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I can't get access to an admin account on Windows 10. I added a standard user and at the same time demoted the only other user from an admin to another standard user. This is on an old computer the kids use and I was tired of them getting viruses. I stupidly didn't think to make sure there was another admin because I figured I could always use the built in admin account if needed. However, I failed to take into account that Microsoft seems to be determined to break everything that used to work great in Windows.

I figured I should give myself an admin account so I needed to enable to built in account. I rebooted to recovery mode and enabled the admin account via the registry. When I booted back into Windows, it boots right into one of the standard user accounts. I can't run anything in the standard user account as administrator because it asks for a username and password and I only enabled the account, I didn't add a password. It won't accept a blank password and I can't add a password without elevated privileges. I signed out of that user and tried to log in to the admin account but it only shows the one account, not the other user, nor the admin account. I read on how to fix that but of course it requires admin privileges. I have no way to log into the admin account, nor run an elevated cmd. I'm in a chicken and egg situation. I tried to go back into the recovery mode but now nothing works because now that I have enabled the built in admin account, it shows no admin accounts as being able to be used for recovery.

Maybe I've just been using Linux too much lately but I'm really starting to hate Windows. I think Microsoft has really been screwing it up lately in their poorly executed "Windows as a service" philosophy. So many things seem to break with every update and what's worse is that they have been breaking in such a way that they can't be reversed like they use to be able to... rant over.

Any ideas other than a reinstall?

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  • Is there a reason you cannot simply logout of the standard user and then log into the built-in Administrator? If you only enabled the built-in Administrator it currently does not have a password. The username for this account of course is Administrator. You mention that a blank password does not work but it is not currently clear if your logging into the correct user account.
    – Ramhound
    Commented Jul 15, 2019 at 2:12
  • Yes, I already mentioned all that. I logged out of the standard user to log into the built-in admin account but it is simply not there, nor is the other standard user. The accounts exist, and I can see them when in the control panel and with console commands. They just aren't on the log in screen (and the computer automatically logs into the one I've been using on startup, instead of going to the log in screen and letting me choose) and the solution I've found to fix this require an elevated command prompt.
    – user2328273
    Commented Jul 15, 2019 at 5:19

1 Answer 1

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You should not modify the registry, unless you know exactly what you are doing. If the Administrator account is not visible on the login screen, then you have not enabled it.

Before starting, run the Command Prompt and enter the following command:

net user

This should list all your accounts. If Administrator is not in the list, you are in trouble and cannot continue.

Next, try to boot to Safe mode, then enter the following commands:

net user administrator /active:yes
net user administrator *

The last command will prompt you for the new password to assign to the account.

You might not be able to boot into Safe mode if it demands an administrator password. In this case you will need to create the Windows installation media and boot into the Command Prompt for using these commands.

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  • I've used Windows since 3.1/DOS days and IT is my career so I know exactly what I'm doing with the registry. I have enabled the Administrator account. The problem is that of the 3 accounts on the the computer (the admin and 2 standard users) only the default standard user shows up on the log in screen and automatically logs in. net user shows all the accounts. I already tried net user administrator /active:yes in safe mode which did not work for me which is why I did it through the registry. I don't remember the error but I don't think it should have worked anyway from what i was reading.
    – user2328273
    Commented Jul 15, 2019 at 18:33
  • I also mentioned I tried to get back into recovery mode and I can no longer do anything because now that the built in admin account is enabled, there is no admin account in recovery mode for me to revert things how they were. I was thinking about doing the Windows installation media but I suspect I'll have the same issue. It's all I've got to try at the moment however.
    – user2328273
    Commented Jul 15, 2019 at 18:34
  • I'm also an experienced developer and I have loused up enough registry entries in my time. If you had mentioned having tried the net user command, I would only have mentioned the boot to command prompt. It's not normal that these commands didn't work, so the boot might help to disable whatever is blocking you.
    – harrymc
    Commented Jul 15, 2019 at 19:09

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