When you first install Windows 10, it will guide you through the process of creating a user account, be it local or Microsoft account. Generally, this account will have administrator rights. Along with the account you create, there are several other user accounts in Windows 10. Some user accounts are enabled by default. And, some accounts are disabled by default. One such account is the hidden administrator account. The administrator account is disabled by default. If you want to, you can enable the hidden administrator account.
In general, the hidden administrator account is only used for troubleshooting purposes. When changing system settings with the default administrator account, you will not see any UAC (User Access Control) prompts. Additionally, the hidden administrator account is quite a bit powerful than your regular administrator account. So, be careful while using it.
Warning: only enable the hidden administrator account to troubleshoot your system. After your work, do not forget to disable the administrator account.
1. Enable Hidden Admin Account from Advanced User Settings Console
Windows 10 has a built-in advanced user settings console to manage various settings related to users and groups. This is one of the easiest ways to turn on the admin account in Windows 10.
1. To open the advanced user settings tool we are going to use a simple run command. So, press Win + R, type
lusrmgr.msc in the blank field and click on the "Ok" button.
2. The above action will open the Local Users and Groups window. This is the advanced user settings tool. Here, select "Users" folder on the left panel. Next, double-click on the "Administrator" option appearing in the middle panel.
3. In the user properties window, uncheck the checkbox "Account is disabled".
4. Click on the "Apply" and "Ok" buttons to save the changes.
That is it. You've enabled the hidden administrator account in Windows 10. You can access it by clicking on the user account picture in the start menu or from the Windows 10 login screen.
If you want to disable the administrator account, select the "Account is disabled" checkbox in step 3.
2. Command to Enable Administrator Account in Windows 10
If you don't want to go through all the hoops and menus, you can use the good old command prompt to enable administrator account in Windows 10. The best thing about this method is that you can do it using a single line command. No need to open obscure tools and click multiple buttons.
1. To enable the administrator account, you need to have admin privileges. So, search for command prompt in the start menu, right-click on it and select "Run as administrator" option.
2. Next, copy the below command, paste it in the command prompt and hit Enter. To paste the command, simply right-click in the command prompt window.
net user administrator /active:yes
3. After executing the command, you will see the "command completed successfully" response.
From now on, you can access the administrator account from the start menu or from the login screen.
If you want to disable the administrator account, execute the below command.
net user administrator /active:no
3. Enable Hidden Administrator Account from Local Security Policy Console
Local Security Policy console allows you to configure advanced security settings. You can use the Local Security Policy to easily enable the hidden Windows 10 admin account. Generally, unless you are a network administrator, you'll never use this tool to manage day to day Windows 10 security settings.
However, if you know what you are doing, it is pretty safe and useful to use. For instance, I've recently shown you how to change the network name in Windows 10 using the Local Security Policy console.
1. To open the Local Security Policy tool, press Win + R, type
secpol.msc and click on the "Ok" button.
2. In the Local Security Policy window, go to "Local Policies -> Security Options" on the left panel. On the right panel, find and double-click on the "Accounts: Administrator account status" policy.
3. In the policy properties window, select the radio option "Enabled". Next, click on the "Apply" and "Ok" button to save changes.
That is it. As soon as you save the changes, the hidden administrator account is enabled. You can log into the administrator account from the start menu or login screen.
When you want to disable the admin account, simply select the "Disabled" radio option in step 3.