How to Change the default admin profile

RV9APilot · Nov 29, 2024

I had a clean install of Windows 11, this is the first time I have had a machine with Win11 on it. The machine set up with an Admin account on it. Later, I transferred all my files and documents to the machine successfully under my username 'Dad', but now of course if I click 'Documents' in File Manager, it takes me to the Admin account where there are no documents. Ideally, I would prefer that the 'Dad' account was the default admin profile, and that all the defaults pointed to that instead of the already-existing 'Admin' account. How would I go about this, please?

glasskuter · Nov 29, 2024

When you say "admin" I do not know if you mean a user account you created during out of box setup that you named Admin, OR, if you are referring to the hidden administrator account that has been activated.
Then you say your user name is "Dad" so this infers that this is the account you created during out of box setup. Or did you set up a second account named "Dad"?

So sorry, this is all not clear to me.
Please go to settings>accounts. The user you are logged in with shows there. What is that username and what kind of account is it?
Scroll down to "other users" and expand it. What other users show there?

Open file explorer>browse to C:\users What are the names of the accounts there?

RV9APilot · Nov 30, 2024

Thanks for your reply, and my apologies for not being clearer!

On Settings - Accounts, there is one account there, 'Dad' and it's a Local Accoiunt, Administrator.

Scrolling down to 'Other Users', nothing else shows there

In the File Explorer Local Disc (C:)Users, there are the four folders: Admin; Dad; Default (this one is 'hidden') and Public.

Hope that helps!

glasskuter · Nov 30, 2024

If in C:\users there is a user named Administrator (not Admin) that is an indication the hidden administrator account has been enabled. This account normally remains hidden and is used for troubleshooting. It should not be used as ones "daily driver" account. To disable it, restart the PC and login to the DAD account from the login screen.

open a command prompt as administrator and type net user administrator /active:no
After a restart only the user Dad will appear on the signin screen.

RV9APilot · Nov 30, 2024

glasskuter said:
If in C:\users there is a user named Administrator (not Admin) that is an indication the hidden administrator account has been enabled.

[...]

glasskuter said:
After a restart only the user Dad will appear on the signin screen.

There is no user named Administrator in C:\users
There is only 'Dad' on my login screen.

The main problem I have is that the 'Documents' link in File Manager points to the Documents folder in C:\users\Admin, and all the other similar links do that too like Pictures, Videos, Desktop etc. and I want them to point to those folders in C:\users\dad instead.

glasskuter · Nov 30, 2024

RV9APilot said:
In the File Explorer Local Disc (C:)Users, there are the four folders: Admin; Dad; Default (this one is 'hidden') and Public.

I'm trying to get to the bottom of the series of events as to how this all came to be in the first place before I can know the proper way for you to fix it. You've told us what you have, but no information of what you did to get there. Answer these questions precisely>

You said you did a clean install and the account "Admin" was created? Correct?
the ONLY way an account named "admin" could ever have been created was if you manually created it yourself during OOBE OR If you used Rufus to create your install usb drive and told rufus to bypass requirements, there was also a box to check to create a local account named "admin". You could have named it anything you wanted.
Is that what you did, used Rufus to bypass compatibility requirements and create a local account without specifying an account name?

At that point, how did you create the "Dad" account. Did you do it from settings>accounts>other users? (this is the correct way)
Or did you do it from settings>accounts>family thereby setting up a family group? Did you use a MS account to set up this group?

RV9APilot · Nov 30, 2024

The computer came with Win11 pre-installed, and somehow the seller (A dealer) had set it up without using a Microsoft Account; he'd said he has a workaround. By 'clean install', that was what I meant.

For the 'Dad' account, I think (although I am not sure) that I renamed the administrator account as 'Dad', and I think the Admin account was already there in the Users folder. I don't recall creating a new account. Sorry, but sometimes one does these things without making a record, and memory isn't all it used to be.

[Edit]: I am virtually certain I Set up the Dad account using what you call the correct way - settings, accounts, other users. I didn't use the family part at all.

And I will check with the supplier about Rufus.

RV9APilot · Nov 30, 2024

Rufus was not used. And the supplier suggests that I Can delete the Admin account if Dad account has admin privileges, which it does.

Hope that helps

Winuser · Nov 30, 2024

If your only seeing the one account when you look at C:/Users, do not delete the Admin/Dad account. By reading this thread, I think you renamed the Admin user to Dad. If you can, rename the user back to Admin. You need to create a new account with what ever name you want and make it a admin account. Then you can delete the unwanted user if you want.

pseymour · Nov 30, 2024

RV9APilot said:
Rufus was not used. And the supplier suggests that I Can delete the Admin account if Dad account has admin privileges, which it does.

Hope that helps

Better to disable it for a little while, then delete it when you’re sure you haven’t used it.

glasskuter · Nov 30, 2024

@Winuser is right. One cannot arbitrarily rename an account and With the result you have, this scenario would make sense as to why the account is in the condition it's in.

Doing that is a BIG no-no. To change a user account name one has to make changes in the registry and create symbolic links as per this tutorial. These changes MUST be done using another administrator account, not the account you are trying to change.

Change Name of User Profile Folder in Windows 11

This tutorial will show you how to rename a user profile folder for any account (local account or Microsoft account) in Windows 10 and Windows 11. When adding a new user account in Windows, a profile for the account is automatically created when the user signs in to the new account for the...

www.elevenforum.com

Since this procedure was not followed, I have doubts changing the name back to admin will straighten this out but you can try.You might get lucky.

If it were me, I would do it the proper way to know my account was 100% correct..
I would copy all my data to an external drive, activate the hidden administrator account and login to it.
Create a brand new local account as DAD1, login to the new account, then copy my data from the external drive into the new account.
Then from the new account disable the hidden administrator account.

You can then try to delete whatever user (Admin or DAD) that shows up in Other users, but I believe this is where a problem might arise and will require registry manipulation to get rid of it.

Marcus Vinicus · Nov 30, 2024

There is this tutorial here at ElevenForum which may be helpful in this case. Personally, I am reluctant to make any suggestions to resolve the issues the OP is having because I don't fully understand what has happened.

View User Account Details in Windows 11

This tutorial will show you how to quickly view full details about all user accounts on your Windows 10 and Windows 11 PC. Full details of user accounts would include: AccountType, Description, Enabled or Disabled, Domain, FullName, InstallDate, Lockout, LocalAccount, Name, PasswordChangeable...

www.elevenforum.com

wmic useraccount list full will list ALL user accounts with full details from Powershell (may need elevated admin rights). This will also include system accounts.

RV9APilot · Dec 1, 2024

Ok so I have enabled the hidden admin account.

While logged in with that account,

1) The Admin account, for which I have folders and to which the Documents link points, still doesn't show up in the accouts list so I Can't delete it.

2) I tried to add another account DAD1 in Accounts-Other Users-Add Account but the local users ad groups snapn says I cant use it with this version of Windows 10. Yes, Windows 10. I also can't add any more accounts in Control Panel.

Isn't there just some way of changing where the Documents, Videos, Downloads Pictures etc. links point to?

Winuser · Dec 1, 2024

I have only one solution I can offer and that is to do a clean install. If you go the clean install route, use Rufus or one of the other workarounds so you can use the username you want. Let us know if you want to start over with the clean install and we will point you to the guides you need and answer any questions you may have. I almost forgot; before doing anything make sure you have a backup system image or at the least, all of your data backed up to an external drive.

Spunk · Dec 1, 2024

First backup your files to an external drive in case things go wrong.

Go to Search or press the Windows key +R in the Search or Run box type sysdm.cpl and press enter.
Go to the Advanced tab. Under User Profiles click the Settings Button.
Please attach a screenshot of this Window. If your other profile is showing, you can press the Copy button and move it to the Profile you want.

Or in the C:\Users\UserName Profile that you want to move the files to,. If they aren't there already, create folder/directories for Documents, Desktop etc to the User you want them to be in, open each folder/directory on the profile with the files (Ie) Documents, Downloads, Desktop etc, and choose Properties. Go to the Location tab.
Press the Move button, browse to the folder you want to move the contents to. Do this for all of the folders.

Move Location of Documents Folder in Windows 10

How to Move Your Documents Folder Location in Windows 10

www.tenforums.com

glasskuter · Dec 1, 2024

I second recommending a clean install. If you want a local account be sure to follow the instructiions in the clean install tutorial to the letter. It's all in there. Read each step.
If you do not have compatible hardware use the Rufus method to set options to bypass compatibility checks and create a local account..

Clean Install Windows 11

This tutorial will show you step by step on how to clean install Windows 11 at boot on your PC with or without an Internet connection and setup with a local account or Microsoft account. Windows 11 has all the power and security of Windows 10 with a redesigned and refreshed look. It also comes...

www.elevenforum.com

How to Change the default admin profile

New member

My Computer

aka Mama Glass

My Computers

New member

My Computer

aka Mama Glass

My Computers

New member

My Computer

aka Mama Glass

My Computers

New member

My Computer

New member

My Computer

Well-known member

My Computers

washes delicates on the gentle cycle

My Computers

aka Mama Glass

My Computers

Semper paratus

My Computers

New member

My Computer

Well-known member

My Computers

Well-known member

My Computer

aka Mama Glass

My Computers

Similar threads