How do I know if my administrator is enabled?

Some programs require Administrative Rights to run the installation.  In XP, Vista, or Windows 7 there are two ways to check this:

Option 1:

1. Open the Control Panel.
2. Select "User Accounts".
3. The user accounts will be listed on the right side of the window.
4. Under the user login name the word "Administrator" or "Limited" will appear.

If the account is shown as "Limited" you may not be able to install software on the system. Departmental IT support should be contacted to change your account settings in order to gain installation privileges.

Option 2:

1. Right click on the "My Computer" icon and select "Manage".  (Vista and Windows 7 users can access this through the Start button and right clicking "Computer".)
2. Select "Local Users and Groups".
3. Select "Users".
4. On the right side of the window the user accounts will be listed. Double click on your account.
5. Select the "Member of" tab at the top of the window.

If the account is shown as a member of the "Administrator" group you should be able to install software on the system. Otherwise, departmental IT support personnel should be contacted to change the user account settings you require for installation privileges.

***These instructions, along with step-by-step screenshots, are available for download in the attachment below.

For further assistance, please submit a Help.UNM ticket or contact UNM Information Technologies Customer Support Services (IT CSS) by calling (505) 277-5757.

To perform specific tasks, your account needs to have administrative privileges. That would explain why when you try to follow instructions, things don’t turn out the way you expected them to.

You may have made a mistake following instructions, or maybe your account doesn’t have the administrative privileges it needs to complete the task. The good news is that there are easy ways to check what type of account you have.

1. Check for Administrative Privileges in Settings

To open settings, press the Windows and I keys. Go to account, and below your profile picture, you should see if you have administrative privileges.

2. Check Account Type in Local Users and Groups

The fastest way to open Local Users and Groups is to type lusrmgr.msc in the search bar. If you prefer, you can also right-click on the Windows start menu and click on Computer Management. When the new window appears, click on Local Users and Groups, followed by the Groups option.

Locate the Administrators option and double-click on it. The Administrator Properties window should appear, and when it does, you’ll see what accounts have administrative privileges in the Members box.

3. Use the Command Prompt to Check Account Type

The Command Prompt also offers you a quick way to check if you have a standard user account or not. Open the Command Prompt by using the search bar and type:

net user (accountname)

So, the entry would look like this: net user judys

If in the Local Group Memberships section, you only see Users, then you have a standard user account. But, if you see both Administrators and users, then you have Administrative privileges.

4. Use Computer Management to Check Account Type

Look for the Computer Management option in the search bar. If it’s not already expanded, click on the System Tools drop-down menu. Now, click on the Local Users and Groups option. Choose the Users branch and find the account you want to check. Right-click on the account and choose the Properties option.

Click on the Member Of tab, and if it says both Administrators and Users, you have administrative privileges. If it only says users, you have a standard account.

5. Determine Account Type with Windows PowerShell

With PowerShell, things are a little different, but it-s still possible to see if you have a local account or not. Open PowerShell by right-clicking on the Windows start menu and choose the one that says, Administrator.

The first command you’ll need to enter is whoami and press enter. The second command to enter is:

Get- LocalUser -Name username | Select PrincipalSource

Replace “username” with the username displayed with the whoami command.

If you only have a local account, it won’t say MicrosoftAccount, it’ll say Local.

6. See Windows Account Type Using Control Panel

Use the search bar to look for the Control Panel option and press Enter to open it. Once it’s open, go to User Accounts and click on the User Accounts option. You’ll click on the same option twice. To the right of your profile picture and under your email, you’ll see if your account is an Administrator.

Conclusion

Having an administrative account is a must for specific tasks. Now you can check if your account has the clearance to perform those tasks or not. So, is your account an administrative one?

How do I enable myself as Administrator?

What do I do if my Administrator account is disabled?

How do I know if I have the built

Is Administrator disabled by default?