If I am the user

If I am the only user, why do I keep needing "administrator approval"? I AM listed as administrator. I've tried both "local" and "Microsoft Account" and still can't do things. Help?

Hello and welcome to the TenForums :)

Are you referring to the confirmation window that appears everytime you are making a change to your computer? If so this is normal behaviour. See below:

Definition for Administrator accounts:

Administrator accounts have complete access to the PC and can make any desired changes. Administrators can be a local account or Microsoft account. If any action that requires elevated rights is attempted while signed in as an administrator, Windows will display a UAC prompt for the administrator to confirm (Yes or No) or enter their password first.

In Vista and later even admin level accounts do not by default have full access rights but only those of a standard user. This is by design. An account with full rights is convenient but not very secure. The problem is that if you accidentally run malicious software, and this is very difficult to fully avoid, it will be able to do pretty much anything it wants to. That is bad. But with only standard rights it will be very limited in what it can do. That is good. And by adding the extra step it helps to avoid making accidental changes you did not wish to make.

When XP was released using an unrestricted admin account for general use was acceptable but still not recommended. But the risks now in 2016 are much greater and using such an account is no longer an acceptable risk.

With UAC enabled, the default setting, you must ask for full the full rights of the admin account. This is a reasonable compromise between security and convenience. Security always has it's price, and not just with computers.

It is possible to run an admin account with full rights but you will find many things do not work. This too is by design. This is insecure and definitely not recommended. I will not describe the process.