Troubleshooting & management

How to enable Administrator account on Windows 10

If you must use the built-in Administrator account, in this guide, you'll learn three ways to do it on Windows 10.

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@pureinfotech
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Windows 10 enable Administrator account

Windows 10 has a built-in Administrator local account, but it’s disabled by default. Although it’s unnecessary to enable this account, some technical users usually use the Administrator account for troubleshooting and management purposes.

The hidden “Administrator” account is virtually the same as other accounts with administrator permissions. The only difference is that the built-in account doesn’t receive User Account Control (UAC) notifications, which means everything runs elevated.

In this guide, you’ll learn the steps to enable the built-in Administrator account on Windows 10 using Command Prompt, PowerShell, or Computer Management.

Enable Administrator account on Windows 10 using Command Prompt

To enable the built-in Administrator local account using Command Prompt on Windows 10, use these steps:

  1. Open Start on Windows 10.

  2. Search for Command Prompt, right-click the top result, and select the Run as administrator option.

  3. Type the following command to enable the Administrator account on Windows 10 and press Enter:

    net user "Administrator" /active:yes

    Enable Administrator command

Once you complete the steps, you can sign out of the account and sign back in with the Administrator account.

If you no longer need the local account, you can use the same instruction to disable it, but on step No. 3, make sure to use this command: net user "Administrator" /active:no.

Enable Administrator account on Windows 10 using PowerShell

To enable the Administrator account with PowerShell, use these steps:

  1. Open Start.

  2. Search for PowerShell, right-click the top result, and select the Run as administrator option.

  3. Type the following command to enable the hidden Administrator account and press Enter:

    Get-LocalUser -Name "Administrator" | Enable-LocalUser

    PowerShell enable Administrator account

After you complete the steps, the default Administrator account will enable and available from the Sign-in screen.

When you no longer need the Administrator account, use the same instructions outlined above to disable it, but on step No. 3, make sure to use this command: Get-LocalUser -Name "Administrator" | Disable-LocalUser.

Enable Administrator account on Windows 10 using Computer Management

To enable the built-in admin account with Computer Management, use these steps:

  1. Open Start.

  2. Search for Computer Management and click the top result to open the experience.

  3. Expand the Local Users and Groups branch.

  4. Expand the Users branch.

  5. On the right side, right-click the Administrator account, and select the Properties option.

    Computer Management users

  6. Clear the Account is disabled option.

    Computer Management enable Administrator account

  7. Click the Apply button.

  8. Click the OK button.

Once you complete the steps, the built-in Administrator local account on Windows 10 will be available from the Sign-in screen.

If you want to disable the account, you can use the instructions, but on step No. 6, make sure to check the Account is disabled option.