How to Enable (or Disable) the Administrator Account in Windows 10

Add or remove the hidden admin account whenever you want

By
Jeremy Laukkonen
Jeremy Laukkonen
Jeremy Laukkonen
Writer
  • Shoreline Community College
Jeremy Laukkonen is automotive and tech writer for numerous major trade publications. When not researching and testing computers, game consoles or smartphones, he stays up-to-date on the myriad complex systems that power battery electric vehicles .
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Updated on November 6, 2021
Reviewed by
Jessica Kormos
Jessica Kormos
Reviewed by Jessica Kormos
  • Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College
Jessica Kormos is a writer and editor with 15 years' experience writing articles, copy, and UX content for Tecca.com, Rosenfeld Media, and many others.
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What to Know

  • Enable: Click Start and type command in the Taskbar search field.
  • Click Run as Administrator, type net user administrator /active:yes, and press enter. Wait for confirmation and restart.
  • Disable: Follow the above instructions but type net user administrator /active:no, and press enter.

This article provides instructions on enabling the admin account in Windows 10 since it isn’t a default login option. There are also instructions for disabling the admin account.

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 administrator account is off by default. There are several ways to enable the admin account in Windows 10, but you need to use the command prompt method with Windows 10 Home.

If you have specific Windows variations, 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.

  1. Click Start and type command in the Taskbar search field.

    Windows 10 taskbar search.

  2. Click Run as Administrator.

    Launching the Command Prompt in Windows 10.

  3. Type net user administrator /active:yes, and then press enter.

    Entering a command in the Command Prompt in Windows 10.

  4. Wait for confirmation.

    Enabling the admin account on Windows 10.

  5. 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 turn it on again in the future if you end up changing your mind.

  1. Click Start and type command.in the Taskbar search field.

    The Windows 10 taskbar search menu.

  2. Click Run as Administrator.

    Command prompt in the Windows 10 taskbar search results.

  3. Type net user administrator /active:no, and then press enter.

    Disabling the admin account in Windows 10.

  4. Wait for the process to finish.

    Successfully disabled admin account in Windows 10.

  5. 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.

  1. Press and hold the Windows key and R to open the Run dialog box.

  2. Type lusrmgr.msc into the Run dialog box, and press enter.

  3. Open Users.

    You won't see this option if you have Windows 10 Home. Use the command prompt method instead.

  4. Select Administrator.

  5. Remove the check mark from the box next to Account is disabled.

  6. 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.

  1. Press and hold the Windows key and R to open the Run dialog box.

  2. Type regedit and press enter.

  3. Navigate to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE > SOFTWARE > Microsoft > Windows NT > CurrentVersion > Winlogon > SpecialAccounts > UserList.

    If you have Windows 10 Home, you cannot navigate to the Windows Registry User List. Use the command prompt method instead.

  4. Right click UserList.

  5. Select New > DWORD Value.

  6. Type Administrator, and press enter.

  7. Close the registry editor and restart your computer, and you will have the option to log in using the admin account.

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