How to enable Administrator account on Windows 11

Windows 11 lets you enable the built-in Administrator account in at least three ways, and here's how.

Windows 11 Administrator account enabled
Windows 11 Administrator account enabled
  • To enable hidden Administrator account on Windows 11, open Command Prompt (admin) and run the “net user “Administrator” /active:yes” command.
  • To enable the local admin account with PowerShell, open the console (admin) and run the “Get-LocalUser -Name “Administrator” | Enable-LocalUser” command.
  • To enable the Administrator account on Windows 11, open Computer Management and open the “Administrator Properties” page from the “Users” branch, and clear the “Account is disabled” option.

On Windows 11, you can enable the built-in “Administrator” account in at least three ways, and in this guide, you will learn how. Although the Administrator account comes disabled by default since it’s not required and could impose a security risk, advanced users and network administrators may sometimes need the account to troubleshoot problems and manage system settings. 

The local built-in account is similar to any other admin account, but it comes without the User Account Control (UAC) enabled which runs everything elevated (with administrator permissions).

Regardless of the reason, even though the Administrator account does not appear in the Settings app, Windows 11 offers at least three ways to enable it using Command Prompt, PowerShell, or Computer Management.

In this guide, you will learn the steps to enable (or disable) the built-in Administrator account whether you have Windows 11 Pro or Windows 11 Home.

Enable Administrator account on Windows 11 from Command Prompt

To enable the local Administrator account with Command Prompt on Windows 11 Pro or Home, use these steps:

  1. Open Start on Windows 11.

  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 Windows 11 Administrator account and press Enter:

    net user "Administrator" /active:yes

    Windows 11 enable Administrator account command

Once you complete the steps, you can sign out of the current 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.

Enable Administrator account on Windows 11 from PowerShell

To enable the Administrator account with PowerShell on Windows 11 Pro or Home, 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 built-in Administrator account and press Enter:

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

    PowerShell enable Admin account

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 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 11 from Computer Management

To turn on the Administrator account with Computer Management, use these steps:

  1. Open Start.

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

  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.

    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 11 will be available from the Sign-in screen.

If you want to disable the account, you can use the instructions, but in step 6, check the “Account is disabled” option.

About the author

Mauro Huculak is a Windows How-To Expert who started Pureinfotech in 2010 as an independent online publication. He has also been a Windows Central contributor for nearly a decade. Mauro has over 15 years of experience writing comprehensive guides and creating professional videos about Windows and software, including Android and Linux. Before becoming a technology writer, he was an IT administrator for seven years. In total, Mauro has over 21 years of combined experience in technology. Throughout his career, he achieved different professional certifications from Microsoft (MSCA), Cisco (CCNP), VMware (VCP), and CompTIA (A+ and Network+), and he has been recognized as a Microsoft MVP for many years. You can follow him on X (Twitter), YouTube, LinkedIn and About.me. Email him at [email protected].