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Giving someone admin rights in Windows 11 ensures they have full control over the computer, allowing them to install software, change system settings, and manage other user accounts. To complete this task, follow a simple set of steps that guides you through accessing and changing user account settings.
In the following steps, you will learn how to grant administrative privileges to a user account in Windows 11. This is useful if you want to empower another user to manage the machine or need to change permissions for specific tasks.
Click on the Start menu and select "Settings."
This will open a window containing various options for personalizing and managing your Windows 11 experience.
In the Settings window, select "Accounts" from the sidebar.
This section houses all the options related to user accounts, including family and other users.
Under Accounts, click on "Family & other users."
This brings up a page where you can manage other users on your computer, including adding new users or modifying existing ones.
Find the user you want to grant admin rights to and click on their name.
This will expand a set of options for that user, including account type changes.
Click "Change account type" and select "Administrator" from the dropdown menu.
This step is crucial as it changes the user’s permissions from a standard user to an administrator.
Click "OK" to apply the changes.
This finalizes the process, and the user now has administrative rights on the machine.
After completing these steps, the selected user will have full administrative rights, allowing them to install software, modify system settings, and manage other user accounts.
What is an administrator account.
An administrator account has full control over the computer, allowing the user to install software, change settings, and manage other accounts.
Yes, admin rights are typically required to install software and make significant changes to the system.
Absolutely. You can follow the same steps to downgrade the user from an administrator to a standard account.
While possible, having multiple admin accounts can be risky. It’s best to limit the number of admin accounts to maintain security.
If you forget the admin password, you can use another admin account to reset it or use Windows recovery tools.
Giving user admin rights in Windows 11 is a straightforward process but should be done with caution. By following the steps outlined, you can easily grant administrative privileges to a user, allowing them full control over the system. Remember to follow best practices like using strong passwords and monitoring admin activity to keep your system secure.
If you found this guide helpful, consider exploring other Windows 11 features to make the most out of your system. Happy computing!
Matt Jacobs has been working as an IT consultant for small businesses since receiving his Master’s degree in 2003. While he still does some consulting work, his primary focus now is on creating technology support content for SupportYourTech.com.
His work can be found on many websites and focuses on topics such as Microsoft Office, Apple devices, Android devices, Photoshop, and more.
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I'm trying to add users to the Access this computer from the network User Rights Assignment policy but the 'Add' button is disabled:
I'm connecting to the machine via RDP using the local Administrator account (not a domain user). I've also tried to do the same with a domain user that is in the Administrators group but the result is the same.
How can I add a user to this policy?
The machine is running Windows 7.
You cannot edit this User Rights Assignment policy because this setting is being managed by a domain-based Group Policy. In this case, the domain Group Policy setting has precedence and you are prevented from modifying the policy via Local Group Policy.
To modify this policy, either:
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Center for internet security, local policies/user rights assignment.
Security policy settings are sets of rules that control various aspects of protection. They include account policies, local policies, user rights assignment, the Windows firewall, software restrictions, and so on. There are several ways to configure security policy settings. The most common are:
As most organizations use an Active Directory domain, it is preferred to apply security settings via group policies. You should have at least three security baselines created and linked in your domain, based on the following machine types:
Configuring user rights assignment via Goup Policy
If you have multiple versions of operating systems (OS) running on these machines, you should create separate baselines for each OS version, as some settings might not be available. This also enables stricter configuration for older systems, as they are usually less secure.
Security policies do not support generated group names
The following groups are used throughout this article:
The Center for Internet Security (CIS) is a well-known non-profit organization that focuses on cybersecurity. To improve your knowledge of cybersecurity, you can access their free materials:
Both can be downloaded in exchange for your email address. There's no need to worry—there will be no further email, unless you choose to receive them.
Many companies and institutions create their security baselines based on CIS. I recommend you read CIS Controls. It really helped me to understand the importance of various security actions and settings.
CIS Benchmarks example
User rights assignments are settings applied to the local device. They allow users to perform various system tasks, such as local logon, remote logon, accessing the server from network, shutting down the server, and so on. In this section, I will explain the most important settings and how they should be configured.
For each setting, the following format is used:
Name of the setting: Recommended value, or values
Access Credential Manager as a trusted caller: No one (empty value)
Access to the Credential Manager is granted during Winlogon only to the user who is logging on. Saved user credentials might be compromised if someone else has this privilege.
Access this computer from the network: Administrators, Authenticated Users
Required for users to connect to the computer and its resources, such as an SMB share, shared printers, COM+, etc. If you remove this user right on the DC, no one will be able to log on to the domain.
Note : On DCs, you should also add the “ENTERPRISE DOMAIN CONTROLLERS“ group.
Allow log on locally: Administrators
The default configuration includes the Users group, which allows a standard user to log on to the server console. Limit this privilege only to administrators.
Allow log on through Remote Desktop Services: Administrators, Remote Desktop Users
It's common practice that some applications are used via RDP sessions by standard users. This privilege is also frequently required for remote assistance offered by an organization's helpdesk. If a server is running Remote Desktop Services with the Connection Broker role, the Authenticated Users group must also be added to this privilege.
Note: On the DC, it is recommended to allow only administrators to connect via RDP.
Back up files and directories: Administrators
This is a sensitive privilege that allows a user to bypass NTFS permissions (only via an NTFS API interface, such as NTBACKUP). A malicious user could backup and restore data on a different computer, thereby gaining access to it.
Deny access to this computer from the network/Deny log on through Terminal Services: Local account and member of Administrators group, Guests
The default value is only Guests. You should add the second group to prevent pass-the-hash attacks, so if a local elevated user is compromised, it cannot be used to elevate privileges on any other network resource, or access it via RDP.
Force shutdown from a remote system/Shut down the system: Administrators
Only administrators should be able to shut down any server, to prevent denial-of-service (DoS) attacks.
Manage auditing and security log: Administrators
This is a sensitive privilege, as anyone with these rights can erase important evidence of unauthorized activity.
Note: If you are running MS Exchange, the “Exchange Servers” group must be added to DCs.
Restore files and directories: Administrators
Attackers with this privilege can overwrite data, or even executable files used by legitimate administrators, with versions that include malicious code.
Take ownership of files or other objects: Administrators
User having this privilege can take control (ownership) of any object, such as a file or folder, and expose sensitive data.
Deny log on as a batch job/Deny log on as a service/Deny log on locally: Guests
To increase security, you should include the Guests group in these three settings.
Debug programs/Profile single process/Profile system performance: Administrators
This setting allows a user to attach a debugger to a system or process, thereby accessing critical, sensitive data. It can be used by attackers to collect information about running critical processes, or which users are logged on.
Change the system time: Administrators, Local Service
Changes in system time might lead to DoS issues, such as unavailability to authenticate to the domain. The Local Service role is required for the Windows Time service, VMware Tools service, and others to synchronize system time with the DC or ESXi host.
Create a token object: No one (empty value)
Users with the ability to create or modify access tokens can elevate any currently logged on account, including their own.
Impersonate a client after authentication: Administrators, Local Service, Network Service, Service
An attacker with this privilege can create a service, trick a client into connecting to that service, and then impersonate that account.
Note: For servers running Internet Information Services (IIS), the "IIS_IUSRS" account must also be added.
Load and unload device drivers: Administrators
Malicious code can be installed that pretends to be a device driver. Administrators should only install drivers with a valid signature.
I hope this article helped you to understand why it is important to define a security baseline for your systems. Many of the settings are already configured properly following server deployment; however, if they are not controlled by a GPO, they can be manipulated by malicious users. Be careful to whom you grant administrator permissions.
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Created a domain account to use as a service account and then tried to run powershell cmdlets against the active RDS management server.
Gave that account local admin access on the broker servers and then was able to get further.
Got the error “Access is denied” when trying to run the invoke-RDUserLogoff(with correct hostserver and unifiedsessionID values) to log off a session using that account.
Need to know what permissions should be granted to the account to provide ability to run this command and where like on the broker or the session host.
I can’t run the RD cmdlets on the RD broker to remove a user session without local administrator privileges on the broker and session host.
I need to know what user permissions are necessary to run these cmdlets as giving local admin is not desired.
Sir we are having user1 in server1. We want to collect logs of server1 from server2 using credentials of user1. Surprisingly even after entering the credentials of user1 in event viewer it is taking loggedin credentials of the user logged into server2.
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In a non-domain environment, gpedit.msc lets me associate various "user rights" (like "create a pagefile" or "create permanent shared objects") with users or accounts. This is in Computer Configuration | Windows Settings | Security Settings | Local Policies | User Rights Assignment.
Where exactly do I do this in AD? (Please don't just say e.g. "Group Policy Management Console". I've looked at all of the tools I can find, especially in GPMC, and I can't see it. I need either very explicit directions or screen snaps.
ADDED: Ok, I think I get it. You create a new GPO, click Edit, and this gets you to the Group Policy Management Editor where I find the familiar path. Then I link my new GPO to the domain or the OU or whatever where I want it to apply.
But I still have a question: none of the rights in the editor come pre-set to anything. Well, that makes sense because it's a brand new GPO. But is there any way to know what the defaults are, defaults that my new GPO will override? For example, what rights do members of the "Domain Admins" group get, by default?
The defaults are documented in:
Group Policy Settings Reference Spreadsheet https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/download/details.aspx?id=56946
On the Security tab. Covers all versions of Windows. (I don't believe it has been updated for 1809 yet).
It depends on what you're asking.
If you're asking for User Rights Assignment on a single computer, look for Local Security Policy.
If you're asking for User Rights Assignment as a group policy, well, it shows up just fine in my console. Are you using RSAT (Remote Server Administration Tools)? I'm using the RSAT available for Windows 10. Older versions of RSAT (or the version on the domain controller) may be missing some options.
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I am trying to view the user privileges using the command prompt in Windows. User account & User privileges such as:
I tried using ntrights but it's not working. I can't use any tool as I am trying to create an automated script for an OS audit.
You can use the following commands:
For more information, check whoami @ technet .
Mark Russinovich wrote a terrific tool called AccessChk that lets you get this information from the command line. No installation is necessary.
http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/sysinternals/bb664922.aspx
For example:
Returns this for me:
By contrast, whoami /priv and whoami /all were missing some entries for me, like SeServiceLogonRight .
I'd start with:
Then examine the line for the relevant privilege. However, the problem now is that the accounts are listed as SIDs, not usernames.
Go to command prompt and enter the command,
Will show your local group memberships.
If you're on a domain, use localgroup instead:
Check the list of local groups with localgroup on its own.
I wrote an open source tool that might be of assistance:
https://github.com/Bill-Stewart/PrivMan
To view a specific account (user or group) privileges/rights, you would use:
The output will be the list of privileges/rights (e.g., SeServiceLogonRight , etc.) directly assigned to that account.
This is not using windows command but leaving it hear because it came handy for me.
There is a tool https://github.com/winsiderss/systeminformer/ (successor of Process Hacker) which allows inspecting the token for each process and lists privileges available on the token. So if we find a process executing as the user we care about, we can check privileges availble to the token which is essentially the privileges availble to the user. If we start System Informer as NT Authority\System using a tool like psexec we can inspect tokens for every user.
Install the newly released modul Carbon.Security which works on both local accounts and domain accounts
Get-CPrivilege -Identity <user>
Carbon has been around a long while, but it's gotten pretty big. So the new release splits Carbon into several smaller modules instead.
You may also use Windows PowerShell or the PowerShell window in Visual Studio and use the following command:
If you want the specific information attached to each role, you can do it this way:
Use whoami /priv command to list all the user privileges.
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Describes the best practices, location, values, policy management, and security considerations for the Allow log on locally security policy setting.
This policy setting determines which users can start an interactive session on the device. Users must have this user right to log on over a Remote Desktop Services session that is running on a Windows-based member device or domain controller.
Note: Users who do not have this right are still able to start a remote interactive session on the device if they have the Allow logon through Remote Desktop Services right.
Constant: SeInteractiveLogonRight
By default, the members of the following groups have this right on workstations and servers:
By default, the members of the following groups have this right on domain controllers:
Computer Configuration\Policies\Windows Settings\Security Settings\Local Policies\User Rights Assignment
The following table lists the actual and effective default policy values for the most recent supported versions of Windows. Default values are also listed on the policy's property page.
Server type or GPO | Default value |
---|---|
Default Domain Policy | Not Defined |
Default Domain Controller Policy | Account Operators Administrators Backup Operators Enterprise Domain Controllers Print Operators Server Operators |
Stand-Alone Server Default Settings | Administrators Backup Operators Users |
Domain Controller Effective Default Settings | Account Operators Administrators Backup Operators Enterprise Domain Controllers Print Operators Server Operators |
Member Server Effective Default Settings | Administrators Backup Operators Users |
Client Computer Effective Default Settings | Administrators Backup Operators Users |
Restarting the device is not required to implement this change.
Any change to the user rights assignment for an account becomes effective the next time the owner of the account logs on.
Modifying this setting might affect compatibility with clients, services, and applications. Use caution when removing service accounts that are used by components and by programs on member devices and on domain controllers in the domain from the default domain controller's policy. Also use caution when removing users or security groups that log on to the console of member devices in the domain, or removing service accounts that are defined in the local Security Accounts Manager (SAM) database of member devices or of workgroup devices. If you want to grant a user account the ability to log on locally to a domain controller, you must make that user a member of a group that already has the Allowed logon locally system right or grant the right to that user account. The domain controllers in the domain share the Default Domain Controllers Group Policy Object (GPO). When you grant an account the Allow logon locally right, you are allowing that account to log on locally to all domain controllers in the domain. If the Users group is listed in the Allow log on locally setting for a GPO, all domain users can log on locally. The Users built-in group contains Domain Users as a member.
Group Policy settings are applied through GPOs in the following order, which will overwrite settings on the local computer at the next Group Policy update:
This section describes how an attacker might exploit a feature or its configuration, how to implement the countermeasure, and the possible negative consequences of countermeasure implementation.
Any account with the Allow log on locally user right can log on to the console of the device. If you do not restrict this user right to legitimate users who must log on to the console of the computer, unauthorized users could download and run malicious software to elevate their privileges.
For domain controllers, assign the Allow log on locally user right only to the Administrators group. For other server roles, you may choose to add Backup Operators in addition to Administrators. For end-user computers, you should also assign this right to the Users group. Alternatively, you can assign groups such as Account Operators, Server Operators, and Guests to the Deny log on locally user right.
If you remove these default groups, you could limit the abilities of users who are assigned to specific administrative roles in your environment. If you have installed optional components such as ASP.NET or IIS, you may need to assign the Allow log on locally user right to additional accounts that are required by those components. IIS requires that this user right be assigned to the IUSR_ <ComputerName> account. You should confirm that delegated activities are not adversely affected by any changes that you make to the Allow log on locally user rights assignments.
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1 Press the Win + R keys to open Run, type secpol.msc into Run, and click/tap on OK to open Local Security Policy. 2 Expand open Local Policies in the left pane of Local Security Policy, and click/tap on User Rights Assignment. (see screenshot below step 3) 3 In the right pane of User Rights Assignment, double click/tap on the policy (ex: "Shut down the system") you want to add users and/or ...
User rights are managed in Group Policy under the User Rights Assignment item. Each user right has a constant name and a Group Policy name associated with it. The constant names are used when referring to the user right in log events. You can configure the user rights assignment settings in the following location within the Group Policy ...
In the console tree, click Computer Configuration, select Windows Settings, and then select Security Settings. Do one of the following: Select Account Policies to edit the Password Policy or Account Lockout Policy. Select Local Policies to edit an Audit Policy, a User Rights Assignment, or Security Options. In the details pane, double-click the ...
To Add a User or Group to a User Rights Assignment Policy. A) In the elevated command prompt, type the command below for what user or group that you would like to add to what policy, and press Enter. NOTE: See blue note box below step 4. ntrights -U " User or Group " +R PolicyConstantName.
Understanding Group Policies: User Rights Assignment Policies. User Rights Assignment is one of those meat and potatoes features of the operating system that we all have a cursory understanding of but rarely think about in depth. User rights include logon rights and permissions. Logon rights control who is authorized to log on to a device and ...
Go to Local Policies. User Rights Assignments will be shown as follows: To view or modify the list of users and groups, that are assigned to a specific privilege/user right (column " Policy "), select the item from the list and open the properties dialog: To view and modify user rights assignments set by Domain Group Policy: Below is a ...
1. Press the Win+R keys to open Run, type secpol.msc into Run, and click/tap on OK to open Local Security Policy. 2. Expand open Local Policies in the left pane of Local Security Policy, click/tap on User Rights Assignment, and double click/tap on the Allow log on locally policy in the right pane. (see screenshot below) 3.
The User Rights Assignment section of Windows Policy is where you get to manage this stuff. To see for yourself, open the default domain controllers Group Policy Object (GPO) or run gpedit.msc. With the policy management window open, navigate to Computer Configuration\Windows Settings\Security Settings\Local Policies\User Rights Assignment.
Personal File Server - Get-UserRights.ps1 Alternative Download Link. or. Personal File Server - Get-UserRights.txt Text Format Alternative Download Link. In order to check the Local User Rights, you will need to run the above (Get-UserRights), you may copy and paste the above script in your Powershell ISE and press play.
How to Set Logon User Rights with the Ntrights.exe in windows 10(64 bit) [duplicate] Ask Question Asked 8 years, 1 month ago. Modified ... and check User Rights Assignment (remotely / locally) with the following Powershell scripts. Read the blakedrumm page for detailed instructions, and download the script. I just tested it successfully on ...
User rights permissions control access to computer and domain resources, and they can override permissions that have been set on specific objects. User rights are managed in Group Policy under the User Rights Assignment item. Each user right has a constant name and a Group Policy name associated with it. The constant names are used when ...
I want to modify the user rights associated with a local user account.I want to add groups and users to a particular User Rights. This is done by opening the group policy and opening the following folder in the console tree: Computer Configuration\Windows Settings\Security Settings\Local Policies\User Rights Assignment.
User Rights Assignments. Although in this section they are called user rights, these authority assignments are more commonly called privileges. Privileges are computer level actions that you can assign to users or groups. For the sake of maintainability you should only assign privileges to groups not to individual users.
This brings up a page where you can manage other users on your computer, including adding new users or modifying existing ones. Step 4: Choose the User You Want to Modify. Find the user you want to grant admin rights to and click on their name. This will expand a set of options for that user, including account type changes. Step 5: Change ...
Any change to the user rights assignment for an account becomes effective the next time the owner of the account logs on. Group Policy. Settings are applied in the following order through a Group Policy Object (GPO), which will overwrite settings on the local computer at the next Group Policy update:
4. You cannot edit this User Rights Assignment policy because this setting is being managed by a domain-based Group Policy. In this case, the domain Group Policy setting has precedence and you are prevented from modifying the policy via Local Group Policy. To modify this policy, either:
User rights govern the methods by which a user can log on to a system. User rights are applied at the local device level, and they allow users to perform tas...
They include account policies, local policies, user rights assignment, the Windows firewall, software restrictions, and so on. There are several ways to configure security policy settings. The most common are: Group policy objects (GPO) - Used in Active Directory domains to configure and regularly reapply security settings to multiple computers.
If you're asking for User Rights Assignment on a single computer, look for Local Security Policy. If you're asking for User Rights Assignment as a group policy, well, it shows up just fine in my console. ... I finally realized (after asking the first form of the question) that you can only see them when you open the Editor. It's surprising to ...
Manual steps: Open Group Policy Management. Navigate to the following path in the Group Policy Object. Select Policy. Right click & Edit: Computer Configuration\Windows Settings\Security Settings\Local Policies\User Rights Assignment. Add/remove the necessary users. Image is no longer available. Windows.
To view a specific account (user or group) privileges/rights, you would use: PrivMan -a username --list The output will be the list of privileges/rights (e.g., SeServiceLogonRight , etc.) directly assigned to that account.
For domain controllers, assign the Allow log on locally user right only to the Administrators group. For other server roles, you may choose to add Backup Operators in addition to Administrators. For end-user computers, you should also assign this right to the Users group. Alternatively, you can assign groups such as Account Operators, Server ...