Windows 8, No Admin Rights

Hello I bought a new laptop online from Futureshop. It had Windows 8 preloaded on it, so started it up and made a profile. Everything was fine for about a week. And then I noticed that I couldn't open SWTOR, I would click it then get the loading cursor for a second or two, then nothing. Funny thing is, it still says I am an Administrator! This happens for many of the control panel programs, and other programs. Like I can't install or remove programs, or even add or change profiles.

 

Please Help D:

Hi Dylan,

 

·         Do you get any error message?

 

Star Wars Knights of the Old Republic is not compatible with Windows 8 you can refer this link.

 

This issue may occur if Windows might not read your user profile correctly while you try to log on.Let’s try the following Methods and check if it helps.

Method 1:

Enable Built Admin account.

a. Press Windows and xkey together on your desktop screen.
b. Click on Command Prompt (admin).
c. Type: net user administrator /active: yes

Note: Please follow the same steps and type net user administrator /active: no to disable admin account after the troubleshooting is done

After enabling Built-in admin, try to login to the default admin account and please try the following steps:

 

Method 2:

Perform SFC Scan

Please follow the steps to perform SFC Scan:

a. Press “Windows Key + Q”to open Charms Bar.
b. Type “cmd” without quotes in the search box.
c. On the left pane, right click on the “cmd” option and select “Run as Administrator”.
d. Type ‘sfc /scannow’ without quotes and hit enter.
Note: It may ask for windows installation DVD to fix and to enable SFC to make more than minor repairs. Some files saved on your computer might get deleted when fixing corrupted files.

Restart the computer and try to login to the account you have created or change the administartor password and check if it works.

 

Method 3:

If the issue persists, then from Built in administrator account create another new Administrator user account and check if you can login to the account without any issues.

If you can login to the new account, then transfer the profile data to the new account.

Please follow the steps to do that:

a) Press Windows + X together and select Windows Explorer.

b) Click on View tab and Click on Options at the top right corner.

c) Click the View tab, and then click Show hidden files, folders, and drives.

d) Uncheck the box which states Hide protected operating system files.
e) Click Yes to confirm, and then click OK.

f) Locate the C:\Users\Old_Username folder, where C is the drive that Windows is installed on, and Old Username is the name of the profile you want to copy files from.

g) Select all of the files and folders in this folder, except the following files:

•Ntuser.dat
•Ntuser.dat.log
•Ntuser.ini

h) Right click and Select Copy.

i) Locate the C:\Users\New_Username folder, where C is the drive that Windows is installed on, and New Username is the name of the new user profile created.

j) Right click inside the folder and select Paste.

k) Restart your PC and check if you are able to log in to default profile.

You may also try to remove the primary user account you have created.

After you have finished the troubleshooting, try the steps to disable Default admin account and check if you can login using the new user account.

a. Press Windows and x key together on your desktop screen.
b. Click on Command Prompt (admin).
c. Type: net user administrator /active: no.

d. Exit Command prompt and Restart the computer to login to the new user.

Check if it works without any issues.

Hope the information helps. Let us know if you need further assistance with Windows related issues. We will be happy to help.

John Rubdy
Forum Moderator | Microsoft Community

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Hi Dylan,

 

·         Do you get any error message?

 

Star Wars Knights of the Old Republic is not compatible with Windows 8 you can refer this link.

 

This issue may occur if Windows might not read your user profile correctly while you try to log on.Let’s try the following Methods and check if it helps.

Method 1:

Enable Built Admin account.

a. Press Windows and xkey together on your desktop screen.
b. Click on Command Prompt (admin).
c. Type: net user administrator /active: yes

Note: Please follow the same steps and type net user administrator /active: no to disable admin account after the troubleshooting is done

After enabling Built-in admin, try to login to the default admin account and please try the following steps:

 

Method 2:

Perform SFC Scan

Please follow the steps to perform SFC Scan:

a. Press “Windows Key + Q”to open Charms Bar.
b. Type “cmd” without quotes in the search box.
c. On the left pane, right click on the “cmd” option and select “Run as Administrator”.
d. Type ‘sfc /scannow’ without quotes and hit enter.
Note: It may ask for windows installation DVD to fix and to enable SFC to make more than minor repairs. Some files saved on your computer might get deleted when fixing corrupted files.

Restart the computer and try to login to the account you have created or change the administartor password and check if it works.

 

Method 3:

If the issue persists, then from Built in administrator account create another new Administrator user account and check if you can login to the account without any issues.

If you can login to the new account, then transfer the profile data to the new account.

Please follow the steps to do that:

a) Press Windows + X together and select Windows Explorer.

b) Click on View tab and Click on Options at the top right corner.

c) Click the View tab, and then click Show hidden files, folders, and drives.

d) Uncheck the box which states Hide protected operating system files.
e) Click Yes to confirm, and then click OK.

f) Locate the C:\Users\Old_Username folder, where C is the drive that Windows is installed on, and Old Username is the name of the profile you want to copy files from.

g) Select all of the files and folders in this folder, except the following files:

•Ntuser.dat
•Ntuser.dat.log
•Ntuser.ini

h) Right click and Select Copy.

i) Locate the C:\Users\New_Username folder, where C is the drive that Windows is installed on, and New Username is the name of the new user profile created.

j) Right click inside the folder and select Paste.

k) Restart your PC and check if you are able to log in to default profile.

You may also try to remove the primary user account you have created.

After you have finished the troubleshooting, try the steps to disable Default admin account and check if you can login using the new user account.

a. Press Windows and x key together on your desktop screen.
b. Click on Command Prompt (admin).
c. Type: net user administrator /active: no.

d. Exit Command prompt and Restart the computer to login to the new user.

Check if it works without any issues.

Hope the information helps. Let us know if you need further assistance with Windows related issues. We will be happy to help.

I can't get into any administrator rights, I am blocked everywhere.  I have no idea how this occurred?  I cannot get into:

b. Click on Command Prompt (admin).  
I cannot run Method 2:

Perform SFC Scan.  


I keep getting permissions issues.  A lot of programs on the desktop have the "shield" which means they won't run.  When I go into Properties for these programs I can't change anything because I don't have rights.  


In the Users directory there is a folder "UpdatusUser"?  


I am running Win 8 for the first time on an ASUS G75 laptop.  I did try and transfer stuff from my old Win7 computer to the ASUS while connected using HOMEGroup.  I have tried so many things I am not sure what is going on.  Have been on the web all day trying to find out what is going on.  The ASUS has an SSD drive for primary with a HHD drive for files.  I put all my non-program files (docs, pictures, videos, etc.) on a D: drive.  


Something has changed in, the C: drive has changed to Local Drive (C:) and I can't change any sharing of folders where a week ago I could?  My logon is John, but my User folder is "johnc_000"?  No matter what I do I can't seem to get into Admin rights to change things, I get a lot of "blocked" messages.  I have tried to login with my Windows account, my local account and still can't access any admin rights and some programs won't open, get the "Windows cannot access the specified device, path, or file.  You may not have the appropriate permissions to access the item."  


I would appreciate any help.  I am an older guy that is somewhat computer savvy, but Win 8 is the worst.  My frustration level is at an extreme.  I was a keynote speaker at the Microsoft Global Summit in 1995 invited by Jeff Raikes and Steve Balmer.  In fact my presentation with Jeff is on YouTube.  I want to call Jeff's office and scream like heck.  


What happened the good ole days when Microsoft was the goto player?  I hope there is a smart person out there that has a solution for this?  Oh, I am a partially disabled Vietnam vet and this problem is affecting my PTSD.  Oh well, take another depression pill, a beer go to bed and hope some kind person can help.  


Thanks in advance, WolfieRed1 

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I am also having the same problem. The user "admin" was lost after a printer install. Now I am not able to modify anything on my computer. Most of the programs and applications installed asks for a reply from the administrator and the button "yes" keeps disabled to continue any modification on the system.
Summarizing, there's no user admin defined, and I can't use the programs (even google chrome).
The methods above did not work as well.
I will keep checking this post for further knews.

Thank you.
Osvaldo

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Question Info


Last updated March 24, 2018 Views 1,513 Applies to: