Check the Users Section in Settings

The quickest way to find your administrator username is through Windows Settings. Open Settings by pressing the Windows key and typing "Settings," then select the Settings app. Go to Accounts, then Other people or Family & other people depending on your Windows version.

Look at the list of user accounts shown on this screen. Administrator accounts are marked with "Administrator" underneath the username. If you see your account listed with that label, that is your administrator username. Write down the exact spelling — usernames are case-sensitive in some contexts.

If you do not see administrator accounts listed here, they may be hidden or you may not have permission to view them. Move to the next method.

Use the Command Prompt to List All Accounts

Open Command Prompt as an administrator. Press the Windows key, type "cmd," right-click on Command Prompt, and select Run as administrator. Windows will ask for permission — click Yes.

Type this command exactly: net user and press Enter. This displays every user account on your computer, including hidden ones. Look for accounts marked with an asterisk (*) or those with "Administrator" in the account type — these are your administrator accounts.

The username appears in the first column. Copy it exactly as shown, including any numbers or special characters. If you see multiple administrator accounts, the one you use to log in is the one you need.

Key Takeaways

  • Administrator accounts are labeled "Administrator" in the Accounts section of Windows Settings under Other people.
  • The Command Prompt command net user shows all accounts on your computer, including those not visible in Settings.
  • Your administrator username must be typed exactly as it appears — capitalization and spacing matter in many situations.
  • If you cannot open Command Prompt as administrator, you may not have administrator rights on that account.
  • Windows 10 can have multiple administrator accounts; the one you log in with daily is usually the one you need.

Check the Computer Management Console

Computer Management shows all accounts and their permissions in one place. Right-click the Start button and select Computer Management, or press the Windows key, type "Computer Management," and open it.

In the left panel, expand System Tools, then click Local Users and Groups. Click the Users folder. The main panel shows every account on your computer. Look at the Groups folder below it — open it and double-click Administrators to see which accounts belong to the administrator group.

This method works on Windows 10 Pro, Enterprise, and Education editions. If you have Windows 10 Home, Computer Management may not be available, so use the Command Prompt method instead.

Look at the Login Screen

The simplest method is sometimes the one you see every day. When you restart your computer and reach the login screen, the username displayed under your profile picture is your account name. If you have multiple accounts on the login screen, administrator accounts may be marked or grouped separately.

This only shows accounts that are set to appear on the login screen. Some administrator accounts are hidden and will not appear here, so this method works best if you already know roughly what your username is and just need to confirm the spelling.

Recover a Forgotten Administrator Username

If you cannot remember your administrator username and none of these methods show it, you may have a guest account or a Microsoft account instead of a local administrator account. Check whether you log in with an email address — that is a Microsoft account, not a local username.

For a local account you have forgotten, restart your computer and watch the login screen carefully. Sometimes Windows displays a hint or recovery email. If you set up a password hint when creating the account, it may appear on the login screen.

If you are locked out entirely, you can create a new administrator account using another administrator account, or use Windows recovery options. These steps are more involved and depend on how your computer is set up.

Understand the Difference Between Account Types

Windows 10 has two main account types: Administrator and Standard User. An administrator account can install software, change system settings, and create or delete other accounts. A standard user account can run programs but cannot make system-wide changes.

You may also have a Microsoft account (which uses an email address as the username) or a Local account (which uses a name you create). An account can be both a Microsoft account and an administrator, or a local account and an administrator — the account type and the administrator status are separate things.

When you need your "administrator username," you usually need the local account name, not your email address. If you log in with an email, your local username is different and is shown in Settings under Accounts > Your info in the section labeled "Local account info."

Frequently Asked Questions

What if I see multiple administrator accounts?

Windows 10 can have more than one administrator account. The one you use to log in daily is usually the one you need. If you need a different administrator account, you can switch to it by signing out and selecting it from the login screen, or by using the net user command to see which accounts are active.

Is my email address my administrator username?

No. If you log in with an email address, that is your Microsoft account, not your local username. Your local username is different and is shown in Settings under Accounts > Your info. Some programs ask for your local username, not your email.

Can I change my administrator username?

Yes, but the process is different for local accounts and Microsoft accounts. For a local account, right-click the account in Computer Management and select Rename. For a Microsoft account, you must change it through your Microsoft account settings online, and the change may take time to sync to your computer.

Why does Command Prompt say "Access Denied" when I try to run it as administrator?

Your current account may not have administrator rights. Try logging in with a different account that you know is an administrator, or contact whoever set up your computer. If this is your personal computer, you may need to reset your account permissions.

What if my username has special characters or spaces?

Type it exactly as it appears in Settings or Command Prompt, including spaces and special characters. When entering it in a program, put quotation marks around it if the program asks for a username — for example, "John Smith" instead of John Smith.