Main Account (administrator rights) disappeared from login screen


  1. jmwhitec
    Posts : 4
    Windows 10
       New #1

    Main Account (administrator rights) disappeared from login screen


    A little background. I've had this laptop for a little over a year and it was given to me by my previous employer after I was laid off. It was cleaned, but it seemed they still had some administrator rights/password on the PC. Because the IT guys were also getting laid off, I wasn't able to get it completely removed. I did, however, have my own login that had Admin rights. Things have been going splendidly.

    A couple of days ago, that main login profile disappeared from the login page. It previously just popped up by default and I entered my Microsoft pin.

    There is still a "user" I had created for my wife in existence and I can log in there... but it is only a user... no admin rights.
    When I try to do anything that would require an administrator, I can't... because I don't have that password. This includes adding additional users.

    I believe the main user that disappeared was under my Microsoft account login. I have gone to Microsoft and can log in there and can even see this pc as one of my devices.

    Help? Was there an update that caused this?
    Today I updated to the latest update (March) to see if it might fix it.

    How do I get the option to log into my previous "main profile" that had admin rights?
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  3. Try3
    Posts : 17,099
    Windows 10 Home x64 Version 22H2 Build 19045.5371
       New #2

    User accounts can get corrupted. Perhaps yours has been. There is no method of fixing corrupted user accounts.

    Do you have a system image you can restore?

    I suggest you enable the BuiltIn Admin [Option 5], use it to create a replacement [local] Admin account plus 1 or 2 spare ones*** then disable the BuiltIn Admin again.
    Enable or Disable Built-in Elevated Administrator Account - TenForumsTutorials
    Add Local Account or Microsoft Account - TenForumsTutorials
    Change to Admin account type- TenForumsTutorials
    *** See my ditty - Create two spare local, password-protected Admin accounts [post #25] - TenForums

    Once that's done and you have a working Admin account, I suggest you copy all your files from the corrupted account's C:\Users\UserName folder to the new account's folder.

    If you want to convert the new user account to an MSAccount-linked user account then the existence of the previous [faulty] account might get in your way.
    Switch to Microsoft Account - TenForumsTutorials
    If there is a problem then I think you will have no choice but to delete the old faulty user account.
    Delete User Account - TenForumsTutorials



    Denis
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  4. jmwhitec
    Posts : 4
    Windows 10
    Thread Starter
       New #3

    Thank you @Try3!!

    I am following the instructions but can't seem to figure out how to boot to a command prompt at boot.
    When I get to the "see advanced repair options" and click it
    I only see:
    • Continue (exit and continue to Windows 10)
    • Use a Device (Use a USB drive, network connection, or windows recovery DVD
    • Troubleshoot (reset PC) or see advanced options
    • Turn off your PC


    I tried pressing Win + R and nothing is happening
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  6. Try3
    Posts : 17,099
    Windows 10 Home x64 Version 22H2 Build 19045.5371
       New #4

    Without knowing which step of which procedure you are at I am not certain but I imagine you need to select Troubleshoot.

    Perhaps you are at Open a Command Prompt at Boot - TenForumsTutorials Option 2 Step 2 where it says Click/tap on the Troubleshoot option
    [I think that tutorial has become a bit confusing. For option 1, which is what you need, you can either press Shift+F10 or you can run through into the steps for option 2 afterwards.]

    Denis
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  7. Try3
    Posts : 17,099
    Windows 10 Home x64 Version 22H2 Build 19045.5371
       New #5

    I deliberately avoided suggesting the procedure that I would have suggested for anybody else because I do not know anything about domain user accounts.

    But this procedure does take you step-by-step through the whole job so perhaps it is worth trying.
    Fix UAC prompt has greyed out or missing Yes button - TenForumsTutorials
    - The procedure does include a check of whether or not you need to follow the Enable or Disable Built-in Elevated Administrator Account - TenForumsTutorials and Open a Command Prompt at Boot - TenForumsTutorials route instead so you will not end up stuck up a blind alley.
    - Because I know nothing about domain accounts, I am not certain that the account with the username "Administrator" will appear in your Safe mode. I cannot think why domain setups would differ in this respect, it's just that I don't know.

    Any questions at all, just post back here.

    Denis

    [Notes for afterwards - system images, check activation, identify all user accounts]
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  8. jmwhitec
    Posts : 4
    Windows 10
    Thread Starter
       New #6

    Try3 said:
    Without knowing which step of which procedure you are at I am not certain but I imagine you need to select Troubleshoot.

    Perhaps you are at Open a Command Prompt at Boot - TenForumsTutorials Option 2 Step 2 where it says Click/tap on the Troubleshoot option
    [I think that tutorial has become a bit confusing. For option 1, which is what you need, you can either press Shift+F10 or you can run through into the steps for option 2 afterwards.]

    Denis
    Thank you!

    I tried the troubleshoot option and it still required the SysAdmin password. I'm going to try the step-by-step soon, just been really busy with work.
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  9. Try3
    Posts : 17,099
    Windows 10 Home x64 Version 22H2 Build 19045.5371
       New #7

    jmwhitec said:
    I tried the troubleshoot option and it still required the SysAdmin password. I'm going to try the step-by-step soon, just been really busy with work.
    That tells me you have not booted from the installation USB - Option 1.
    Or you have added a password to the BuiltIn Admin account or to the Bios or possibly there is some element of your original managed domain working still affecting you- if it happens again please take & post a photo of the screen.

    You will need an installation disk to boot from to sort this problem out.

    Denis.
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  10. jmwhitec
    Posts : 4
    Windows 10
    Thread Starter
       New #8

    Try3 said:
    That tells me you have not booted from the installation USB - Option 1.
    Or you have added a password to the BuiltIn Admin account or to the Bios or possibly there is some element of your original managed domain working still affecting you- if it happens again please take & post a photo of the screen.

    You will need an installation disk to boot from to sort this problem out.

    Denis.
    I think you are probably right.

    I realized I could do a clean install of Windows and it would solve all my issues... so I did that.

    Everything is fixed. I appreciate the time you took trying to help me.
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  12. Try3
    Posts : 17,099
    Windows 10 Home x64 Version 22H2 Build 19045.5371
       New #9

    Good. That will have removed all traces of its life as a domain computer.

    I assume it has activated without any problem - Settings, Update, Activation.

    I always create two additional [spare] local Admin accounts as a precaution against user account corruption. You might wish to do the same.
    Create two spare local, password-protected Admin accounts [post #25] - TenForums

    All the best,
    Denis
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