How to fix Local Users and Groups missing in Windows?

Local Users and Groups (lusrmgr.msc) is missing from Computer Management on almost every PC for one reason: the PC runs Windows 11 Home or Windows 10 Home, which does not include the snap-in. Nothing is broken. Check your edition first, then manage accounts with netplwiz, Settings or the command line, or upgrade to Pro.

Facts checked on 15 October 2026. Steps written for Windows 11 (25H2 and 26H2) and Windows 10 22H2.

What Local Users and Groups is and why it is missing from Computer Management

Local Users and Groups is a Microsoft Management Console snap-in. It lists every local account on the PC under Users and every local security group, such as Administrators and Users, under Groups. You open it from Computer Management > System Tools, or on its own with lusrmgr.msc, often called local user manager.

On a Home edition, Computer Management shows Task Scheduler, Event Viewer, Shared Folders, Performance and Device Manager, but no Local Users and Groups. If you open lusrmgr.msc anyway, or if Settings hands you the console when you add a user, the middle pane reads:

The reader's question says the tool was there before. The usual reason is a change of edition you did not choose: a reinstall or a new PC that activated as Home from its firmware licence, or a second PC that is Pro while this one is Home. A Windows update does not remove the snap-in from Pro.

Why Local Users and Groups is not showing: causes ranked

How to fix Local Users and Groups missing in Computer Management

Fix 1 tells you in two minutes which group you are in. Home users go to Fix 2 to Fix 5, which do the same jobs without the snap-in, or Fix 6 to get the snap-in itself. Fix 7 is only for Pro editions where the console is really damaged.

Fix 1. Check your Windows edition and open lusrmgr.msc directly

2 minutesLow riskEvery reader, first: anyone who cannot find Local Users and Groups and does not know which Windows edition the PC runs.

The snap-in exists only in Pro, Enterprise and Education. Reading the edition tells you at once whether the tool is hidden or simply not part of your Windows.

1. Press Win + I and open System > About.
2. Under Windows specifications, read Edition. You can also press Win + R, type winver and press Enter.
3. If it reads Home or Home Single Language, the snap-in is not included. Skip to Fix 2.
4. If it reads Pro, Enterprise or Education, press Win + R, type lusrmgr.msc and press Enter.
5. Or right-click Start, open Computer Management and expand System Tools in the left pane.

Fix 2. Use netplwiz to add users and change their group on Windows Home

5 minutesLow riskHome edition; you want to add, remove or rename a user, or put an account into a group.

The edition message itself points to the User Accounts tool. netplwiz is the advanced User Accounts window, and unlike Settings it lets you pick any local group for an account, not only Administrator or Standard.

1. Sign in with an administrator account.
2. Press Win + R, type netplwiz and press Enter. The User Accounts window opens.
3. To add someone, select Add and follow the wizard. For an account with no Microsoft sign-in, choose Sign in without a Microsoft account, then Local account.
4. To change a group, select the user and choose Properties.
5. Open the Group Membership tab. Pick Standard user, Administrator, or Other and choose a group from the list.
6. Select OK, then Apply. Sign the user out and in again for the change to take effect.

Fix 3. Add a local user and make it an administrator in Settings

5 minutesLow riskHome or Pro; you only need a new local account, standard or administrator.

Settings covers the two jobs most people open Local Users and Groups for: adding an account and changing it between Standard user and Administrator. It works the same on every edition.

1. Open Other users. Open Settings > Accounts > Other users. You can also press Windows key + R and run the command below.

   ms-settings:otherusers

2. Add an account. Next to Add other user, select Add account.

   

3. Skip the Microsoft account. Select I don't have this person's sign-in information.

   

4. Choose a local account. Select Add a user without a Microsoft account.
5. Name the account. Type a user name and, if you want one, a password. If you set a password, Windows also asks for answers to security questions. Select Next.
6. Make it an administrator (optional). Back in Other users, select the new account, then Change account type next to Account options. Choose Administrator and select OK. For testing a problem, a standard account is usually enough.
7. Sign in to the new account. Open Start, select your account picture and choose the new account. The first sign-in takes a few minutes while Windows sets up the profile.

These steps were written for Windows 11 24H2, 25H2 and 26H2. The full page with the other versions and what each result means: Create a new user account to test a problem

Fix 4. Manage users and groups with net user and net localgroup

5 minutesLow riskHome edition; you are comfortable typing commands, or need an account in several groups.

The net commands talk to the same local account database as the snap-in, so they work on Home. They are the closest replacement for the Users and Groups lists.

1. Type cmd in Start search, right-click Command Prompt and select Run as administrator. Select Yes.
2. List the local users:

   net user

3. Add a user. The star makes Windows ask for the password, so it is not left in the window:

   net user NewUser * /add

4. List the local groups, then add the user to one:

   net localgroup
   net localgroup Administrators NewUser /add

5. Remove a user from a group, or delete the account:

   net localgroup Administrators NewUser /delete
   net user NewUser /delete

Fix 5. Use the PowerShell LocalAccounts cmdlets

5 minutesLow riskHome or Pro; you want the Users and Groups lists in one view, or you script account changes.

Microsoft's Microsoft.PowerShell.LocalAccounts module manages local users and groups directly. It shows where each member comes from: Local, Active Directory, Microsoft Entra group or Microsoft Account.

1. Right-click Start and open Terminal (Admin) or Windows PowerShell (Admin).
2. List users and groups:

   Get-LocalUser
   Get-LocalGroup

3. See who is in a group, with where each member comes from:

   Get-LocalGroupMember -Group "Administrators"

4. Add a member to a group:

   Add-LocalGroupMember -Group "Administrators" -Member "NewUser"

5. Remove it again:

   Remove-LocalGroupMember -Group "Administrators" -Member "NewUser"

Fix 6. Upgrade Windows Home to Pro to get Local Users and Groups

15 to 30 minutesLow riskHome edition, and you need the console itself, for example for work or for Group Policy as well.

The snap-in is part of Pro and higher. An in-place upgrade keeps your files and apps and adds the console, Group Policy Editor and other Pro tools.

1. On Windows 11, open Settings > System > Activation. On Windows 10, open Settings > Update & Security > Activation.
2. Expand Upgrade your edition of Windows.
3. If you have a Pro product key, select Change next to Change product key and type it.
4. Otherwise select Open Store next to Upgrade in the Microsoft app and buy the upgrade.
5. Let Windows restart, then run lusrmgr.msc as in Fix 1.

Fix 7. Repair system files when lusrmgr.msc fails on a Pro edition

20 minutesLow riskPro, Enterprise or Education, and lusrmgr.msc will not open, opens empty or shows an error that does not mention the edition.

On an edition that includes the snap-in, a failing console points to damaged Windows files. DISM repairs the system image and SFC then replaces damaged files from it.

1. Right-click Start and open Terminal (Admin).
2. Repair the image first and wait for it to finish:

   DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth

3. Then check the system files:

   sfc /scannow

4. Restart the PC and run lusrmgr.msc again.

Step by step, with what each result means: Run DISM and SFC to repair Windows system files.

Local Users and Groups still missing: what to check next

On Home there is nothing more to repair: the snap-in is not part of the edition, and Fix 2 to Fix 5 are the supported way to manage accounts. On Pro, collect these facts before you ask on Microsoft Q&A or your IT desk.

• The exact edition and version from winver, such as Windows 11 Pro 25H2.
• The exact text in the console when you run lusrmgr.msc, or the error dialog.
• Whether net localgroup lists groups in an administrator Command Prompt. If it does, the account database is fine and only the console is affected.
• The last lines of C:\Windows\Logs\CBS\CBS.log after SFC, if SFC could not repair files.
• Whether the PC is joined to a work domain, where IT may manage accounts centrally.

How to avoid losing Local Users and Groups again

• Keep your Pro product key, or note that the licence is digital and linked to your Microsoft account, before you reinstall Windows.
• After a reinstall, check Edition in Settings > System > About before you set up accounts.
• Keep a second local administrator account, so a wrong group change never locks you out.
• Write down which accounts belong to which groups, or save the output of Get-LocalGroupMember, so you can rebuild them quickly.

Windows 10 left support on 14 October 2025. The tools above work the same on Windows 10 22H2, but the PC no longer gets security updates.

Frequently asked questions

Why are Local Users and Groups missing in Computer Management?

Because the PC almost certainly runs a Home edition. Windows 11 Home and Windows 10 Home do not include the Local Users and Groups snap-in, so Computer Management shows System Tools without it. Check Settings > System > About > Edition. On Home, manage accounts with netplwiz, Settings > Accounts > Other users, or the net user and net localgroup commands. On Pro, expand System Tools or run lusrmgr.msc directly.

Local Users and Groups not showing in Computer Management on Windows 10: is it different?

No. Windows 10 Home lacks the snap-in exactly like Windows 11 Home, and the message even names Windows 10. The fixes are the same on both. The only path that differs is Activation: on Windows 10 it is under Settings > Update & Security > Activation. Windows 10 left support on 14 October 2025, so an upgrade to Pro there brings the console but no further security updates.

What does "This snapin may not be used with this edition of Windows 10" mean?

It means the console found that your edition does not allow the Local Users and Groups snap-in. The file lusrmgr.msc exists, but the snap-in refuses to load on Home. The message goes on to suggest the User Accounts tool in Control Panel. The most useful form of that tool is netplwiz, which adds users and changes their group (Fix 2).

Where is lusrmgr.msc on Windows 10 and Windows 11?

The console file is in C:\Windows\System32 on every edition, and you open it with Win + R, lusrmgr.msc, Enter. Being present does not mean it works: on Home it opens with the edition message. On Pro, Enterprise and Education it opens Local Users and Groups with the Users and Groups folders, and it needs an administrator account to make changes.

Can I enable Local Users and Groups on Windows Home?

Not with any Microsoft-supported switch. The supported routes are an upgrade to Pro (Fix 6) or the built-in tools that do the same jobs: netplwiz, Settings, net user, net localgroup and the PowerShell LocalAccounts cmdlets. Unofficial installers and copied files from Pro are not supported and we do not recommend them for a tool that controls administrator rights.

Is the lusrmgr.exe tool from GitHub safe?

We have not tested it and do not recommend it. It is a third-party program, not a Microsoft one, and it would run with administrator rights over your accounts. The earlier version of this page linked it; we removed the link. Everything it offers is available with the built-in netplwiz, net localgroup and PowerShell cmdlets, which need no download.

Did a Windows update remove Local Users and Groups?

We found no Microsoft source that ties the missing snap-in to an update, and on Pro it stays after updates. When it seems to vanish, the PC usually runs Home after a reinstall, or it is a different PC than the one where you used it. Check the edition first. If it reads Pro and the console fails, repair the system files (Fix 7).

How do I make a user an administrator without Local Users and Groups?

Open Settings > Accounts > Other users, select the account, choose Change account type, pick Administrator and select OK. In Command Prompt as administrator, net localgroup Administrators UserName /add does the same. In netplwiz, choose Properties > Group Membership > Administrator. Keep at least one other administrator account in case something goes wrong.

Will System Restore bring Local Users and Groups back?

No, not on Home. A restore point rolls back system files and settings to an earlier date, but it cannot add a snap-in that your edition does not include. On Pro, System Restore can undo a recent change that damaged Windows files, but DISM and SFC (Fix 7) are the more direct repair and do not roll back your other changes.