannot operate WinRE
First, to get out of the current WinRE screen:
If your PC is currently stuck on a blue screen (Windows Recovery Environment) such as "Choose an option" and you cannot operate the mouse or keyboard,Press and hold the power button on the PC for at least 10 seconds to force it to power off.
Typically, if you change your administrator account to a standard user, you can restore administrator privileges using the command prompt from the Windows Recovery Environment (WinRE), as explained in this article.
But,Impact of the October 2025 Windows Update (KB5067039 installed together with KB5066835)so,Mouse and keyboard become unresponsive in Recovery Environment (WinRE)There may be another problem occurring at the same time.
For more information on this issue, see this article
[Solved] Mouse and keyboard not working issue in WinRE fixed with KB5070773
If these two problems, "no administrator privileges" and "WinRE inoperable," occur simultaneously, you will not be able to restore administrator privileges on the PC alone, and you will be in a dead end.
To get out of this worst case scenarioThe only wayHowever, if you use an external Windows 11 installation media (USB memory),System restoreThe key is to carry out the following.
Things necessary
- Windows 11 installation media (USB memory)
If you do not have the installation media, please refer to the following page.Another PC with administrator privileges Create the installation media.
How to Use the Windows 11 Media Creation Tool | Error Troubleshooting
To create installation media, you need administrator privileges to run the "Media Creation Tool."It cannot be created on your current PC.Please borrow a friend or family member's PC to create it.
Resolution Steps
Step 1.Boot the problem PC from the USB stick:
1. Connect the USB memory stick you created to the problem PC.
2. Turn on your PC and immediately press a specific key (e.g. F12, ESC, F2, etc., depending on the manufacturer) to bring up the boot menu, then select "USB Drive" or "UEFI: (USB memory name)" to boot from USB.
reference:Boot your PC from the installation media
Step 2.Select "Repair your PC":
1. When the Windows 11 setup screen (language selection) appears, click "Next".
2. Click "Next" on the keyboard selection screen in the same way.
3. On the Setup Options screen, click Repair your PC.
4. Select "Microsoft IME" as the keyboard layout.
Step 3.Launch System Restore:
1. When the blue "Choose an option" screen appears, select "Troubleshoot" > "System Restore." (Since you're in a normal recovery environment on the USB media, you should be able to use the keyboard.)
Step 4.System Restore:
1. You will be prompted to "Select the desired operating system." Select the OS you want to restore (usually "Windows 11").
2. System Restore will start, so click "Next".
3. Check the date and time, select a point before the problem occurred, and click "Next."
4. Check the contents and click "Finish".
5. You will be asked, "Once System Restore begins, it cannot be interrupted. Do you want to continue?" Check the message and click "Yes."
6. This will start the system restore.
7. Once the system restore is completed successfully, the following screen will appear. Click "Restart".
System restore complete
8. Once Windows starts normally, sign in with the problematic account. You will see a message that says "System Restore completed successfully." Click "Close."
9. Press the Windows key + R to open the Run box, type "netplwiz" and press Enter to see if you are back to the administrator account.
