Hidden Administrator account, no backup admin

I foolishly hid my only administrator account using the registry editor and I can't do anything with the secondary account that I have on the computer.

I went to:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Winlogon

Created a new key
>"SpecialAccounts"
Created a new key under that
>"UserList"
Created new Dword (32bit)
>"Test" <-- Name of the administrator account
Set hex value to 0.

Having completely forgotten to elevate the secondary account to an administrator, I logged out.

Now I can't log in to my administrator account. When I log in with the secondary account, the UAC prompt has no option for sign in or administrator password entry, it just allows you to click "No". I have no rights to edit the same entry in the registry editor and I can't access gpedit.msc.

I tried using Shift+Restart to use command prompt - which does allow me to sign in with my admin credentials. I tried "net user Administrator /active:yes" (and tried the same with my named administrator account), which says it was successful, but makes no changes after exiting command prompt and continuing to windows. I also opened "regedit" through the command prompt and tried to make the same entry in regedit that I initially made (the keys and dword don't show up when I open it), but with a value of 1, with no effect.

I tried booting into safe mode as well and clicking on the account icon to switch users, but the option doesn't exist (account hidden).

I ended up doing a reset on the computer, but I am left with the same option at the sign in screen and no access to administrator accounts.

Welcome to TenForums @johnny51

You're not the first to shoot yourself in the foot like this, and you won't be the last :)

You need to enable the built-in Administrator account and use that to undo this - difficult without a normal admin login available, but not impossible. See Option Four in this tutorial.

Enable or Disable Elevated Administrator account in Windows 10

You are a beautiful, beautiful person!

Thank you!

Signed in with the Administrator account and correcting my mistake now.

johnny51 said:

Signed in with the Administrator account and correcting my mistake now.

Well done! That was quick work, you obviously know your way round a PC. But you should stick around TenForums, there's a lot more you can learn here.

Bree said:

...there's a lot more you can learn here.

I would say you've proved that already. I'll definitely be sticking around to soak up some of the knowledge and wisdom that you and the other masters have to offer.

Reviving this thread with hopefully a quick reply from Bree or other, seeing as you are still active. W10H 1909 on ASUS laptop i5-8.

So I did the same thing. Working on my son's computer, annoyed that everybody's login shows up on the front screen. He knows we have access to his computer, just don't need it staring at him in the face every day. (At work after restart only the latest user shows up... presume that's b'c it's an enterprise Windows version.) So for his I used the hide admin acct in the registry trick to get it off the login screen. Now I can't log in! (Figured it would just give me an "other user" option. Dumb.)

So that's the only admin acct on his computer. So I did a restart holding shift and did the whole Troubleshoot>Advanced Options>Command Prompt and then ran it as administrator (net user administrator /active:yes)

I used your trick in this thread and got to step 7 of Option 4 and get the following error:
Cannot Load X:\Windows\System32\config\SAM: The process cannot access the file because it is being used by another process.

I tried restarting to see if I was missing something that I duplicated. And I can't get in to run CMD as admin under other accts b'c it doesn't give me a PW option, only fingerprint which was never set up or "No."

Just want to be able to log into the admin acct and/or remove the hidden so I can.

Thanks,
Duh in Florida

UpStream said:

Reviving this thread with hopefully a quick reply from Bree or other, seeing as you are still active. W10H 1909 on ASUS laptop i5-8.
So I did the same thing. Working on my son's computer, annoyed that everybody's login shows up on the front screen. He knows we have access to his computer, just don't need it staring at him in the face every day. (At work after restart only the latest user shows up... presume that's b'c it's an enterprise Windows version.) So for his I used the hide admin acct in the registry trick to get it off the login screen. Now I can't log in! (Figured it would just give me an "other user" option. Dumb.)
So that's the only admin acct on his computer. So I did a restart holding shift and did the whole Troubleshoot>Advanced Options>Command Prompt and then ran it as administrator (net user administrator /active:yes)
I used your trick in this thread and got to step 7 of Option 4 and get the following error:
Cannot Load X:\Windows\System32\config\SAM: The process cannot access the file because it is being used by another process.
I tried restarting to see if I was missing something that I duplicated. And I can't get in to run CMD as admin under other accts b'c it doesn't give me a PW option, only fingerprint which was never set up or "No."
Just want to be able to log into the admin acct and/or remove the hidden so I can.
Thanks,
Duh in Florida

Hi UpStream, welcome to Ten Forums.

You would be best to create your own thread as this thread has been marked as solved. This will increase your exposure and obtain more attention. Also, please add more detail to your 'My Computer' such as PC m/n and drive info (SSD or HDD).

Thanks

I need your help please! I am and serious trouble and think you can help me! Please!! I hid my admin account from my admin account and now cant unhide it and gain and cant get my data back or even sign in at all! I saw you help someone else and I went to that link you had given to that other person 244 days ago but when I tried using that on run it said access denied, but I thought you could help me! When I try to delete the registry or change the hex value to 1 it doesnt work! I am 14 years old and some of my dads data is there on the other admin account! I really need ur help!!!!plzzz!!!!!! I will never use my admin account ever again!!!please!!help me!!!

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U two guests browsing this thread help me!!!!!!

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PLease I need all the help I can get!!!

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PLease I need all the help I can get!!!

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Stop dont leave!!

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Heeelllppp!

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Anyone???? Option 4 is not working.. : (

HELPME2547 said:

I need your help please! I am and serious trouble and think you can help me! Please!! I hid my admin account from my admin account and now cant unhide it ... when I try to delete the registry or change the hex value to 1 it doesnt work!

Get yourself a Windows install USB to boot from, then follow Option Five in this tutorial to enable the Built-in Administrator account. Once enabled you can sign in as Administrator and unhide your normal account.

Enable or Disable Elevated Administrator account in Windows 10

Ahh! Im cursed, the tutorial was for windows 10