If your MongoDB deployment has no users, you must connect to :program:`mongod` using the :ref:`localhost exception <localhost-exception>` or use the :option:`--noauth <mongod --noauth>` option when starting :program:`mongod` to gain full access the system. Once you have access, you can skip to Creating the system user administrator in this procedure.
If users exist in the MongoDB database, but none of them has the appropriate prerequisites to create a new user or you do not have access to them, you must restart :program:`mongod` with the :option:`--noauth <mongod --noauth>` option.