Reclaiming Administrator rights in Windows 11

gigglby · Nov 3, 2025

I had a Local User account before re-installing HP Laptop Windows 11 Home Edition. I thought I could go back and create a Local User account after setting it up, but Microsoft has ALL the rights. The User Account Window doesn't even have a 'yes' button on it, only a no button. I didn't know this was a thing. Is there a way to regain Administrator Rights again on this computer? I even tried to buy the upgrade to Pro but I don't have any Administrator rights, and that's crazy!!!

LesFerch · Nov 3, 2025

Everything should be covered in this tutorial:

Add Local User Account in Windows 11

This tutorial will show you how to create and add a local account as a user on the PC in Windows 11. Having different accounts on a shared PC lets multiple people use the same device, all while giving everyone their own sign-in info, plus access to their own files, browser favorites, and...

www.elevenforum.com

If you're still stuck, please show a screenshot of the problem.

gigglby · Nov 3, 2025

Thank you, Brink, for your prompt reply. A lot of information to go through here and it's clear your efforts are very helpful, however, this problem seems to be like ransomware with Microsoft being the hijacker. Options 1 through 3 are easy peasy because each one requires administrative rights and I have no rights on this computer now. Here are screen shots of the attempts I made on those options and the results.

1. For the first option I have two screen shots of the Account tab. I slid the related settings down and took a second shot so you can see their is no option for other users.
2. The netplwiz option requires administrator rights. When I click on run I get the User Accounts Control window which, as you can see has no 'yes' button.
3. The third option requires Windows Pro but I took a screen shot of how this computer now has no Local User & Groups tab. I thought I could get around my problem by simply upgrading from Windows 11 to Windows 11 Pro. But that requires administrator rights, which I don't have. I get the Yes-less User Account Control window. Before I found this forum I followed a youtube tech's instructions that would add the yes button back. Everything was fine until I arrived at the point of change. His video had Local User & Groups to manipulate, mine had no such tab.
4. Your fourth option is deep, dark and spooky and above my pay grade (lol) but I'm sifting through it and trying to figure it out.
Let me me add... this computer's window screen is active but I even need administrator rights to change that! Thanks for your help, Brink, but nothing is working so far.

Try3 · Nov 3, 2025

gigglby said:
each one requires administrative rights

If you do not have Admin authority, you cannot add a user account.
Why don't you have Admin authority? Is it somebody else's computer?

All the best,
Denis

Try3 · Nov 3, 2025

gigglby said:
The User Account Window doesn't even have a 'yes' button on it, only a no button

Now I understand.
The user account created during installation has Admin rights but yours seems to be corrupt.
Fix UAC prompt has greyed out or missing Yes button - TenForumsTutorials
The Windows 10 fix applies to Windows 11 as well but I've never before seen the problem reported in ElevenForum so have never felt the need to adjust the article to cope with OS differences.

Denis

gigglby · Nov 3, 2025

Try3 said:
If you do not have Admin authority, you cannot add a user account.
Why don't you have Admin authority? Is it somebody else's computer?

All the best,
Denis

No Denis. This is my computer. I purchased it from HP and still have the box it came in. Everything was fine. I originally set it up with a local acct and lived Microsoft free with no problems until I I started having trouble getting updates. They would upload, install, and then a red notice would show up that said "Retry". I dealt with that for a couple of months and figured a good solution will be to re-install Windows. My mistake was when I reinstalled it I didn't go through the steps to create the Local User account. I figured I could go back and do it, but this is a windows 11 Home Edition and it turns out that with this edition of Windows 11 if you DON'T install a local User account at the very beginning you are S-O-L. You have no rights. It blew me outta the water when I found I couldn't even cough up a Benjamin for Windows Pro because I have no administrator rights. So it seems like Microsoft Ransomware to me.

gigglby · Nov 3, 2025

Try3 said:
Now I understand.
The user account created during installation has Admin rights but yours seems to be corrupt.
Fix UAC prompt has greyed out or missing Yes button - TenForumsTutorials
The Windows 10 fix applies to Windows 11 as well but I've never before seen the problem reported in ElevenForum so have never felt the need to adjust the article to cope with OS differences.

Denis

I followed a Youtube tech's instructions to fix the no Yes button problem. As I stated earlier, everything was going fine until we got to the tabs to change. His had Local Users & Groups, mine did not have that option. So it was a dead end.

Try3 · Nov 3, 2025

gigglby said:
So it was a dead end

My suggested procedure has no dead ends. It applies equally to Home & Pro Editions.

Since you've only just done the installation, perhaps it would be more straightforward to repeat the installation.
Clean Install Windows 11 - ElevenForumTutorials

Denis

dacrone · Nov 3, 2025

thats because you're running Home and not Pro. you can easily create a user account via Command Prompt:
Run Command Prompt as Admin and run these commands (replace USER with the username you want and PASSWORD with the password you want)

Code:

net user USER PASSWORD /add

Code:

net localgroup Administrators USER /add

if you really want to use LUSRMGR to create it via GUI, you can use this for Home builds:

Release lusrmgr v1.6.3 · akruhler/AccountManagement

Performance improvements to rename function, using WMI instead of DirectoryServices on local machine Improvements to connection and remote management UI improvements and refreshments Fixed an issue...

github.com

Spunk · Nov 3, 2025

The Group Policy Editor and Local User and Groups page are not available in Home Edition of Windows 11.
Press the Windows key +I In Settings/Accounts/Your Info
This list your account and tell you if it is an Admin account or not.
If you are a standard user, you will not be able to make changes, You will need to login as an Admin.
You can disable UAC for testing purposes by going to Search and type UAC
Pull the slider all the way down. After making user name changes, you can move the slider up if you want.

gigglby · Nov 3, 2025

dacrone said:
thats because you're running Home and not Pro. you can easily create a user account via Command Prompt:
Run Command Prompt as Admin and run these commands (replace USER with the username you want and PASSWORD with the password you want)

Code:

net user USER PASSWORD /add

Code:

net localgroup Administrators USER /add

if you really want to use LUSRMGR to create it via GUI, you can use this for Home builds:

Release lusrmgr v1.6.3 · akruhler/AccountManagement

Performance improvements to rename function, using WMI instead of DirectoryServices on local machine Improvements to connection and remote management UI improvements and refreshments Fixed an issue...

github.com

Thanks for your help, but the first option after command Prompt is the User Account Control window. I have no yes button that would allow me to continue..

Spunk said:
The Group Policy Editor and Local User and Groups page are not available in Home Edition of Windows 11.
Press the Windows key +I In Settings/Accounts/Your Info
This list your account and tell you if it is an Admin account or not.
If you are a standard user, you will not be able to make changes, You will need to login as an Admin.
You can disable UAC for testing purposes by going to Search and type UAC
Pull the slider all the way down. After making user name changes, you can move the slider up if you want.

Okay... this worked. I was able to add a user, however, it does not bypass or solve the problem of no administrator rights.

dacrone · Nov 3, 2025

if you cant pass UAC, you don't have admin rights. open command prompt (not admin) and type "net user". what is listed?

gigglby · Nov 3, 2025

dacrone said:
if you cant pass UAC, you don't have admin rights. open command prompt (not admin) and type "net user". what is listed?

dacrone · Nov 3, 2025

and you're the only user of this PC? its very odd that you reinstalled/reset windows without admin rights

pparks1 · Nov 3, 2025

may have to boot into safe mode and then run some commands. Try this.

Fix the Yes button is missing in User Account Control on Windows 11

Today, we will show you what to do if the Yes button is missing on the User Account Control screen in Windows 11. User Account Control (simply UAC) is a

winaero.com

dacrone · Nov 3, 2025

do you have a usb and the windows iso available?

Spunk · Nov 3, 2025

Spunk said:
Press the Windows key +I In Settings/Accounts/Your Info

dacrone said:
open command prompt (not admin) and type "net user". what is listed?

What are the results from either of the two options above?

gigglby · Nov 3, 2025

dacrone said:
and you're the only user of this PC? its very odd that you reinstalled/reset windows without admin rights

I have always been able to go back and change Admin rights. I had no idea Microsoft was squeezing out the options of over-riding Microsoft or Windows, I'm not stupid but I'm not a tech and I'm 73 y/o. I just didn't know what I was getting myself into by simply reinstalling Windows.

dacrone · Nov 3, 2025

dacrone said:
do you have a usb and the windows iso available?

gigglby said:
I have always been able to go back and change Admin rights. I had no idea Microsoft was squeezing out the options of over-riding Microsoft or Windows, I'm not stupid but I'm not a tech and I'm 73 y/o. I just didn't know what I was getting myself into by simply reinstalling Windows.

i ask because if you make a bootable windows installation usb, you can unlock and bypass the password to the Administrator account using it to enable a system level command prompt (a lot easier than it sounds)

gigglby · Nov 3, 2025

dacrone said:
do you have a usb and the windows iso available?

No I don't. I did see somewhere that I could download a copy of Windows ISO to a USB, but when I saw info that said I have a home version of Windows I that it would be futile. That's when I tried to give Microsoft a hundred dollars to upgrade to pro but that requires administrator rights which I have been locked out of.

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