How to manage user accounts in Windows 10 through the settings app

With Windows 10, Microsoft is moving more and more standard features of Windows into the Windows 10 Settings app.
To briefly recap: There are two kinds of user accounts in Windows, standard accounts, and administrator accounts. For standard accounts, you’re essentially a light user of the store. You can install apps from the store, and use the built in apps, but any system modification would involve you needing to temporarily gain admin privileges. This is ideal for young children, and people who don’t want to risk mucking up the system.

The admin privileges are best given to people who know what you’re doing. If you plan on installing a lot of software which will create registry entries or plan on developing on your PC or are any sort of power user, then you would be better served with admin mode. You can also temporarily grant admin privileges to users who aren’t administrators for specific tasks like installing apps, which might be a better solution than granting blanket access.

Here’s how to change the Windows 10 Account Type

1. Open the Windows Settings app from the Action Center or Start Menu.
2. Open the Accounts sub-menu
3. Head to Family and Other People, where you can now see a list of accounts on your computer under “Other People”.
4. Select the user-account you’d want to change and tap/click “change account type”. [Note: You would have to be an administrator to actually effect any change in this menu]
5. Select the desired account type. Et voila! You’ve now successfully restricted someone to standard or boosted them up to admin status.

Still struggling to change account settings? Check out this guide on how to change your username without a Microsoft account.