There exists an administrator account built into previous versions of Windows, created by default. What happened to it?– Does it still exist? If it does, how can you access it? Understanding the built-in administrator account The account can be found in Windows 11, 10, 8, 7 or Vista. However, it is disabled by default, hence …
There exists an administrator account built into previous versions of Windows, created by default. What happened to it?– Does it still exist? If it does, how can you access it?
The account can be found in Windows 11, 10, 8, 7 or Vista. However, it is disabled by default, hence you cannot use it. So, if you are troubleshooting and need to access this hidden administrator account because it requires you to run an app as an administrator, all you need is a rather simple command.
Warning: The built-in administrator account has many privileges, more than the regular administrator account. These privileges could get you into trouble if used too often. We recommend only enabling the hidden administrator account if you need to troubleshoot a very specific problem, and then disabling it when you are done. If you are unsure as to whether you should enable this account or not, then you probably should not enable it at all.
With that said, here is how to enable the built-in administrator account in Windows:
For starters, you will need to open a command prompt in administrator mode by right-clicking and choosing “Run as administrator.” Alternatively, you could also use the Ctrl+Shift+Enter shortcut from the search box.
This works for all versions of Windows. Simply search for “cmd” and then right-click on the command prompt icon in the Start menu or the Start screen.
If you are on Windows 10, 11, or 8.1, you can right-click on the Start button and choose to open a command prompt that way. Either way, you should end up on the same screen.
Now, in the box, type in the following command: net user administrator /active:yes and then press “Enter.”
You should see a message pop out informing you that the command has successfully completed. Log out, and you will now see the administrator account as a choice. There is no password for this account, so you can access it immediately, but if you plan on leaving this account enabled, it is advisable to change the password.
Again, it is not recommended to leave the administrator account enabled. To disable it, while not exceptionally difficult, still requires a bit of effort. Here is how to disable this hidden administrator account.
You will need to make sure that you are logged into your regular user account, NOT the administrator account.
Open an administrator mode command prompt, in the similar way you would when enabling the account, and type the following command into the box: net user administrator /active:no
Press “Enter” after you input the command.
Note: If your original username was Administrator or Admin, and you run the command to deactivate the administrator account, you may find yourself locked out of your system. If you are in that situation, then you should not disable the account.
Once you have disabled the administrator account, it will disappear from the login screen when you log out.
If you have forgotten the password to the administrator account, and wish to log in again, you can change the password of the hidden account by following the steps below:
Press the Windows key and type “cmd”
Right-click Command Prompt and select “Run as administrator”
Type the following command: net user “Username” “NewPassword” (use “administrator” for “Username” and the new password you wish to change it to for “NewPassword”)
Retype the password you have created and close the Command Prompt window
In short, to activate the administrator account on Windows, run Command Prompt as administrator from the Start menu or Power User menu, then enter “net user administrator /active:yes” into the window. Disabling the account when you are done is advisable, as it could potentially get your account into trouble.
