Skip to main content
  1. Home
  2. Computing
  3. Guides

How to make an Administrator user account in Windows 8

By

Not having Administrator access in Windows 8 can be extremely frustrating. Without admin access, performing many tasks in Windows 8 can be a pain, and unless you have the password written down somewhere, you’ll end up calling the initial account administrator to type it in for you every time you need to do something that requires you to have it. The key to total PC user freedom is having an account with administrative rights.

Here’s our three-step guide on how to give administrator rights to a user account in Windows 8. Additionally, check out our guide on how to upgrade to Windows 8.1 if you have yet to install the newest refresh of Microsoft’s latest OS.

Windows 8 Settings

Step 1: Log on to your computer with an administrator account. Enter the Metro/Moudern UI and type “user”. Then, click Settings from the list on the right hand side of the screens.

User Accounts
Image used with permission by copyright holder

Step 2: Click User Accounts located at the very top of the second column.

admin_usersaccounts
Image used with permission by copyright holder

Step 3: Click Change your account type in the User Accounts menu, select the account you wish to change, and click the bubble directly right of the administrator option below the account type. Afterward, click the gray Change Account Type button at the bottom of the window, and once done, feel free to install any software or make any changes you deem appropriate with your new account privileges.

Admin rights
Image used with permission by copyright holder
admin_laststep
Image used with permission by copyright holder

Windows 8 launched Oct 28, 2012, and will be without a doubt the most divisive update to the operating system Microsoft has ever released. While other updates have rearranged, reskinned and retooled the desktop, Windows 8 is the first to push it away entirely and challenge the notion that a mouse and keyboard are necessary at all. It includes many new features which give users the opportunity to use Windows in different ways. A new interface, and new ways to interact with your computer, as well as new shortcuts, new menus and an entirely new class of apps, are all waiting within the new OS. All of these features can be useful, that is, if you know how to use them. Want to learn more? Explore 8 of our favorite Windows 8 tips and tricks.

Editors’ Recommendations

Topics
Emily Schiola
Emily Schiola
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Emily Schiola is an editorial assistant at Digital Trends where she covers mostly social media and how-to pieces. In her…
How to remove your login password from Windows 10
leaky password patterns pdg feature

Passwords are a great way to secure your personal information or any other documents and files you'd rather keep away from prying eyes. But if you find that entering in a password every time you want to use your Windows 10 computer is tiresome, or you're having trouble remembering your computer's password and would just rather be automatically logged in, you do have the option to remove your login password from Windows 10.

A word of caution, however: If you have personal information (such as sensitive information regarding your finances) stored on your computer, we strongly recommend that you do not remove your computer's password. Should your computer become lost or get stolen, enabling a strong computer password can offer great protection from identity thieves who would love to get their hands on your personal, sensitive documents. Plus, a computer password can also afford you a bit of privacy from others should you happen to leave your computer unattended for a few minutes or hours but don't want your friends, family, or others to see all of your documents and files while you're away from your computer. In most cases, we recommend that you always keep your computer's login password enabled as a layer of protection from harmless nosy people and not-so-harmless identity thieves.

Read more
How to find your Windows 10 product key
Installing windows.

The Windows 10 product key -- a 25-digit code included with every copy -- acts as proof of an authorized purchase. You can download and use much of Windows 10 without one, but to fully unlock all Windows 10 features, you need your product key (Microsoft also accepts digital licenses in some versions of Windows 10). You can find this activation option at any time in the Update & Security section of your settings. Windows 10 also regularly reminds you of this.

If you’re ready to active your Windows 10 device and fully unlock everything that Windows 10 can do -- or you’re reinstalling Windows after some major hardware changes -- then you’ll need that product key on hand. Finding it can be a little tricky, however: If you aren’t sure where to look, here’s how to find the necessary key, and what to do if you think you may have permanently lost it.
Option 1: Consult your documentation

Read more
How to turn on Windows 10 Ransomware protection
A digital security lock.

Few malware attacks are as annoying or potentially costly as ransomware. Once your computer becomes infected, ransomware locks you out of valuable files and demands that you send payments in exchange for releasing them. Even major corporations have been attacked, with some actually making enormous payouts to get their digital property back.

Yep, that’s scary -- but there are ways you can protect your devices. One of the newer, easier-to-enable options offered by Windows 10 is enabling its innate ransomware protection with controlled file access. Let’s walk through how to turn it on and what this means for your Windows 10 security going forward.
Step 1: Head to Windows Security

Read more