My laptop was setup as work device

Question

my laptop was set up as work device , my business closed down and i need to use the laptop for personal use now , the administrator is a local account and i cannot access it .i need help regaining admin rights so i can setup Microsoft 365 desktop version which i have purchased 2 days ago.

Answer 1

Hi Shweta,

I’m following up to check whether the issue has been resolved. Feel free to reply if you need further information. If the information provided was helpful, please click "Accept Answer" to help others in the community. Thank you!

Answer 2

Hi Shweta,

Since the administrator account is a local account you cannot access, the only way to regain full control is to either reset Windows or perform a clean installation of Windows 11/10. This will remove the old administrator profile and allow you to set yourself up as the new owner with admin rights.

Before doing this, make sure to back up any personal files you want to keep, because a reset or reinstall will wipe applications and settings tied to the old work environment. Once you reinstall, you can sign in with your Microsoft account, and then install the Microsoft 365 desktop apps you purchased.

Unfortunately, there isn’t a supported way to bypass or recover the old admin account without reinstalling, since that would compromise security. The clean setup ensures you’re starting fresh and avoids lingering restrictions from the previous work configuration.

In short: back up your data, reset or reinstall Windows, sign in with your Microsoft account, and then install Microsoft 365. That will give you full admin rights and a personal environment.

I hope the response provided some helpful insight. If it clarified the issue for you, please consider marking it as Accept Answer so others with the same issue can find the solution.

Jason.

Answer 3

To install and use Microsoft 365 on that laptop, administrator rights on the local Windows account are required.

Since the existing admin account is a work/local admin that is no longer accessible, the only supported options are:

1. Check whether the current account already has local admin rights
   If the device is no longer joined to a work domain and the current sign-in is a local account:
   1. Select Start, type Control Panel, and open it.
   2. Go to User Accounts > Change your account type.
   3. If Administrator is already selected, Microsoft 365 can be installed directly under this account.
   4. If Administrator is not selectable, only someone who knows the admin credentials can grant admin rights or approve the User Account Control prompt during Office installation.
2. If the PC is joined to a work domain
   If Control Panel → System and Security → System shows Domain: instead of Workgroup:, the device is still managed by the old organization. In that case, only the former organization’s IT/admin can:
   • Remove the device from their management, or
   • Sign in with the admin account and either create a new local administrator for personal use or promote the current account to administrator.
3. If admin credentials cannot be recovered
   When no one has the administrator password and the device is still locked down, Windows will not allow elevation to admin or installation of Microsoft 365. The practical resolution is:
   • Back up any personal files that are accessible under the current account.
   • Perform a clean reinstall of Windows (which requires bootable installation media). During setup, create a new local or Microsoft account and ensure it is configured as an administrator.
   • After Windows is reinstalled and an admin account is available, sign in with that account and install Microsoft 365.

Microsoft 365 itself does not provide a way to bypass or reset local Windows administrator rights; those rights must be available first in order to install the desktop apps.

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References:

• Check if you have local admin rights to install Office