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The hidden "Super Administrator" account under Windows 10.

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The hidden "Super Administrator" account under Windows 10. Empty The hidden "Super Administrator" account under Windows 10.

Post by The_gh0stm4n Wed 03 Jan 2018, 23:49

Hello all,

The following post will explain how to unlock the hidden "Super Administrator" account under Windows 10. 



I.) Why ?


What could you need that account for? Some reasons include

Arrow to not be presented UAC warnings ("are you sure you want to do this/that?"), when performing various actions 

Arrow editing files with full permissions
  - for example, changing the display language in The Sims 4, without hassle after you edit the RldOrigin.ini.
  - less (or no) hassle with system permissions when moving around or copying files/folders.

Arrow installing older drivers, which probably not going to be relevant for most of you

Arrow you can run commandline prompts (CMD) with elevated privileges

Arrow "regular" Windows user accounts for which you forget your password, can be unlocked again using this Super-Admin account.


The procedure detailed here works with Windows 10 version 1607 ("anniversary version") and later. If you downloaded all updates at the time this post was written, you should be on version 1709 already though.



II.) Using the security policy editor


Right-click on the Windows logo in the bottom left corner or press Windows key + X. Choose "Run". 

The hidden "Super Administrator" account under Windows 10. Screen10


Now type secpol.msc and hit enter. Should you get some (UAC) warning, click OK/Yes/Confirm.


The hidden "Super Administrator" account under Windows 10. Screen11


Another window will pop up. Go under Local Policies -> Security Options. Double-click now where it says Accounts: Administrator account status


The hidden "Super Administrator" account under Windows 10. Screen12


Now choose "Enable", then click Apply -> OK.


The hidden "Super Administrator" account under Windows 10. Screen13


When you re-boot the next time, sign in with the account named "Administrator" (that is the default name). Keep in mind that also by default, there is no password protection for that account; should you want a password you can press CTRL + ALT + DELETE. Choose "Task manager". There, go under the tab "Users", right-click on "Administrator" and choose "manage user accounts". 


The hidden "Super Administrator" account under Windows 10. Screen14


Then "make changes to my account in PC settings".


The hidden "Super Administrator" account under Windows 10. Screen15

Now go under "Sign-in options" and click on Password -> Add, to set a password.


The hidden "Super Administrator" account under Windows 10. Screen16




There is another way though as well, by using a command prompt.



III.) Command prompt method


Press Windows key + X, choose Command Prompt (Admin). In the window that comes up enter the following.

Code:
Net user administrator example

Net user administrator /active:yes

Replace the "example" in the first line with whatever password you want to have on your own Super-Admin account. Note that the first line is optional; if you do not use the first line of command then the Super-Admin account will be enabled with no password prompt on the sign-in. 

When you are done, hit enter after you typed the lines of command. If everything was typed correctly you should get a message "The command completed successfully", and on the next sign-in you can use your password.



IV.) Possible disadvantages/risks


- Since UAC prompts are disabled by default, certain programs could theoretically cause harm to your computer - at least more easily
- installing older drivers is not something an average user should mess with
- some people, like parents, may have objections if other people with access to the computer/their kids have (sole) access to that Super Admin account.

Some users may also want to attempt to 'disguise' the account by choosing an arbitrary name for it; if you have a complex-enough password for your account though, that should already be enough. Remember that the default name is "Administrator", and should you still want to rename the account though, go again under the security policy editor (see II. above) and under Local Policies -> Security Options -> Rename Administrator account


The hidden "Super Administrator" account under Windows 10. Screen18


Double-click on this, and in the following window, choose your custom account name.


The hidden "Super Administrator" account under Windows 10. Screen17

Confirm by clicking on Apply -> OK.


That aside, while it does make certain things easier like troubleshooting issues and working with/editing files more easily, it's generally recommended to activate and use this account with caution. It is not mandatory for the average user to do this.

Good luck!

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The_gh0stm4n
The_gh0stm4n
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