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I need to change administrator on my device

Debbie Dios 0 Reputation points
2026-05-21T19:59:24.4333333+00:00

I bought a surface device and someone else signed in as administrator and I can't use device now without their login, need to change administrator, PLEASE HELP

Surface | Surface Pro | Safety and security

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  1. Clary-N 11,490 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator
    2026-05-22T00:29:24.4166667+00:00

    Hi Debbie Dios,

    Thanks for reaching out.

    Based on the behavior you described, the Surface is still set up with the previous owner’s administrator account. Unfortunately, without access to that account, it isn’t possible to remove or change the administrator profile directly.

    The best way to regain full access to your device is to perform a full reset, which will remove all existing accounts and restore the Surface to its factory state. You can do this from the sign-in screen by holding the Shift key, selecting the Power icon and choosing Restart. Once the recovery menu appears, go to Troubleshoot > Reset this PC then select Remove everything.

    Please note that this process will erase all data currently stored on the device. After the reset completes, you’ll be able to set up the Surface as new and create your own administrator account.

    For more detailed step-by-step instructions, you can refer to this official guide: Reset or recover your Surface | Microsoft Support

    If you run into any issues during the reset process or see any error messages, feel free to let me know. I’ll be happy to guide you through the next steps.

    If you have extra questions about this answer, please click "Comment".  

    Note: Please follow the steps in our documentation to enable e-mail notifications if you want to receive the related email notification for this thread.

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  2. AI answer

    2026-05-21T19:59:35.9466667+00:00

    Because another person’s administrator account controls the device, that admin (or the original owner/IT admin if it’s a work/school device) must either:

    1. Sign in and create a new admin account
      1. On the Surface, have the current admin sign in.
      2. Open Settings > Accounts > Other users.
      3. Select Add account and create a new user for the new owner.
      4. Under Other users, select that new account, choose Change account type, and set it to Administrator, then select OK.
      5. Sign out and sign in with the new admin account.
    2. Or, if this is a work/school device
      • The device may be managed by an organization (Microsoft Entra ID / on‑premises AD). In that case, only the organization’s IT administrator can change who the admin is or remove the device from management. Contact the organization’s help desk, IT, or the person who originally provided the account.
    3. If no admin access is available
      • Without access to any existing administrator account, the supported path is to reset the device so a new local administrator can be created during setup. Note that resetting removes existing apps and data on the device.

    After an admin account is available, sign in with it and use the steps above to configure the correct administrator and any additional standard users.

    References:

    AI-generated content may be incorrect. Read our transparency notes for more information.

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