how to change standard user to admin

Hi jermrj,

Follow these steps to trick your Mac into thinking it hasn't run the Setup Assistant yet. This will let you create a new administrator account that you can use to restore admin privileges to your main account.

1. Start up in macOS Recovery: Hold down Command-R as you power on or restart your Intel-based Mac. Release the keys when the Apple logo and a progress bar appear, or when a spinning globe appears. In the latter case, choose a Wi-Fi network if prompted.
2. You might be prompted to authenticate with Activation Lock or sign in with your Apple ID. Do so to continue. If it lets you change your user account password, you can keep your current password if desired.
3. The list of utilities should now appear. Select Disk Utility and click Continue.
4. In Disk Utility, select Macintosh HD. If a Mount button appears, click it, and enter your login password if prompted. (If this volume has a different name, take note of that name.)
5. If you see "Macintosh HD - Data" or "Data" as well, select that. If a Mount button appears, click it, and enter your login password if prompted.
6. Quit Disk Utility.
7. At the top of the screen, select Utilities -> Terminal.
8. Type this command, exactly as shown, to remove a special file and trick your Mac into thinking that it hasn't run the Setup Assistant yet. If your startup volume has a different name (not Macintosh HD), replace Macintosh HD with that name: rm "/Volumes/Macintosh HD/var/db/.AppleSetupDone"
9. Quit Terminal and restart your Mac. If you're prompted to log in, do so to continue.
10. In the Setup Assistant, choose not to migrate any data. Then, create a new administrator account. Be sure to select a username that is different than your regular account.
11. Once the Setup Assistant is completed, you can make your regular account an admin in System Preferences -> Users and Groups.

Hope this helps!

Hmm, I haven't seen this before myself, but of course, anything is possible. ;)

I suggest starting with this method:

1. Boot up the Mac in Recovery mode. <cmd><R> Ref: About macOS Recovery on Intel-based Mac computers - Apple Support
2. When the menu bar appears select Terminal from the Utilities menu.
3. Enter resetpassword at the prompt and press RETURN. Follow instructions in the dialog window that will appear.

Should that not work as expected, see if any of the following can help:

• Can't Log In to Your Mac? Create a New Admin Account - Lifewire
• Convert Standard User Account to Administrator Account from Command Line of Mac OS - OSXDaily

An admin user can do that in System Preferences > Users and Groups. Click the lock, enter the Admin password, click the standard user, click Change Password

Just to be sure I understand. Are you saying that this Mac only has a single user account AND it is a standard user. There are no Administrator-level accounts on it at all?

Well that didn't answer the right question. Tesserax will get you what you need.