can you change an admin account to standard?

Page 1 of 2 12 LastLast

  1. Posts : 43
    Windows 7
       #1

    can you change an admin account to standard?


    I want to change my first account from admin to standard, but you need to have atleast 1 admin account on available at the time, so since it was my only account, I made another and made that admin too, the I changed my first created account to standard. However! The first account can freely go from standard back to admin by itself...is there a way to stop this?
      My Computer


  2. aem
    Posts : 2,698
    Windows 7 Ultimate 64Bit
       #2

    You cannot demote your root admin account.
      My Computer


  3. Posts : 17,796
    Windows 10, Home Clean Install
       #3

    When I installed Win7, I had 3 accounts in Vista, 2 Admin and 1 Standard. Standard was the one that I normally use and wanted all the setting transferred to Win7. To be sure that I would not be locked out as Admin, I changed the standard account to Admin. and made all the transfer arrangements from the formerly standard account and it was the only one that I transferred.

    After installation I had only one accoount, since I only transferred one. I made 2 others and they were Admin. I changed the account that was transferred to standard. I have not had any problems.

    You can adjust the core account permanently to standard

    To the original poster, I would make a new admin account, transfer anything that is important to the new account and then delete the problem account
      My Computer


  4. Posts : 2,736
    ...
       #4

    aem said:
    You cannot demote your root admin account.
    aem;

    I am not sure I understand your post, hope you can clear it up for me?

    Windows 7 install, by default, gives you the option of naming the first user account, with Administrator privileges. The root Administrator account is disabled by default.

    So if the OP (Original Poster) is using the default administrator account (and has not enabled the root administrator account to use), he can do what I just did: Change the first user account from administrator to standard user. Before I did that, I changed one of my standard user accounts to administrator so I can easily change it back.

    So, yes, you can change the first user account from administrator to standard user. Go to Control Panel, to User Accounts, then Manage another account and change it to a standard user account.

    Please let me know if this is not correct?

    Cheers!
    Robert
      My Computer


  5. Posts : 1,377
    Win7x64
       #5

    iseeuu said:
    aem said:
    You cannot demote your root admin account.
    aem;

    I am not sure I understand your post, hope you can clear it up for me?

    Windows 7 install, by default, gives you the option of naming the first user account, with Administrator privileges. The root Administrator account is disabled by default.

    So if the OP (Original Poster) is using the default administrator account (and has not enabled the root administrator account to use), he can do what I just did: Change the first user account from administrator to standard user. Before I did that, I changed one of my standard user accounts to administrator so I can easily change it back.

    So, yes, you can change the first user account from administrator to standard user. Go to Control Panel, to User Accounts, then Manage another account and change it to a standard user account.

    Please let me know if this is not correct?

    Cheers!
    Robert
    For what it's worth, I think you're both correct, it's just that you're talking about different "root"/"first" admin accounts.

    There's one administrator account which cannot be deleted or demoted (without really trying), and that's the one which is disabled by default. It's one of only a handful of "in-built" accounts whose RIDs (Relative IDentifiers - like a serial number) are "well known" and always the same on every system:

    RID = 500: built-in admin
    RID = 501: built-in guest
    ...
    RID = 1000: the first user-created account (not built-in), irrespective of whether it's an admin or not.
    RID = 1023: the 24th user-created account
    ...

    Any accounts with RID>=1000 can be demoted or promoted at will, as long as the user carrying out the operation has permissions to do so. Only the built-in accounts are immutable.
      My Computer


  6. Posts : 29
    Windows 7 Ultimate x64
       #6

    I think the request of the original poster is rather simple:
    RUN control userpasswords2
    Properties on the Account you want to change, as long as it is not "Administrator" account, group membership, Standard User
      My Computer


  7. aem
    Posts : 2,698
    Windows 7 Ultimate 64Bit
       #7

    iseeuu said:
    aem said:
    You cannot demote your root admin account.
    aem;

    I am not sure I understand your post, hope you can clear it up for me?

    Windows 7 install, by default, gives you the option of naming the first user account, with Administrator privileges. The root Administrator account is disabled by default.

    So if the OP (Original Poster) is using the default administrator account (and has not enabled the root administrator account to use), he can do what I just did: Change the first user account from administrator to standard user. Before I did that, I changed one of my standard user accounts to administrator so I can easily change it back.

    So, yes, you can change the first user account from administrator to standard user. Go to Control Panel, to User Accounts, then Manage another account and change it to a standard user account.

    Please let me know if this is not correct?

    Cheers!
    Robert
    As H2S04 said. That root admin account that was disabled by default can be added to other groups, but you cannot remove the Administrators group from it. Removing higher membership groups is demoting.

    That first account created during the install even though it is an admin account is not the same as the root admin account. Not being a root admin account, you can add or remove groups to it.
      My Computer


  8. Posts : 2,736
    ...
       #8

    aem said:
    As H2S04 said. That root admin account that was disabled by default can be added to other groups, but you cannot remove the Administrators group from it. Removing higher membership groups is demoting.

    That first account created during the install even though it is an admin account is not the same as the root admin account. Not being a root admin account, you can add or remove groups to it.
    Thanks! It sounds like we are all on the same page.

    So the answer to the OP's question is he can change the Administrator account to a Standard User account as long as it is not the root Administrator account.

    Cheers!
    Robert
      My Computer


  9. Posts : 43
    Windows 7
    Thread Starter
       #9

    lol...wow...that was hard to follow...

    I know what the root/hidden admin account is, and I'm not referring to that I gotta read through everything else slowly...

    I changed my first account to admin before I started this thread. But the thing is, I don't have to get on my new admin account to change this account from standard back to admin, that option isn't grayed out for me. So I'm not sure if being able to switch freely like this would be a security issue =/ Is there a way to make it so I can't freely change back to admin?
      My Computer


  10. Posts : 1,326
    Windows 7 Ultimate RTM (Technet)
       #10

    jepherz said:
    lol...wow...that was hard to follow...

    I know what the root/hidden admin account is, and I'm not referring to that I gotta read through everything else slowly...

    I changed my first account to admin before I started this thread. But the thing is, I don't have to get on my new admin account to change this account from standard back to admin, that option isn't grayed out for me. So I'm not sure if being able to switch freely like this would be a security issue =/ Is there a way to make it so I can't freely change back to admin?
    The original responder used terms that do not apply to Windows at all. There is no "root" anything in Windows...that is a Linux/Unix term.

    The "Administrator" account cannot be changed without major hurdles. Any other user account can be changed back and forth from Admin to Standard at will. This answer didn't require nearly so much confusion.
      My Computer


 
Page 1 of 2 12 LastLast

  Related Discussions
Our Sites
Site Links
About Us
Windows 7 Forums is an independent web site and has not been authorized, sponsored, or otherwise approved by Microsoft Corporation. "Windows 7" and related materials are trademarks of Microsoft Corp.

© Designer Media Ltd
All times are GMT -5. The time now is 10:39.
Find Us