An administrator can make changes on a computer that will affect anyone who uses the computer. Administrators can change security settings, install software and hardware, access all files on the computer, and make changes to other user accounts. To log on as an administrator, you need to have a user account on the computer with an Administrator account type. If you are not sure if the account that you have on the computer is an administrator account, you can check the account type after you have logged on by doing the following:
Note:Â The steps that you should follow vary depending on whether your computer is on a domain or a workgroup. To find out, see "To check if your computer is on a workgroup or domain" in What is the difference between a domain, a workgroup, and a homegroup?.
My computer is on a domain
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Open the Windows Control Panel and choose User Accounts and Family Safety > User Accounts > Manage User Accounts.
If you can't find the Control Panel, see Where is Control Panel?
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Find your User Name, and your account type is shown in the Group column.
My computer is in a workgroup
If your account type is not Administrator, then you cannot sign in as an administrator unless you know the user name and password of an account on the computer that is an administrator. If you are not an administrator, you can ask an administrator to change your account type. For more information, see Change a user's account type.
