Windows 7 - Built-in Administrator - Enable from WinRE

Flavius

How to Enable the Built-in Administrator Account from WinRE

Information

Theoretically if you don't have any administrator account,build-in administrator account should be available in safe mode (see also related articles).Sometimes due to any identified reason build-in administrator may not to be available in safe mode too.This tutorial will help you to log on to build-in administrator in this case.It may help you also if you forgot your admin password and you don't have password reset disk.This article applies to Vista and Windows 7.

METHOD I (work only for 32 bit systems)

1. Download this file enableadmin.exe, save it on your desktop, and unblock it.

2. Open a command prompt at boot.

3. In the command prompt, type diskpart and press Enter. (see screenshot below step 5)

4. In the command prompt, type list volume and press Enter. (see screenshot below step 5)
NOTE: This will let you see what the drive letter is for your Windows 7 drive. It may not always be the C: drive letter at boot.

5. After making note of the drive letter, type exit and press Enter. (see screenshot below)

6. In the command prompt, type:

cd /d <boot partition>:\Users\<your account name>\Desktop

press ENTER

where <boot partition> is the drive letter where you installed Windows 7

and next type in command prompt

enableadmin

example:

here OS is on drive D:,the account name was John where this file has been placed so commands for this example will be:

cd /d D:\Users\John\Desktop

press ENTER

enableadmin

press ENTER

7. Restart computer,log on to build-in Administrator account and now you can try to fix problem dependce from situation -fix your account,reset password for your account or create new admin account.

METHOD II (work for all systems)

1. Open a command prompt at boot.

2. In the command prompt, type the command below and press Enter.

regedit

3. Click on HKEY_LOCALE_MACHINE (or HKEY_USERS - your choose. In this example I've chosen HKEY_LOCALE_MACHINE) .

4. Go to File menu and choose load hive option

it will open new window and in that navigate to drive where your OS is installed and go to <boot partition>\Windows\System32\config

in this example it is C:\Windows\System32\config

5. Choose SAM file and click Open

6. Next appear Key Name box,type the name whatever you want i.e REM_SAM

7. Go to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\REM_SAM\SAM\Domains\Accounts\Users\000001F4 key and double click on string F,

it will open table with hexadicimal numbers

Build-in Administrator is disabled

8. In this table find 11 number (8th line,first column in table -images),click to the right of it,press backspace and the 11 disappear and insert the 10 in this place

Build-in Administrator is enabled

9. Close box,the whole regedit and restart computer.

10. Log on to build-in Administrator account and now you can try to fix problem dependce from situation -fix your account,reset password for your account or create new admin account.

Warning

When finished repair you should disable build-in Administrator account (eventually create password for it).This account shouldn't be used in daily work.

Related Tutorials

**Lomai** · 08-31-2010

Thank you for this

Regards

**DreemWarrior** · 01-03-2011

Flavius,
Great tutorial. I found myself locked out of my system after doing a sys restore using a HD image. Restore went well...untill it asked me for the password-which I had changed since the imaging. I even took the time to make a PW recovery key. NEVER thought I'd need it. And obviously didnt because it wouldnt work! The "key" unlocked it, but when it asked to enter new PW, I got "An error has occurred while resetting your password" Repeatedly. I even booted to dosk and enabled ADMIN THAT WAY TO NO AVAIL. I guess some days are just like that.

**zaza** · 01-10-2011

what if the no. was already no. 10?

but still it hangs on welcome screen.

**trickydb9** · 10-21-2011

I cannot get past option 5, it asks me for an account that has administrator rights. All accounts that have administrative rights are disabled!!

This is on a Window 7 Pro X64 machine, so using Method II

**trickydb9** · 10-21-2011

I resolved this using a Windows 7 Repair disk from another Windows 7 x64 PC. Opened a command prompt through that and then was able to load the config and create the REM_SAM, made the change and enable to the Administrator account.

If you need to know how to create a repair cd google it, lots of info on the web about that.

Cheers

**Brink** · 10-21-2011

Hello Tircky, and welcome to Seven Forums.

That's great news. Thank you for posting back with your results and solution.

For those that need to create a repair disk: System Repair Disc - Create

**louwen** · 12-08-2011

Hi,
Just registered to say THANK YOU SO MUCH for the enableadmin exe.

Cheers.

Windows 7 - Built-in Administrator - Enable from WinRE

Built-in Administrator - Enable from WinRE

Built-in Administrator - Enable from WinRE problems?