Change administrator

[Cristof]

My son has discarded the subject laptop and i am trying to change the administrator from him to me so I don't see his data or add unwanted data to his OneDrive account.  I was hoping to get some direction on how to add my own MS 365 Personal account to the laptop, make myself administrator and get his 365 OneDrive off of the system.  

Thanks in advance for your help.

[VikramTheGreat]

Hi @Cristof,

Welcome to the HP Support Community.
 

Thank you for posting your query. I will be glad to help you.

I completely understand your concern. When a laptop has been passed on, it’s important to make sure it’s truly yours, both in terms of access and data privacy. Let’s walk through the HP- and Microsoft-recommended steps to:

1. Remove your son’s Microsoft account and OneDrive data
2. Add your own Microsoft 365 Personal account
3. Make yourself the administrator

Step-by-Step: Transfer Ownership and Set Up Your Account

1. Create Your Own Local or Microsoft Account

• Go to Settings → Accounts → Family & other users
• Click Add someone else to this PC
• Choose: 
  • Microsoft account: Use your Microsoft 365 Personal email
  • Or Local account: If you prefer not to use Microsoft login

2. Make Your Account an Administrator

• After adding your account, go back to Family & other users
• Click your new account → Change account type
• Set it to Administrator

3. Sign In to Your Account

• Log out of your son’s account
• Sign in to your new account
• You’ll now have full control of the system

Remove Your Son’s Account and OneDrive Data

4. Remove His Microsoft Account

• Go to Settings → Accounts → Family & other users
• Click on his account → Remove
• Confirm deletion (this will remove his user profile and data from the PC)

5. Unlink His OneDrive

• Open OneDrive settings (click the cloud icon in the taskbar)
• Go to the Account tab → Unlink this PC
• Sign in with your own Microsoft 365 account if you want to use OneDrive

Optional: Clean Slate with Reset

If you want to completely wipe the laptop and start fresh:

• Go to Settings → System → Recovery
• Click Reset this PC
• Choose Remove everything
• Then set it up with your Microsoft 365 account during setup

I hope this helps.

Take care and have an amazing day!
 

Did we resolve the issue? If yes, please consider marking this post as "Accepted Solution" and click "Yes" to give us a helpful vote - your feedback keeps us going!

Regards,

VikramTheGreat

[Cristof · Accepted solution]

Hi Vikram, and thank you for for the detailed explanation.  I have one question...

I have set up a Microsoft account (windows.live) for myself, not a 365 account.  Does it need to be a 365 account? If I delete my son's administrative account (which i will have to do while logged into his account), will i be able to designate myself as administrator or will i be kicked out of his 365 account at the time it's deleted.  If so, i assume i will then log into my Microsoft account to designate myself as administrator.

Please clarify these details and thanks again for your help.

Cristof, the not so great 🙂

[VikramTheGreat]

Hi @Cristof,

Thank you for your thoughtful question. You're navigating this transition with great care, and I’m happy to help clarify things.

Does It Need to Be a Microsoft 365 Account?

No, you do not need a Microsoft 365 account to manage administrator privileges on your PC. A standard Microsoft account (like your Windows Live account) is perfectly sufficient for:

• Logging into Windows
• Managing user accounts
• Setting yourself up as an administrator

What Happens When You Delete Your Son’s Admin Account?

If your son’s account is currently the only administrator, and you delete it before assigning admin rights to your own account, you may lose the ability to make system-level changes. So here’s what you should do before deleting his account:

1. Log in to Your Microsoft Account

• Make sure you’re signed in to your own account on the PC.
   

2. Change Your Account Type to Administrator

• Go to Settings > Accounts > Other users.
• Select your account > Change account type.
• Choose Administrator and click OK.
   

3. Confirm Admin Rights

• Restart your PC and log in with your account.
• Try accessing Settings > User Accounts to confirm you have admin privileges.
   

4. Then Delete Your Son’s Account

Once your account is confirmed as an administrator, you can safely remove your son’s account without losing access.

I hope this helps.

Take care and have an amazing day!
 

Did we resolve the issue? If yes, please consider marking this post as "Accepted Solution" and click "Yes" to give us a helpful vote - your feedback keeps us going!

Regards,

VikramTheGreat