Built-in Administrator Login

I have one admin user, who uses an MS passwordless account and Windows Hello. I have enabled the Administrator account using the NET USER command. Problem is I don't seem to be able to login to that Admin account since I am presented with Email/Password prompt or Username/PIN prompts. The Admin user has username/password. So long since I needed to do this I've forgotten, but do I need to startup in a special way i.e. Ctrl+ or Shift+...

The Built-in Admin has, by default, no password so you ought to be able to log straight into it.
I assume that's the account you mean when you use the word Administrator in full like that [its username is Administrator so many of us also refer to it that way].
Is it showing you the username Administrator when you try to login to it? It should be shown on-screen as one of the accounts available to log in to so you should be able to just click on it to select it then just click on the password box but don't enter anything and then try to log in.

DrMopp said:

MS passwordless account

Click to expand...

I thought that all MSAccounts had a password defined when you created them even if you then go on to enable accessing it without a password.

I don't understand why you enabled the Built-in Admin. It is normally disabled. I suggest you disable it.
Enable or Disable Built-in Administrator Account - ElevenForumTutorials


Denis

As you said, by default - however when I got the machine several years ago I renamed it, and put a password on it. (which I do know!)

DrMopp said:

As you said, by default - however when I got the machine several years ago I renamed it, and put a password on it. (which I do know!)

Click to expand...

I urge you to create spare Admin accounts of your own to use instead.
my ditty - Create two spare local, password-protected Admin accounts [post #2] in Windows 10, 11 - TenForums
I do this so I never have to bother with the Built-in Admin.
Personally, if I was in your position, I'd create those additional Admin accounts right now.


The standard reset/change procedures might or might not work for the Built-in Admin account.
[The Built-in Admin account is poorly documented and MS have changed its behaviour from time to time without making any announcements. So I have no idea how it will respond.]
Reset Password - ElevenForumTutorials
Change Password - ElevenForumTutorials


Denis

If you have forgotten the password of a local Administrator account, you can use another Administrator account to change it, it doesn't have to be the built-in Administrator account. If you have forgotten the password of your Microsoft account, you can click I forgot my password and follow the instructions to reset it. If you have another Administrator account or use the built-in Administrator account, you can convert the Microsoft account to local account and then change the password. But if you want to login with your Microsoft account to use other apps (such as OneDrive), you better not convert it to local and introduce incompatibilities.

DrMopp said:

... when I got the machine several years ago I renamed it, and put a password on it. (which I do know!)

Click to expand...

It does occur to me that you did all that for a reason.
But there was no point to it, no benefit from what you did. You could have just left the Built-in Admin disabled.
The Built-in Admin is no more powerful than any Admin user account you create yourself.

The Built-in Admin is designed for one purpose & one purpose only - to be enabled by Windows to appear on the Safe mode login screen if Windows detects that there are no other functioning Admin accounts on the computer.
This aspect of its behaviour is stated in Administrator account status, Safe mode considerations - MSLearn

I have sometimes seen claims that the Built-in Admin has greater privileges, such as System authority, than Admin accounts you create yourself but those claims are false.
[If your Built-in Admin was working I could suggest creating a folder on, say, a blank USB drive then limiting its change permissions to just the System 'user' so you could then see that the Built-in Admin was unable to change anything in the folder. The point of doing this test on a blank USB would be that you could clean everything up afterwards by simply reformatting the USB.]


Denis

@Try3 - thank you for your insight. I have no intention of leaving the account enabled, as you no doubt know it can easily be disabled again, as it is now. This was for a test which is now complete.
@spapakons - thanks but the question had nothing to do with forgotten passwords, that was not the issue.

DrMopp said:

This was for a test which is now complete.

Click to expand...

So did you manage to log into it eventually, then?


Denis

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I might be wrong, but the built-in Administrator account has more access rights without the UAC prompt. Sure, if you confirm all actions or you permanently disable the UAC, then an "ordinary" local Administrator account is the same as the built-in Administrator, but not by default. More powerful than a local Administrator is the TrustedInstaller user. It has also access rights not available by default to the Administrators group.

@Try3 - Yes I did, can't remember how, I think 'Other user' was showing on login screen and after clicking that and sign-on options I was able to enter username and password (in PIN field) may not have been exactly so, just surprised to get in so didn't take much notice!

spapakons said:

the built-in Administrator account has more access rights

Click to expand...

There is nothing you access or do with the Built-in Admin that you cannot access or do with any Admin user account you have created yourself.

You are correct that the Built-in Admin has, by default, the convenience of not requiring Admin prompts to be accepted in order to achieve elevation.

I really wasn't sure if that was all you meant or not.


All the best,
Denis

That's what I mean. The built-in Administrator has access without having to confirm every single action in an UAC prompt. Much like when you turn off UAC in Windows 7. However this means it is more dangerous to do damage to your computer. No matter how annoying is the UAC prompt, it has saved me many times from doing something that would damage the system. Of course to make it less annoying I have set it to minimum warning, but it is not recommended for an inexperienced user. Those that are asking for trouble (or are very experienced users) can disable UAC permanently in Windows 10/11, no need to use the built-in Administrator all the time, but this causes some incompatibilities, so it is best left to the minimum warning.