Accounts Enable or Disable UAC for Built-in Administrator in Windows 11

This tutorial will show you how to enable or disable User Account Control (UAC) for the built-in Administrator account in Windows 10 and Windows 11.

Windows includes a hidden built-in Administrator account that serves as the local system administrator with elevated rights by default without needing Run as administrator or UAC (User Account Control) for elevation approval.

When User Account Control (UAC) is enabled, Windows prompts for consent or prompts for credentials of a valid local administrator account before starting a program or task that requires a full administrator access token. The UAC prompt mitigates malicious software running under elevated credentials without the user or administrator being aware of its activity.

The User Account Control: Admin Approval Mode for the Built-in Administrator account policy setting determines the behavior of Admin Approval Mode for the built-in administrator account. When the Admin Approval Mode is enabled, the local administrator account functions like a standard user account, but it has the ability to elevate privileges without logging on by using a different account. In this mode, any operation that requires elevation of privilege displays a prompt that allows the administrator to permit or deny the elevation of privilege. If Admin Approval Mode isn't enabled, the built-in Administrator account runs all applications by default with full administrative privileges. By default, Admin Approval Mode is set to Disabled.

Reference:

You must be signed in as an administrator to enable or disable User Account Control (UAC) for the built-in Administrator account.

EXAMPLE: User Account Control (UAC) prompt

Local Security Policy is only available in the Windows 10/11 Pro, Enterprise, and Education editions.

All editions can use Option Two to change the same policy.

1 Open Local Security Policy (secpol.msc).

2 Perform the following actions: (see screenshot below)

1. Expand open the Local Policies folder in the left pane.
2. Click/tap on the Security Options subfolder in the left pane.
3. Double click/tap on the User Account Control: Admin Approval Mode for the Built-in Administrator account policy in the right pane.

3 In the Local Security Setting tab, select (dot) Enabled or Disabled (default) for what you want, and click/tap on OK. (see screenshot below)


4 You can now close Local Security Policy if you like.





1 Do step 2 (enable) or step 3 (disable) below for what you would like to do.





(Contents of REG file for reference)

This is the default setting.

(Contents of REG file for reference)

4 Save the .reg file to your desktop.

5 Double click/tap on the downloaded .reg file to merge it.

6 When prompted, click/tap on Run, Yes (UAC), Yes, and OK to approve the merge.

7 You can now delete the downloaded .reg file if you like.


That's it,
Shawn Brink