Starting with Windows Vista, the built-in Windows Administrator account is disabled by default. This account is separate from administrator-level user accounts, although both have the same privileges. Since that's the case, is it best to ignore the Windows Administrator account?

Well, yes and no. Windows operates fine without it and most people will never really need to use that account. However, it does offer a bit more power and flexibility than a regular user account---at the risk of reduced security.

Let's take a look at the Windows Administrator account so you can fully understand what it's for.

What Is the Windows Administrator Account?

In Windows XP and prior versions, every installation of Windows had a special account called Administrator enabled by default. This account has the highest permissions of any profile on the computer, and thus can do anything with elevated administrator privileges without requiring confirmation. It's akin to the "root" or "superuser" accounts in other operating systems.

The Administrator account posed a security problem in past Windows versions. By default, the password for it was blank. This meant that unless you set a password for the account, anyone with a bit of know-how could log into the Administrator account and gain full access to the system.

Windows XP Admin Login Border

And since the Administrator account has no protections, using it daily is dangerous. If you mistakenly installed malware, there would be nothing to stop it from infecting everything on your computer. This, combined with introducing more flexible account security options, is why Microsoft disabled the Administrator account by default starting in Windows Vista.

The Windows Administrator Account and UAC

In Windows Vista and beyond, every normal user account has to deal with User Account Control (UAC). UAC shows a window with a security prompt whenever you want to perform an action that requires elevated privileges. Such actions include installing a program for all users, editing the Registry, opening a Command Prompt as an admin, and similar.

When prompted by UAC, standard user accounts must enter the credentials for an admin account (username and password) to proceed. On the other hand, administrator-level user accounts only have to click a confirmation button to continue.

Even as an administrator, this can become an annoyance, especially if you have to confirm dozens of UAC prompts every day.

User Account Control

The Windows Administrator account bypasses all UAC protections, because it has no limitations or boundaries. There are other ways to bypass UAC prompts in Windows without resorting to the built-in Administrator account, but they aren't particularly convenient (since the feature is built to keep your PC safe).

Should You Use the Windows Administrator Account?

As mentioned, Windows 10 and other modern versions keep the Administrator account disabled by default. However, it's still there; you must manually enable it before you can start using Administrator in modern versions of Windows.

We don't recommend this in most circumstances, however. Using the Administrator account can open up several security risks on your system. Not only will malware have free reign if you run it under this account, but you also won't have a layer of protection from making mistakes.

For example, say you mistype something in the Command Prompt and mistakenly enter a command that would end up deleting a lot of files. You won't get a warning under the Administrator account—the command will run as entered.

Thus, you should only enable the Administrator account if you know what you're doing and can accept any potential consequences. It might be necessary for troubleshooting deep system-level issues in some cases, but if you do enable the account, it's smart to disable the Administrator account again as soon as you're done with it.

How to Enable or Disable the Windows Administrator Account

Across Windows 10, 8.1, and 7, there are up to three ways to enable (and disable) the Windows Administrator account. They're all equally effective, but the Command Prompt method is the only one that works in Windows Home versions. It's also quick, so give that one a try unless you really prefer another.

Once the account is enabled through any method, you can sign into the Windows Administrator account just like you would any other account. Pick it from the account selection screen when you boot into Windows, or click it from the list that appears when you click on your profile picture on the Start menu.

Windows 10 Switch to Admin Account

Method 1: Command Prompt

First, you'll need to open the Command Prompt (CMD) interface. A normal CMD window does not have administrator privileges, which is required for this task. Thus, you'll need to run the Command Prompt as an administrator.

This kind of terminal window is called elevated. See our intro to the Command Prompt for more basics.

Elevating the Command Prompt is easy. Open the Start Menu and type cmd into the search bar. When the results show up, right-click on Command Prompt and choose Run as administrator. If a UAC prompt shows up, click Yes.

Windows Open CMD Admin

Now that the prompt is open, type or copy/paste the following command and press Enter:

        net user administrator /active:yes
    

To disable the Administrator account later, simply swap the yes part for no:

        net user administrator /active:no
    

Method 2: Local Users and Groups

If you don't like the Command Prompt, you can enable or disable the Administrator account with a graphical method: the Local Users and Groups window. This is handy for system admins in a business setting, but you've probably never dealt with it as a home user. Don't worry, though—it's not difficult to understand.

Keep in mind that this only works in Professional (and above) versions of Windows. If you have Windows 10 Home or another Home version, you can't open this panel. Use the Command Prompt method above instead.

Read more: Windows 10 Home vs. Pro: Do You Need to Upgrade?

To start, open the Run window by pressing Win + R. In the box that appears, type lusrmgr.msc into the field and click OK or hit Enter. This opens Local Users and Groups.

Inside that window, click Users in the left pane, then right-click on Administrator and select Properties. Under the General tab, you should see a box labeled Account is disabled. Deselect this option, click OK, then close the window.

Local Users Groups Admin Account

Now the Administrator account is ready to use. To disable it later, repeat these steps and check the Account is disabled box again.

Method 3: Local Security Policy

Another approach to enable the Administrator account, if you don't like the first two for whatever reason, is to use the Local Security Policy editor. It's the most complicated option of the three, but it's still straightforward enough.

Like the option mentioned above, this only works in at least Windows Pro. If you have Windows Home, you can't access this menu.

Start by opening the Run prompt again, using Win + R. Type secpol.msc into the dialog that shows up, which will open the Local Security Policy interface.

Here, expand Local Policies in the left pane, then select Security Options in the hierarchy under it. In the right pane, find Accounts: Administrator account status and double-click it.

This will show a new window. On the Local Security Setting tab, switch to Enabled, then click OK.

Local Security Policy Windows Admin

Now the Administrator account is ready to use. To turn it off in the future, just repeat this and choose Disabled instead.

Add a Password to the Windows Administrator Account

Once you've enabled the Administrator account, it's a smart idea to add a password to it. By default, the admin account doesn't have a password, so anyone with access to your PC could use it to get full control.

With the Admin account open, open the Settings app with Win + I and head to Accounts > Sign-in options. Select Password > Change to add a proper password to the account.

For more convenience, you might wish to change the account's password using the Command Prompt instead. Once you change it, don't lose the password. If you ever need the Administrator account in the future, you'll run into problems if you don't have the password.

Renaming the Windows Administrator Account

Now that the Administrator account is enabled and secured with a password, there's one more point to consider. Hackers and malware distributors are always finding new ways to gain access to the Administrator account, since it's so powerful. With it enabled, you'll be at greater risk.

To reduce your vulnerable surface, we recommend disabling the Administrator account as soon as you're done using it. If you feel the need to keep it enabled for long periods of time, though, you can change the account's name to something that doesn't stick out as much.

This won't provide any real protection from attacks designed to exploit the Administrator account. But in case an attack only checks for an account called "Administrator," or you're worried about someone with local access noticing it, this can help. You may want to change it just for fun, as well.

To rename the Administrator account, launch an elevated Command Prompt again as above. Then type or copy/paste the following, replacing NewUserName with the name you want to use:

        wmic useraccount where name='Administrator' rename 'NewUserName'
    

The Administrator account will be renamed to whatever you inputted. This method should work on Windows 10, 8.1, and 7. And in case you don't want to use the Command Prompt, there are graphical renaming methods to use instead.

If you're on a Professional or above version of Windows, follow the steps in #2 above to open the Local Users and Groups panel. There, right-click on the Administrator entry and choose Rename, which will allow you to type a new name for the account.

On Windows Home, you can rename the Administrator account with another graphical method, as long as you've already enabled the account. Open the Run dialog (Win + R) and enter netplwiz. In the list of accounts, double-click on Administrator and you can change the User name there (as well as the Full name if you like).

Windows Change Admin Account Name

Master the Windows Admin Account

Now you know everything there is to understand about the default Administrator account in Windows. And though we've said it several times, it's important to emphasize: unless you absolutely need the Windows Administrator account for a very specific purpose, do not use it.

There's a reason why Microsoft implemented UAC in every modern version of Windows. It's more secure, while still offering convenience for most admin tasks. And if you ever forget your admin password in Windows, it's thankfully possible to recover it.