When you are on the login or welcome screen, the Administrator account is not an option by default in Microsoft Windows 10. You can enable this feature with the following steps.
Method 1 – Via Command
- Hold the Windows Key while pressing “R” to bring up the Windows Run dialog box.
- Type:
net user administrator /active:yes - Press “Enter“.
Replace “yes” with “no” to disable the admin account on the welcome screen.
Method 2 – From Admin Tools
- Hold the Windows Key while pressing “R” to bring up the Windows Run dialog box.
- Type “lusrmgr.msc“, then press “Enter“.
- Open “Users“.
- Select “Administrator“.
- Uncheck or check “Account is disabled” as desired.
- Select “OK“.
Method 3 – From Registry
- Hold the Windows Key while pressing “R” to bring up the Windows Run dialog box.
- Type “regedit“, then press “Enter“.
- Navigate to the following:
- HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE
- SOFTWARE
- Microsoft
- Windows NT
- CurrentVersion
- Winlogon
- SpecialAccounts
- UserList
- On the right side, right-click on “UserList” and select “New” > “DWORD Value“.
- Give the value a name of “Administrator“. Press the “Enter” key when you are done.
- Close the Registry Editor and restart the computer.
Delete the “Administrator” value to turn it off and prevent it from appearing on the Welcome screen.
Method 4 – Group Policy
Note: This will not work in Home editions of Windows 10.
- Hold the Windows Key while pressing “R” to bring up the Windows Run dialog box.
- Type “gpedit.msc“, then press “Enter“.
- Navigate to the following:
- Local Computer Configuration
- Windows Settings
- Security Settings
- Local Policies
- Security Options
- Accounts: Administrator Account Status
- Enable or Disable the setting as desired.
Erik Christian Stenquist says
*if using on home editions, use option 1 except in a command window run as administrator.
Donald says
The option of SPECIAL ACCOUNTS does not exist in regedit page.
Prem says
Am also having this issue, unfortunately i used netplwiz to remove the admin password, but that has put me as a standard user, unable to update or make any changes for apps,
Pls help…
RICHARD GIBSON says
Meth 1 worked for me like a charm.
John says
None of these methods work for me either. My account shows me as an administrator but still tells me to log on as an administrator to start new programmes.
Ray Tomecko says
Tried a few of the methods above. Denied or told to go to users. I’m already an administrator. A Microsoft rep said I have corrupted files and need to do a reset. Well, an earlier said one of the Updates was corrupt so the rep did new install of Windows 10.
My touchscreen doesn’t work. The HID files were erased. There’s nothing to update. Edge, Cortana and News can’t connect. Oddly, Update can.
Computer is slow, including Gmail. The entire machine is slow.
The last time I did a scannow a few months ago it was easy. Now none of the commands above work. And there were no corrupt files.
The second rep said I would have to re-format or install Windows erasing everything other than files. I have no DVDs for several of my important applications.
Anyway, maybe you can advise me as to what to do, at least to get scannow to work. As I said, I’m already listed as administrator.
Thanks.
Brian Cook says
I am having same prob. I keep getting Msg::access is denied: to everything. Help!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Mitch Bartlett says
You will of course need to have admin rights. Login with an admin account.
William says
Not working – Group Policy Error
You do not have permission to perform this operation
Robert says
no, none of this helped. The issue is the “administrator” account is not enabled, and none of the accounts appear to be active, or have administrator rights. how do you enable any account at this point to have admin privileges?
Don says
no, none of this helped. The issue is the “administrator” account is not enabled, and none of the accounts appear to be active, or have administrator rights. how do you enable any account at this point to have admin privileges?
Alex Pendres says
I want to enable the administrator login from the Login screen as the topic says, but the instructions are after we login to Windows!
I have a computer that an employee has entered a password and we need to login to it, we do have the administrator password but unable to switch the user since it’s not active.
John Paul says
These options aren’t available on Home Edtions.
Mrc says
worked fine on method 1 was no need to try other 2
E says
Method 1 – didn’t work
Method 2 – Says something about the Add-on not being available?
Method 3 – Could only get up to the Winlogon Key…the other 2 weren’t in the registry.
Method 4 – Using Home Edition
Is there possibly a 5th Method? It’s on a laptop with eMMC storage. I did a reset but retained the users’ documents, files, etc. but now when I go to log in the annoying Administrator account is always present and I have no idea what the password is because I never set up an Admin account. How can I get it to where the users’ account is the only one at startup? Factory reset?
Mitch Bartlett says
You will have to login using an admin account then.
John says
I Tried Method 2 but it says “Access is denied”