How do I login with administrator privileges?

An administrator is someone who can make changes on a computer that will affect other users of the computer. Administrators can change security settings, install software and hardware, access all files on the computer, and make changes to other user accounts. To log on as an administrator, you need to have a user account on the computer with an Administrator account type.

If you are not sure if the account that you have on the computer is an administrator account, you can check the account type after you have logged on. The steps that you should follow will vary, depending on whether your computer is on a domain or a workgroup.

  1. Type the user name and password for your account in the Welcome screen.

  2. Open User Accounts by clicking the Start button

    How do I login with administrator privileges?
    , clicking Control Panel, clicking User Accounts, clicking User Accounts, and then clicking Manage User Accounts 
    How do I login with administrator privileges?
    . If you're prompted for an administrator password or confirmation, type the password or provide confirmation.

    Your user name is highlighted and your account type is shown in the Group column.

  1. Type the user name and password for your account in the Welcome screen.

  2. Open User Accounts by clicking the Start button

    How do I login with administrator privileges?
    , clicking Control Panel, clicking User Accounts and Family Safety, clicking User Accounts, and then clicking Manage another account 
    How do I login with administrator privileges?
    . If you're prompted for an administrator password or confirmation, type the password or provide confirmation.

    Your account type is displayed below your user name.

    If your account type is Administrator, then you are currently logged on as an administrator.

If your account type is not Administrator, then you cannot log on as an administrator unless you know the user name password for another account on the computer that is an administrator. If you are not an administrator, you can ask an administrator to change your account type.

Need more help?

by Ivan Jenic

Passionate about all elements related to Windows and combined with his innate curiosity, Ivan has delved deep into understanding this operating system, with a specialization in drivers and... read more

Updated on April 29, 2020

  • Administrator privileges are security-related rights that restrict other users from performing various actions within the operating system.
  • When users who don't have admin privileges on their accounts try to perform actions reserved only to administrators, an error message appears on the screen.
  • In this guide, we'll show you what you can do if your computer is asking you to log in with admin privileges and how you can fix this login issue.
  • For more useful guides, visit our Windows 10 troubleshooting hub.

How do I login with administrator privileges?

XINSTALL BY CLICKING THE DOWNLOAD FILE

To fix various PC problems, we recommend Restoro PC Repair Tool:
This software will repair common computer errors, protect you from file loss, malware, hardware failure and optimize your PC for maximum performance. Fix PC issues and remove viruses now in 3 easy steps:

  1. Download Restoro PC Repair Tool that comes with Patented Technologies (patent available here).
  2. Click Start Scan to find Windows issues that could be causing PC problems.
  3. Click Repair All to fix issues affecting your computer's security and performance
  • Restoro has been downloaded by 0 readers this month.

Are you the administrator of your computer and it is still giving you the error message that you need to log in with administrator privileges? Read this article to find out how to fix this issue.

Why is this happening?

Typically, this error occurs because Windows doesn’t usually run programs with administrator privileges.

How to fix Administrator Privileges errors

There are a few ways to fix this error. Try some of the following fixes.


This guide will help you become an expert in making yourself an administrator in Windows 10. 


1. Run the program with Administrator Privileges

One way to get this error to disappear is to change the properties in the program to run with administrator privileges. This typically works when the error is popping up in one particular program.

To do this fix, perform the following tasks:

  1. Navigate to the program that is giving the error
  2. Right Click on the program’s icon
  3. Select Properties on the menu
  4. Click on Shortcut                                                                                                                          
    How do I login with administrator privileges?
  5. Click on Advanced
  6. Click on the box that says Run As Administrator                                       
    How do I login with administrator privileges?
  7. Click on Apply
  8. Try opening the program again

2. Enable the elevated Administrator account

There is a hidden elevated administrator account in Windows 10 that could be causing the error in your computer. To enable this account, you can do this in either PowerShell or Command Prompt.

Command Prompt

To enable the elevated administrator account in the command prompt, complete the following steps:

  1. Ensure that the computer is logged in as the Administrator 
  2. Press the Windows Button and X simultaneously to access the Win X Menu
  3. Select Command Prompt Admin                                                                                                      
    How do I login with administrator privileges?

Some PC issues are hard to tackle, especially when it comes to corrupted repositories or missing Windows files. If you are having troubles fixing an error, your system may be partially broken.
We recommend installing Restoro, a tool that will scan your machine and identify what the fault is.
Click here to download and start repairing.

Or

  1. Click in the Search Box on the Task Menu
  2. Type Task Manager
  3. Click on More Details
  4. Click on File
  5. Select Run New Task                                                                                                                          
    How do I login with administrator privileges?
  6. Type Cmd                                                                                                     
    How do I login with administrator privileges?
  7. Click on the box beside Create this task with Administrative Privileges
  8. Click on OK
  9. In the Command Prompt enter the following Command
    1. net user Administrator /active:yes

How do I login with administrator privileges?


Working in Command Prompt will be like a walk in the park after you read this guide!


PowerShell

To enable the Elevated Administrator Account from PowerShell, perform the following tasks:

  1. Press the Windows Key and the X Key Simultaneously to access the Win X Menu

Or

  1. Click in the Search Box on the Task Bar
  2. Type PowerShell
  3. Right Click on the Program
  4. Select Run As Administrator                                                                                             
    How do I login with administrator privileges?
  5. In the PowerShell type the following command
    1. Enable-LocalUser -Name “Administrator”                                       
      How do I login with administrator privileges?

3. Restore a previous Windows version

If you’ve tried everything and you’ve failed to get rid of the error message it could be time to seek the help of a professional or roll back to a different version of Windows.

If this error is occurring in a game or a program, ensure that the program is compatible with the version of Windows that you are using. If you’re having compatibility issues use the Windows Compatibility Troubleshooter to help you with this issue.

  • Open the Control Panel
  • Go to Manage Account
  • Select the user account you want to change
  • Click on Change the account type option
    Select the Administrator radio button to grant admin rights to the respective account
  • Save the changes.
    • Why does my computer say I need administrator permission?

    If your computer says you need admin permission, this indicated the account type you’re using does not have the necessary rights to perform the actions you attempted.

    How do I login with administrator privileges?

    Newsletter