The Windows Administrator Account is a useful tool you can use for finding and repairing issues -- but starting with Vista, Microsoft disabled the account due to the User Account Control feature. With UAC, any user account can temporarily run programs as Administrator, making the Windows Administrator Account obsolete.

Or is it?

If you want full administrator access for good, and you aren't content with disabling UAC, then you can actually unlock the hidden Administrator account.

Open a Command Prompt as administrator by opening the search bar, typing CMD, right-clicking on the Command Prompt, and choosing Run as Administrator. Then type this line:

        net user administrator /active:yes
    

Next time you log out or restart your computer, you'll see the new Administrator account to use. By default it doesn't have a password, so set one if you plan on using it -- however, unless you really need this account for a specific reason, it's best not to use it as a primary account due to security vulnerabilities.

There's a reason Microsoft doesn't want you accessing this. Windows XP had a lot of problems with its Administrator account, and while UAC can be annoying, it's a much safer solution overall.

If you want to disable the Administrator account when you're done, open another Command Prompt as Administrator and use the reverse command:

        net user administrator /active:no
    

Hopefully you'll never have to utilize this account, but now you know how if you ever need it. Remember that many Windows issues can be fixed by creating a new account.

Do you use the Windows Administrator account? What do you think of User Account Control? Drop a comment with your thoughts!

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