SOLVED Hidden Admin 1607 ver.

[Norton]

Just checking out every task I did in 1511 before the update, making sure there's no surprises. I have noticed one anomaly.
With 1511, when the hidden administrator was activated, it showed up on the desktop with the other user accounts. You could click on the displayed Administrator account and it would take you to the Log In page. I made my hidden Admin password protected. Since the anniversary update when the hidden Administrator is active it doesn't show on my desktop. As such, there is no way to log in as Administrator. Has anyone activated the hidden Admin account yet? Is it an intended MS Oops! or is just my PC that has an account problem. I have my PC set up identical to 1511. That is, two local accounts 1. PC Administrator and 2.Norton. I use the Norton local account password protected for daily use and the PC Administrator local administrator password protected account for performing admin tasks, such as cleaning, imaging, backups, new installs/downloads...so I don't have to deal with the UAC permissions.

 

[Regedit32]

I had my Built-in Administrator with password set up on previous build and after updating it still appears on the login page and works fine for me. When at Desktop if you left click Start the account icon appears 4th up from bottom left side of menu which if you right click Administrator appears,

 

[Norton]

Nope! I just activated the hidden admin. The user account Log IN page just shows 2 accounts Norton and PC Administrator local admin, not the Administrator (hidden) account. Left clicked on start as suggested and it shows Norton only no Administrator. Activating the hidden Administrator account created a Administrator Folder in the Root folder of C: which I can open with the local admin account,It worked fine before the recent update.

 

[Trouble]

Double check.
Open an Admin Command Prompt and type
net user administrator
hit enter
make sure that it shows "Account active Yes"

IF so..... try rebooting into Safe mode to test and see if the option to login with that account shows up there?

 

[Norton]

Trouble I tried what you suggested, results below. I cant start in safe mode, (F8) and haven't been able to do so since before (Win 7) the installing Win 10. From what I've read, Dell are finicky starting in (F8) safe mode, my Laptop is the same? Image is with Administrator account active (net user administrator active/:yes

 

[Trouble]

But in your image it says "Account Active ..... No
So now I'm confused.
And as far as booting into Safe Mode or Safe Mode with Networking....
Can't you just hold the shift key while clicking "Restart"
And go through the advanced troubleshooting options to Startup Settings and after you click restart, choose #4 or #5 probably #5 Safe Mode with Networking.

 

[Norton]

I'll try that with the shift key the PC has been so reliable I never use the safe mode (until now) LOL
I fixed the problem went into the Local User Group (lusrmgr) the "Administrator account was deactivated? Activated it and had to change the password. All is well and it shows on the user Log IN. Now I'll have to work on that safe start, busy right now, working on Pool, so you know what I mean by later LOL

Sorry for the confusion. When I activated the account net user administrator/active:yes the reply returned was "command completed successfully" Then when I typed net user Administrator account active said "NO" that was the confusing part for me too.

 

[Regedit32]

Have you tried setting a password first then activating account?

i.e.

net user administrator ******** [press enter key]

Then enter: net user administrator /active:yes

What ever you enter for the ********* will become the required password to enter when logging in to built in admin

 

[Norton]

Trouble Back to the safe start problem. I tried holding the "Shift" key and clicking on "Restart" it just takes me to the "Trouble shooting Options page"

 

[Trouble]

Yep. that's where you need to be to get to "Startup Settings" which in turn gets you to the boot options after clicking restart from there.
Remind me again, why we are even messing with this, since you resolved your own problem earlier?

 

[Norton]

Have you tried setting a password first then activating account?

i.e.

net user administrator ******** [press enter key]

Then enter: net user administrator /active:yes

What ever you enter for the ********* will become the required password to enter when logging in to built in admin

Regedit I tried both methods net user administrator active and net user administrator {password} active neither method would show it Administrator active active on Log IN page Something changed on the anniversary update, the only way I can get the Administrator to be displayed on the Log IN page is activating through the Local User Group. The only problem with this method is I can't hide it through the command prompt.

 

[Norton]

Yep. that's where you need to be to get to "Startup Settings" which in turn gets you to the boot options after clicking restart from there.
Remind me again, why we are even messing with this, since you resolved your own problem earlier?

OK Now I understand. I didn't bother exploring any further since I resolved the problem. I was expecting to see the old Win 7 command prompt style text page LOL.