Software & Apps Windows How to Enable (or Disable) the Administrator Account in Windows 10 Add or remove the hidden admin account whenever you want by Jeremy Laukkonen Writer Jeremy Laukkonen is tech writer and the creator of a popular blog and video game startup. He also ghostwrites articles for numerous major trade publications. our editorial process Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Jeremy Laukkonen Updated on January 19, 2021 Tweet Share Email Windows The Ultimate Laptop Buying Guide What to Know The admin account isn’t available in Windows 10 by default.The admin account can be enabled via the command prompt.Additional methods are available but don’t work with Windows 10 Home. This article provides instructions on how to enable the admin account in Windows 10, since it isn’t a default login option. If you need to disable the admin account instead, those instructions are also provided. How to Enable the Administrator Account in Windows 10 Under normal circumstances, you won’t see an option to log in as administrator each time you start Windows 10. Your user account may have administrator privileges, but the option to log in with the actual administrator account is off by default. There are a number of ways to enable the admin account in Windows 10, but you need to use the command prompt method if you have Windows 10 Home. If you have certain versions of Windows, like Windows 10 Pro, you can also use Admin Tools or the Windows Registry to enable the administrator account. While the admin account is usually hidden in Windows 10, you can enable it at any time with the command prompt. After you have enabled it, you'll have the option to log in as the admin account whenever you start Windows. This method works with all editions of Windows 10, including Windows 10 Home. Click Start and type command in the Taskbar search field. Click Run as Administrator. Type net user administrator /active:yes, and then press enter. Wait for a confirmation Restart your computer, and you will have the option to log in using the administrator account. How to Disable the Administrator Account in Windows 10 If you no longer require easy access to the admin account in Windows 10, hiding it is just as easy as enabling it. You can do it via the command prompt in every version of Windows 10, and you can always just enable it again in the future if you end up changing your mind. How to Change the Administrator Name in Windows 10 Click Start and type command.in the Taskbar search field. Click Run as Administrator. Type net user administrator /active:no, and then press enter. Wait for the process to finish. The administrator account will no longer appear as an option when you start your computer. Other Ways to Enable the Administrator Account in Windows 10 The only way to enable the admin account in Windows 10 Home is via the command prompt, but some versions of Windows 10 provide a few other options. These options are primarily available in versions of Windows 10 that are intended for professional and enterprise environments, so you’re unlikely to need either method for your personal computer. If you do use either of these methods, be very careful. If you change the wrong setting, you may make it impossible to log into your computer. How to Enable the Windows 10 Admin Account From Admin Tools Here’s how to enable the admin account on your computer using Admin Tools. Press and hold the Windows key and R to open the Run dialog box. Type lusrmgr.msc into the Run dialog box, and press enter. Open Users. You won't see this option if you have Windows 10 Home. Use the command prompt method instead. Select Administrator. Remove the check mark from the box next to Account is disabled. Restart your computer, and you will have the option to log in with the admin account. How to Enable the Windows 10 Admin Account From the Windows Registry Here’s how to enable the admin account by changing the Windows Registry. Press and hold the Windows key and R to open the Run dialog box. Type regedit and press enter. Navigate to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE > SOFTWARE > Microsoft > Windows NT > CurrentVersion > Winlogon > SpecialAccounts > UserList. If you have Windows 10 Home, you will not be able to navigate to the User List in the Windows Registry. Use the command prompt method instead. Right click UserList. Select New > DWORD Value. Type Administrator, and press enter. Close the registry editor and restart your computer, and you will have the option to log in using the admin account. Was this page helpful? Thanks for letting us know! Get the Latest Tech News Delivered Every Day Email Address Sign up There was an error. Please try again. You're in! Thanks for signing up. There was an error. Please try again. Thank you for signing up. Tell us why! Other Not enough details Hard to understand Submit