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Enable Built-in Administrator When Windows 10 Locked out

By Michael | Last Updated

I am locked out of Windows 10 computer. And how could I make built-in administrator enabled? As we know, once built-in administrator is enabled, all of us could use it as another local admin account to sign in locked computer.

Surely you can enabled built-in administrator even locked out of Windows 10 computer. And what you need is just Windows 10 system installation disc, which will not only enable built-in administrator, but also helps to reset Windows 10 password or create new admin account. Both of them will help you sign in locked Windows 10 computer again. Here you can learn how to enable Windows 10 built-in administrator with installation disc.

Steps to enable Windows 10 built-in administrator via installation media without logging in

Step 1: Prepare Windows 10 installation media and boot locked computer from it.

If the installation media is a CD, just insert it into locked Windows 10 computer and boot computer from it. Learn more about how to set locked computer boot from CD/DVD-ROM.

successfully boot windows 10 computer from installation media

Step 2: Press "Shift + F10" to run Command Prompt on system installation interface.

When system installation process starts, and you see Windows Setup program, please press Shift + F10 and Command Prompt would be open.

open command prompt in system installation process

Step 3: Replace the utilman.exe with cmd.exe.

It is recommended to make a copy of utilman.exe at first if you want to restore it back at last. Then type command below in Command Prompt to replace it with cmd.exe. Therefore, you could open cmd.exe later instead of utilman.exe while you click Utility Manager icon on login screen.

move d:\windows\system32\utilman.exe d:\
copy d:\windows\system32\cmd.exe d:\windows\system32\utilman.exe

(d:\ is system disk)

run command to replace utilman.exe with cmd.exe

Step 4: Exit installation media and reboot locked Windows 10.

After removing installation media from Windows 10 computer, please continue to type command "wpeutil reboot" in Command Prompt. Then you would be able to reboot locked computer and successfully go to the login screen.

reboot windows 10 after exit installation media

Step 5: Run command prompt on Windows 10 login screen.

At the right-bottom side of Windows 10 login screen, believe you can see the icon called "Ease of access". Just click it and Command Prompt would run, where you can enable built-in administrator with command line.

run command prompt on locked windows 10 login screen

Step 6: Enable built-in administrator with command line on Windows 10 login screen.

Please type following commands in Command Prompt window, and press Enter. Instantly built-in administrator becomes enabled on login screen while you boot Windows 10 from hard drive next time.

net user administrator /active:yes

enable built-in administrator on locked windows 10 login screen

Tips:

Besides enabling built-in administrator, with this way, you could also reset Windows 10 admin password or create new administrator with command below in picture.

reset windows 10 password or create administrator on login screen

Now just restart computer, and you could find enabled built-in administrator on login screen for Windows 10 logon.

sign in windows 10 with built-in administrator

Note:

If you want to cancel the changes you have made above on computer, it is necessary to boot your computer from installation media again to restore utilman.exe with Command Prompt.

move d:\utilman.exe d:\windows\system32\utilman.exe

restore utilman.exe with windows 10 installation media

Now do you have any questions about the above way to enable Windows 10 built-in administrator without loggin in via cmd? If not, just have a try. If you feel it a little difficult, or something wrong makes it failed, please get admin rights to Windows 10 computer at first with iSunshare Windows 10 Password Genius, and then enable built-in administrator on accessible Windows 10 computer with other three easy ways.

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