Access a hidden administrator account in Windows Vista

Windows Vista

Access a hidden administrator account in Windows Vista

If you are used to the built-in administrator account in the previous versions of Windows, you may be surprised to find it missing in your Control Panel under the User Accounts section in Windows Vista. This option does exist, but has been hidden by default.


How to activate the administrator account

Solution 1: Through User Account Control

1. Go to your Start menu and right-click on the My Computer icon.
2. Choosing Manage from the list will prompt a User Account Control (UAC).
3. When you have finished, the Computer Management console will appear. Expand the Local Users and Groups option with the use of the arrow next to it and select the Users folder.
4. Select Administrator Account and go to the Actions panel, then select More Actions.
5. Choose Properties to open the Administrator Properties dialogue box and untick the option labeled Account is Disabled.
6. When done, click OK to confirm the changes.
7. The administrator account should now be present on your log in-screen.


Solution 2: With Command Prompt

1. Go to your Start menu and in Accessories list, open Command Prompt by right-clicking on its icon and choosing Run as Administrator
2. When the Command Prompt window appears, enter the command

              net user administrator /active:yes

3. When you have finished, log out from your current account.
4. The administrator account should now be present on your log-in screen.


Solution 3: With Safe Mode

1. You need to restart your computer to be able to boot in Safe Mode .
2. When the Windows screen appears, press the F8 key.
3. Go to Microsoft Windows using your keyboard arrows.
4. Instead of pressing the Enter key, press the F8 key again to display the Safe Mode boot screen.
5. Choose Safe Mode from the list and press the Enter key.
6. You will be taken to the log-in screen that will display the Administrator account icon among your other current account/s.


How to disable the administrator account

Once you have made the necessary changes with the administrator account, it is advisable to deactivate this option again. To do so:
1. Log out from the administrator account and log in with another user account.
2. Go to the Start menu and in the Accessories list, select Command Prompt.
3. In the window that appears, enter the command

              net user administrator /active:no

4. Your log-in screen should now display only your common user accounts.