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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Enable built-in Administrator account on Windows 10

Windows 10 includes a built-in Administrator local account, but it’s disabled by default. Although it’s not required to enable this account, tech-savvies and IT administrators usually use the Administrator account for troubleshooting and management purposes.

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

How to enable ‘Administrator’ account 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 Run as administrator.

  3. Type the following command to enable the built-in Administrator account and press Enter:

    net user "Administrator" /active:yes

    Enable hidden Administrator account with Command Prompt
    Enable hidden Administrator account with Command Prompt

Once you complete the steps, you can sign out of the account and sign 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.

How to enable ‘Administrator’ account 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 Run as administrator.

  3. Type the following command to enable the built-in Administrator account and press Enter:

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

    Enable hidden Administrator account with PowerShell
    Enable hidden Administrator account with PowerShell

After you complete the steps, the default Administrator account will be enabled, 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.

How to enable ‘Administrator’ account using Computer Management

Alternatively, you can also use Computer Management to enable the built-in Administrator account on Windows 10 using 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 user accounts
    Computer Management user accounts

  6. Clear the Account is disabled option.

    Enable local Administrator account using Computer Management
    Enable local Administrator account using Computer Management

  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.