Administrator Account

How to Enable or Disable the Real Built-in Administrator Account in Vista​

   Information

In Vista, even though you are using an administrator account, you still run with Standard account privileges. When a program or a action by you tries to run with administrators rights, you must first give it permission before it is allowed. This is the User Account Control (UAC). The hidden real Built-in Administrator Account does not use UAC and is like the one in XP with full rights on your computer. For more information, see: Microsoft Help and Support: KB942956

   Warning

If you enable the hidden Built-in Administrator Account, it is recommended that you do not use this account all the time since everything installed and running on your computer will also have full access to computer too. Instead, I would recommmend that you use it for administrative purposes only, and then use a Standard or normal administrator user account that is restricted for everyday tasks for better security.

   Note

• This will not delete your current account. It just adds a new account named Administrator that is the real administrator account in Vista.
• If you do not have any other administrator account on your computer, then you will automatically startup into the built-in Administrator account when you boot into Safe Mode.

Here's How:

1. Open a elevated command prompt.​

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2. To Enable the Hidden Built-In Administrator Account​

A) In the elevated command prompt, type the command in bold below and press Enter. (See screenshot below)​

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net user administrator /active:yes​

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B) Go to step 7.​

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3. To Disable the Hidden Built-in Administrator Account​

WARNING: Make sure you are not logged into the built-in Administrator account when trying to disable it. You must be logged into a normal administrator account to do this instead. It will not work if you try to disable the built-in Administrator account while you are still logged on to it.​

A) In the elevated command prompt, type the command in bold below and press Enter. (See screenshot below)​

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net user administrator /active:no​

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4. You will get the message, The command completed successfully. If not, repeat the step.​

NOTE: If you are still unable to enable the built-in Administrator account from here, then try this again in Safe Mode instead.​

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5. Close the elevated command prompt.​

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6. Log off (in Start Menu) and you will see your new built-in Administrator account next to your current account(s).​

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7. Click on the new Administrator account display picture icon and log on to it.​

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8. You should create a password for this account for better security.​

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9. You will then need to set up it's desktop preferences like any other account.​

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That's it,
Shawn

Related Tutorials

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• How to Logon Automatically at Startup in Vista
• How to Elevate Administrators UAC Privilege Level in Vista
• Enable or Disable User Account Control (UAC) Prompt for Built-in Administrator in Windows
• How to Turn UAC On or Off in Vista
• How to Create a New User Account in Vista
• How to Take Ownership of a Item in Vista
• How to Enable or Disable the User Account Control (UAC) Blacking Out of Screen in Vista
• How to Change a User Account Type in Vista
• How to Create a Password for a User Account in Vista
• How to Restore the Administrative Tools Shortcuts in Vista
• How to Start Vista in Safe Mode
• How to Rename the Vista Built-in Administrator Account
• How to Reset User Profile of Built-in Administrator Account to Default in Windows

 

[richc46]

Hey thanks for the kind words about me to the boss, LOL

 

[sparkie415]

Hi Shawn,
I'm trying to follow your instructions #4 onwards.When i type in net user administrator / active:no I get a message that says / is not a recognised command. I have also tried this in the safe mode with the same results.

However if i type in net user administrator active:no i get the correct message The command completed successfully


I then follow #5,6 but i do not see the new Administrator account.

Can you PLEASE tell me where I'm going wrong.

 

[Brink]

Hello Sparkie,

You just had a spacing mistake in the command. There's not suppose to be a space after the / symbol. If you wanted to enable it, you would need to use yes instead of no though.

yours:
net user administrator / active:no

correct to enable:
net user administrator /active:yes

Hope this helps,
Shawn

 

[sparkie415]

Hi Shawn,
Simple when you know how,thank you so much.
Is there a way to do this in xp as well.

Regards Dom

 

[Brink]

You're most welcome Dom.

In XP, administrator accounts act like the built-in Administrator account in Vista and Windows 7 by default, so there's no need to.

 

[whitefox42]

Hi I tried this but I did not get completed successfully, I got
The syntax of this command is:
Net User
[username [password | *][options] [ /domain]
username <password |*> /ADD [options] [ /domain]
username [/delete] [ /domain]
username [TIMES:<times |ALL>]

What do I do from here? I need this to work so that I can make an admin account and get rid of the mistake that I made that made it so I can't do anything. I saw a new account called RA Media Administrator and I thought that I could easily change the name to mine and lower my account to standard. but then It wouldn't let me into admin files when I needed to and it said user name or password bad. I realize my mistake now but I need to fix it. Please help?
Whitefox42

 

[Brink]

Hello Whitefox, and welcome to Vista Forums.

You might see if you may be able to do a system restore at boot using a restore point dated before this happened to hopefully undo and fix this for you.

Hope this helps,
Shawn

 

[whitefox42]

When i try it from boot it says to do it from inside and i can't do that because I can't get admin privileges.
I am at my wits end. I start classes again in a few days and i need to get this resolved. why did it not work like you said? and is there a way based upon what info I gave you to do it? I have tried so much. I will appreciate it if you could help with this.
whitefox42

EDIT:
hold on. I think it may have worked. I tried entering it again and it gave me the same response then I entered NET USER and enter and it listed all the accounts on my computer and then said the command completed successfully. I am going to check and see if it worked inside. I will let you know.
whitefox42

 

[whitefox42]

Oh well, It didn't work after all. It seems that there is a different way of entering it that is required but I don't know. Do You? I have a Dell XPS M1530 Windows Vista Home Premium with Service Pack 2, 64 bit but will run 32bit too, IE 9. When I put in NET USER enter in the command prompt it lists accounts administrator mine guest ra server updatususer
Can I use any of these? they other than mine and guest are the only ones that show up after boot.

EDIT:
I found out where I went wrong. I wasn't in the administrator command prompt. BUT I can't get into the administrator cmd prompt because I can't get adminstrator permissions. This is crazy. It's my own computer and I am the only one on it but I can't get things done because of this administrator problem. Is there any way that I can get around it under it over it whatever to fix this? classes start up again on monday and I need this fixed. Please anyone can you help?
whitefox42

 

[Brink]

Whitefox,

Did you already try doing a system restore at boot using METHOD TWO in the tutorial below using a Vista repair disc?

http://www.vistax64.com/tutorials/76905-system-restore-how.html

 

[whitefox42]

Whitefox,

Did you already try doing a system restore at boot using METHOD TWO in the tutorial below using a Vista repair disc?

http://www.vistax64.com/tutorials/76905-system-restore-how.html

No. My cousin got me the computer off Dell auction and I think he may have sent me the repair disk. I will have to look. My girlfriend put it away so we wouldn't loose it, so of course I don't know where it is. I will look and see if I can find it.

looks like I will have to wait until she gets home around 7pm eastern. Is there anything else we can try until then?

 

[Brink]

Just to make sure that you know that a Vista repair disc is not the same as a Dell factory recovery disc.


You could also borrow a friends retail Vista installation disc to boot from to do a system restore at boot with.

 

[whitefox42]

I will see who I can borrow one off of. Thanks.

 

[Brink]

You're welcome. Please let us know how it went.

 

[KingWhiskers]

Hi Brink,
just a simple question, after you have enabled the built in administrators account and used it, I had set mine to automatic logon on my daughters machine which I have now successfully restored and fixed all the problems with a Upgrade repair.
How do you hide the built in administrators account from the logon screen when you have disabled it and removed the automatic logon.
this is only for aesthetic reasons as it is not doing any harm sitting there as you can't use it while it is disabled obviously.
There is probably a tutorial on this somewhere but I can't find it.
Thanks for your previous help,
KingWhiskers

 

[Brink]

Hello KingWhiskers,

If you are no longer using the built-in Administrator account, then you could just disable it again to not see it in a log on screen anymore. If ever needed again, you could always enable it again.

If you wanted to keep the built-in Administrator account enabled, then you could use the tutorial below to hide it in log on screens by having users to must enter both their user name and password log on instead.

http://www.vistax64.com/tutorials/89812-logon-username-password.html
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Hope this helps,
Shawn

 

[KingWhiskers]

Hi Brink,
it's me, I had disabled it then enabled it to change the automatic logon and thought I had disabled it again but had not.
It's no joke getting older and losing your marbles.
Thanks again for your quick reply
all is now as it should be and back to the two user logons, mine and my daughters.
I have learned a lot from these forums.
You guys are great.
Much respect
KingWhiskers

:D

 

[Brink]

You're most welcome KingWhiskers.

LOL, I know that feeling of losing one's marbles at times.

 

[Cytherian]

I have a few questions about this hidden Administrator account, if you don't mind answering them Shawn.

1. I ran "net user administrator" and it shows some basic information about this built-in account, including that it is not enabled, that a password was set on a given date, and that the password is required. The date is 11 months prior to my taking ownership as new, so I suspect that this is when Vista was first loaded onto it at the HP authorized factory (it is a refurbished model). But there is a password set? I have no clue as to what it is. Is there some default I should expect?
2. If I enable the built-in administrator and set a password of my choosing, how will this affect the way the account is used? Will I have to logon anytime a UAC administrator prompt appears?
3. Since the account is not enabled, I take it that this just pertains to use as an active logged on user account and that it simply functions as a "shadow" administrator when handling UAC administrative events (like installing software). Thus there is no security issue here at all? There would be really no benefit to enabling the account, setting a strong password of my choosing, then disabling the account?

 

[Brink]

Hello Gary,

I don't mind at all.

Q1) By default, there is not a password set for the built-in Administrator account. This could vary with OEM systems though. If the OEM set a password at the factorym then they will usualy have instructions letting you know what the default password is so that you will be able to use and change it later.

Q2) It will not affect UAC at all for any other user account on the computer. Only a standard user account will still have to provide any administrator's password in a UAC prompt to allow it.

Q3) The built-in Administrator account is an elevated administrator that has full access and control of everything on the computer without ever getting a UAC prompt asking for permission first. Even with UAC turned on and set to the top level. It's not recommended to use the built-in Administrator for everyday use because of this. Since the built-in Administrator has full access, so does everything that is running while logged in to the built-in Administrator. Enabling the built-in Administrator, setting a strong password, and disabling the built-in Administrator would be smart decision to help keep people from being able to log on to it. Another good idea would be to also rename the built-in Administrator to something other than "Administrator" to help prevent people from trying to reset the password for it as well.

Hope this helps.