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Administrator Password required to uninstall

This is a friends WIN10 PC upgraded from WIN 7.  When ever he tries to uninstall a program from the Apps tab under Settings he get a requirement to enter a password.  The user name is already in place as 'admin'.

How can I find this password since it is not the login password.  I have tried using Blank but that did not work.

This also happens when I try and open a command prompt and run as administrator.  It again asks for a password.

Searching the web does not show solutions for the latest version of WIN10.  The User Account functions have changed since many of the solutions have been posted.  I see there is a way to decrease the User Account Settings under the Control Panel but I am not sure if this is the method that should be used.

Regards,

Dan Kahn

 
Hi Dan,

If your friend is logged in as an Admin and associated with Microsoft account.

He needs to use the Microsoft account credentials instead in order to allow that function.

Please let me know if this clarified your concern.

Thanks and regards,

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I received some more information after doing some troubleshooting.  The owner is not the administrator, his son-in-law is.  At this time his son-in-law does not remember the administrator login password.  Without this password I am thinking he can not continue to uninstall or do anything associated with the administrator functions.  

This is a Local Account only, he does not have a Microsoft Account.  If he were to create a MS account, could he become the Administrator on this account and solve all the problems?  Creating an MS account should not be that difficult unless it needs Administrator privilege's.\ and we are back to the original problem.

My suggestion is, if he can not recover the password, I would re-install WIN 10 with him as the Administrator and solve all the problems he is up against.  I have a 1903 version iso on a USB stick that I can load from.  After the reload I would go through the normal updates to get to 1909.

I think this may be the only solution without a brain recall.  I am thinking I would reload with the option that Windows is already installed.  Does that entry point allow the user to be defined as Administrator or do I need to do a clean install from boot?  The owner question the reload and wanted to know if all the icons and programs would be retained.  I am pretty sure if you do a reload with an existing OS, the apps and desktop are retained.  Am I correct?

Thanks for the reply.

Regards,

Dan Kahn

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Hi Daniel,

Most likely you are pertaining to "Refresh" the Operating System.

Which can actually retain the apps and personal data.

You can give it a shot as well.

Please give us a feedback on what will happen if ever you will do this.

Thanks and regards,

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Last updated April 19, 2025 Views 2,931 Applies to: