How to Log In as Administrator in Windows 10

No “Administrator” tile on the Windows 10 sign-in screen, or not sure which kind of account you have? Start by checking your account type in Settings > Accounts > Your info. Any account in the Administrators group gives you full admin rights, so signing in to one of those is usually all you need. The hidden built-in Administrator account is turned off by default and is best kept as a last resort for repairs.

Which administrator sign-in do you need?

“Logging in as administrator” can mean three different things in Windows 10. Pick the row that matches where you are.

Your situation	What to do	Section
Your own account may already be an administrator	Check it; if it is, you’re already signed in as an admin	Check your own account type first
Someone else on the PC has an admin account	Sign in to that account, or ask that person to upgrade yours	Sign in to another administrator account
You need the built-in Administrator for a repair	Turn it on from an admin account, use it, then turn it off	Turn on the built-in Administrator account
No admin account works at all	Try the Safe Mode route, if your PC meets Microsoft’s conditions	When every admin account is out of reach
A work or school PC	Ask your IT team; these settings are usually managed	Work and school PCs

A quick note on support: Windows 10 reached end of support on October 14, 2025. PCs enrolled in Extended Security Updates keep getting security fixes until October 12, 2027, according to Microsoft’s end-of-support page. The steps below still work either way.

Check your own account type first

Many people searching for this are already administrators. The first account created when Windows was set up is usually an administrator account.

1. Press Windows + I to open Settings.
2. Select Accounts, then Your info.
3. Look under your name. If it says Administrator, you already have admin rights. If it says Standard user (or shows no admin label), you don’t.

A second check from Command Prompt lists every member of the Administrators group on the PC. Type net localgroup administrators and press Enter. Names under “Members” have admin rights; note them, because you’ll need one of them in the next section.

Being an administrator doesn’t mean Windows stops asking. Admin accounts still see User Account Control prompts when an app wants elevated access; you just select Yes instead of typing someone else’s password. If you only need one program to run with admin rights, you don’t have to switch accounts at all. The steps to give administrator permission in Windows 10 cover running a single app elevated and other permission changes.

Sign in to another administrator account

If someone else on the PC has an admin account, you can either sign in as that person or have them upgrade your account. Upgrading is usually better, because you keep your own files and settings.

Sign in from the sign-in screen

1. Select Start, select your account picture, and select Sign out. To keep your apps open, choose the other account’s name from the same menu instead; that’s the Switch user option.
2. On the sign-in screen, select the administrator account in the lower-left corner.
3. Enter its password or PIN.

If the account you need isn’t shown, select Other user (when available) and type the account name. If that option is missing, see how to get the Other user option in Windows 10.

Upgrade your own account instead

From the administrator account, open Settings > Accounts > Family & other users, select your account, select Change account type, choose Administrator and select OK. Then sign out and sign back in to your own account. More routes, including Control Panel and netplwiz, are covered in how to become an administrator on Windows 10. If the person needs a new account rather than an upgrade, see how to add a user account on Windows 10.

Turn on the built-in Administrator account

Windows 10 creates a hidden account named Administrator during setup and keeps it disabled. You need an existing admin account to turn it on. Four tools can do it; the command works on every edition, while Local Users and Groups (inside Computer Management) and Local Security Policy generally aren’t available on Windows 10 Home.

Tool	Editions	How to turn the account on
Command Prompt	All	net user administrator /active:yes
PowerShell	All	Enable-LocalUser -Name "Administrator"
Computer Management	Pro, Enterprise, Education	Local Users and Groups > Users > Administrator > clear Account is disabled
Local Security Policy	Pro, Enterprise, Education	Local Policies > Security Options > Accounts: Administrator account status > Enabled

For the PowerShell line, use the standard 64-bit PowerShell: the LocalAccounts cmdlets aren’t available in 32-bit PowerShell on 64-bit Windows.

The Command Prompt method, step by step:

1. Type cmd in the Start search box, right-click Command Prompt, and select Run as administrator. Select Yes on the prompt.
2. Type net user administrator /active:yes and press Enter. You should see a message that the command completed successfully.

For PowerShell, open it as administrator and run the Enable-LocalUser line from the table. Microsoft documents the syntax on its Enable-LocalUser page and the command-line switches on its net user reference.

Give it a password and sign in

Set a password before you sign in, so the account isn’t sitting open.

1. In the same administrator Command Prompt, type net user administrator * and press Enter.
2. Type the new password and press Enter, then type it again to confirm. Nothing appears on screen while you type; that’s expected.
3. Sign out of your current account.
4. On the sign-in screen, select Administrator in the lower-left corner and enter the password.

The first sign-in may take a moment while Windows creates the account’s profile. The built-in account has its own desktop and settings; it doesn’t show your usual apps arranged the way you left them.

If your PC requires passwords of a certain length or complexity and the Administrator account’s password doesn’t meet that rule, Microsoft notes that the account can’t be enabled until another administrator sets a qualifying password.

When every admin account is out of reach

If the only admin account’s password is lost, or the admin account was deleted, Safe Mode can sometimes help. Microsoft’s policy documentation says a disabled built-in Administrator is enabled in Safe Mode only when the PC is not joined to a domain and there are no other active local administrator accounts. If another admin account still exists, this won’t work, even if you can’t sign in to it.

1. Get into the Windows Recovery Environment. From the sign-in screen, hold Shift while you select Power > Restart. Other ways are listed in how to boot Windows 10 in Safe Mode.
2. Select Troubleshoot > Advanced options > Startup Settings > Restart.
3. After the restart, press 4 or F4 for Safe Mode. (5 or F5 adds networking; 6 or F6 is Safe Mode with Command Prompt.)
4. If Windows asks for a BitLocker recovery key, you’ll need it to continue. Microsoft’s Safe Mode page explains where to find it.
5. If Administrator appears on the Safe Mode sign-in screen, sign in, then give your own account admin rights or reset its password.
6. Restart normally and sign in to your own account.

If Safe Mode doesn’t offer the Administrator account, the remaining options depend on the account type. For a Microsoft account, reset the password online. For local accounts, see how to get back into Windows 10 without the admin password, which walks through the legitimate recovery routes, ending with a reset of the PC.

Why the built-in account should not stay on

The built-in Administrator is different from an ordinary admin account in ways that matter for security:

• No elevation prompts by default. With the default setting for Admin Approval Mode (disabled), the built-in account runs every app with full administrative privileges. Malware launched from that account doesn’t have to ask.
• It can’t be locked out. Account lockout after repeated wrong passwords doesn’t apply, so someone could keep guessing.
• Its identity is well known. The account has a well-known security identifier, which makes it a familiar target.

It’s reasonable for a short repair, such as fixing a broken profile or restoring admin rights to a regular account. For daily use, a regular account in the Administrators group is the safer choice. Microsoft’s Administrator account status policy page describes these points.

Switch it off again

Sign out of the built-in account, sign in to your normal admin account, and use any one of these:

• Command Prompt (admin): net user administrator /active:no
• PowerShell (admin): Disable-LocalUser -Name "Administrator"
• Computer Management: open the Administrator account’s properties and check Account is disabled.

Windows won’t disable the account in two cases: while you’re signed in to it, and when no other enabled account in the Administrators group can sign in. In the second case, give another account admin rights first. To confirm the change, run net user administrator and look for “Account active” set to No.

Work and school PCs

On a PC managed by an employer or school, admin accounts and the built-in Administrator are usually controlled by your organization, and local changes may be reversed. On a domain-joined PC, the Safe Mode route above doesn’t enable the built-in account. Ask your IT team for the access you need, and describe the task; they may install the app or make the change for you.

Error messages and what they mean

What you see	Likely meaning	Fix
An “Access is denied” error after a net user command	Command Prompt isn’t running as administrator	Reopen it with Run as administrator
A message that the user name could not be found	The account was renamed	Run net user to list account names and use the new name
Administrator still missing from the sign-in screen	The account isn’t active yet, or the screen hasn’t refreshed	Run net user administrator to check “Account active,” then restart
Local Users and Groups is missing from Computer Management, or secpol.msc won’t open	Windows 10 Home	Use the Command Prompt or PowerShell method

Administrator sign-in questions

Why doesn’t Administrator show on the sign-in screen after I turned it on?

Sign out completely or restart, then look in the lower-left list of accounts. If it still isn’t there, check that the command reported success and that “Account active” shows Yes.

Can I turn on the built-in Administrator on Windows 10 Home?

Yes. Home generally lacks Computer Management’s Local Users and Groups and Local Security Policy, but the net user command and PowerShell both work.

Why won’t Windows let me disable the Administrator account?

Either you’re signed in to it, or no other enabled account is in the Administrators group. Sign in as a different admin, or promote an account first.

Is it safe to leave the built-in Administrator on for a few days?

It’s better not to. It can’t be locked out and runs apps without elevation prompts by default, so turn it off as soon as the repair is done.

If your own account turned out to be standard, upgrading it is the fix you’ll use most: one admin sign-in, one Change account type, and you won’t need the built-in account at all.