How to Activate Windows 7 Administrator - /Active:Yes
How to Activate the Windows 7 Administrator - /Active:Yes
It's a well kept secret that Windows 7 has a hidden super-user administrator account. I will show you how to
activate this Windows 7 Administrator account from the command line by typing a 'Net User' command. One benefit of logging on
with this super
account is that you will never be prompted for the nagging UAC dialog box. Topics for Activating the
Windows 7 Administrator
♦
Your first key decision is what password to
give this administrator's account before you activate it. My point is that the local
group policy may insist on a complex password, thus you will not be able to
activate the administrator account if it has a blank password. This technique also
also
works on Vista and Windows
Server 2008, however, on the latter operating system it is more likely
you want to set
/active:no. Overview - Logon to
Windows 7 using your usual account.
- Launch the cmd prompt - Make sure you select, 'Run as administrator'
- Net user administrator p$ssw0rD
- Net user administrator
/active:yes
- Switch User, or logoff
- Logon as Administrator Password p$ssw0rD
(Your password may be different!)
Detailed Instructions to activate the Administrator - Logon to
Windows 7 using another administrator's username and password.
- Click on the Start button
- Click on Start Search.
- Type, cmd.
- Right-click cmd, select 'Run as administrator' from the shortcut menu.
- In the black 'DOS box', type the following at the command line:
Net help
user - The idea of the last command is just to check the options for Net User. In particular, examine the
syntax to set its password.
- The next instruction is the crucial command. I have chosen password = p@ssworD, you may want to choose different characters.
- Net user administrator p$ssw0rD
- Net user administrator
/active:yes
- Check the message hopefully you get : The command completed successfully.
If not log on as a different administrator.
- Switch User, or logoff
- Logon as Administrator Password p$ssw0rD (Your password should be different!)
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Troubleshooting Adminstrator /Active:Yes
Trap1 - Spaces: There should be no space between the word 'active' and the colon. /active :yes
(is wrong).
/active:yes (is correct). Trap2
- Slash: You need a forward slash before the word thus: /active
Net user administrator active:yes is wrong
Net user administrator /active:yes
is correct I thank Rob Hilton for pointing out the above trap. Trap3 -
Be
Active:
Pay close attention to the command, it should be active, and not activate. Thanks
to
Ben O'Sullivan for correcting this activate
--> active error.
If you prefer a simpler method, visit the Local Security policy,
incidentally, this MMC is worth exploring in its own right.
This is how you navigate to the Local Security Policy.
Firstly click on Windows 7's Start orb, then in the Start Search dialog box type:
secpol.msc. Note: you must include the .msc extension.
Secondly drill down to Local Policy, Security Options
Thirdly double click Accounts: Administrator account status, and select
enable.
You can also see the resulting Administrator in the Control Panel,
User
Accounts folder see below.
Activating this super account
provides a good opportunity to examine where you can configure Windows 7's accounts. Click on the Start button, Control Panel and select --> User Accounts:
My point is that you can check in the GUI which accounts have activated
successfully. /Active:yes the account is visible. /active:no the
User Name disappears from the list below.
One benefit of activating the hidden Windows 7 Administrator is that you have
access to an account, which does not suffer from the annoying UAC dialog box. Although it is possible to suppress the UAC with a local
group policy, there is a lingering fear that security is being weakened.
Another worry is that rumours persist that some commands don't work properly if you turn off the UAC. Linked to the benefit of suppressing the UAC dialog box is the fact that this Administrator
account has elevated privileges. What this means is that if your run CMD you don't have to 'Run as administrator' before you get unrestricted access to the command line.
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