Lost My Administrator Password

br22448 · 18 Feb 2021

Hi, I've recently accidently turned my Windows computer from administrator to standard. I don't know how to change it back, there's only one user on this computer and it is mine. I've tried a few ways such as booting from startup settings, but there's a password on it and I can't access it. I don't want to purchase a CD or USB drive just to get my permissions back, and I can't boot from Safe Mode because of a password. I can't download software to reset my password because I don't have admin. This is my only computer and I'm not looking forward to getting it to tech specialists or something like that because of the pandemic. Windows Defender is on and I can't turn it off. I've tried almost everything but I haven't had success.

I'm using Windows 10 Home
Version 20H2 OS Build 19042.804

Bree · 18 Feb 2021

br22448 said:

Hi, I've recently accidently turned my Windows computer from administrator to standard.....

Welcome to Ten Forums.

You are not the first, and won't be the last to make that mistake. This tutorial by @Try3 should help....

If you get an Admin prompt in which the Yes button is greyed out or missing & which does not show a password entry box, Windows cannot find an admin user account that could grant permission to proceed so your only admin user account has either

suffered from user profile corruption making it no longer fully functional, or
been demoted to being a standard user account.

Fix UAC prompt has grayed out or missing Yes button in Windows 10

br22448 · 18 Feb 2021

Thanks, I will try that and I'll see if it works

Try3 · 18 Feb 2021

br22448 said:

Thanks, I will try that and I'll see if it works

And post back here if you have any queries along the way.

Denis

RolandJS · 18 Feb 2021

And, after you get your regular admin acct back, I recommend leaving the built-in admin account enabled, just only use it during a real hardware/software emergency.

Try3 · 18 Feb 2021

RolandJS said:

And, after you get your regular admin acct back, I recommend leaving the built-in admin account enabled, just only use it during a real hardware/software emergency.

I disagree.

The procedure in Fix UAC prompt has greyed out or missing Yes button - TenForumsTutorials includes alternative arrangements that are better.

Denis

RolandJS · 18 Feb 2021

Try3, you are a great power user and have no need of the built-in admin acct; however, if the OP is similar to me, I do have my built-in admin acct enabled. It is very rarely logged into, it exists for emergencies that happen to intermediate folks like us.

Try3 · 18 Feb 2021

Roland,

The alternative arrangements I referred to are better.

Denis

RolandJS · 20 Feb 2021

Concerning built-in admin enabling: Try3, you are a Windows 10 person, I am only a Windows 7 person, you probably are right as rain! I was only guessing at a possible good backup plan for Windows 10 intermediate-level folks.

Try3 · 20 Feb 2021

Roland,

If we had been discussing Windows 7 my advice would have been exactly the same.

The Built-In Admin account in Windows 7 onwards exists for one reason only - to get automatically activated by Windows [in Safe mode only] if there are no other functioning Admin accounts on the computer.

Creating your own additional [spare], password-protected, local, Admin accounts is the alternative.
- The first is for use in troubleshooting and avoids having to give the day-to-day user accounts any additional folder access permissions thereby avoiding extending the possible reach of any malware that might one day afflict the day-to-day user account.
- The second is to hold in reserve, unused & pristine - and therefore impervious to corruption. Note that you would be able to use this account at the drop of a hat and would not have to rely on getting into Safe mode to be able to use it.

All the best,
Denis