How do I restore my administrative rights to Windows 11?

Restoring administrative rights after deleting an admin account in Windows 11 can be challenging. Here are some steps you can take to regain administrative access:

1. Use Another Admin Account: If there are other administrative accounts on the system, log in with one of those accounts and restore the deleted admin account or create a new one with administrative privileges.
2. Boot into Safe Mode: Restart your computer and boot into Safe Mode. In Safe Mode, Windows may allow you to access the built-in Administrator account, which is often enabled by default and has administrative rights. You can then create a new admin account or restore the deleted one.
3. Use Windows Recovery Environment: If you cannot access any admin account, you may need to use the Windows Recovery Environment. You can access this by booting from a Windows installation media (USB or DVD). From there, you can use the command prompt to enable the built-in Administrator account:
   • Select "Repair your computer" > "Troubleshoot" > "Advanced options" > "Command Prompt".
   • In the command prompt, type: net user administrator /active:yes and press Enter. This will enable the built-in Administrator account.
   • Restart your computer and log in with the Administrator account to create a new admin account.
4. System Restore: If you have a system restore point created before the deletion of the admin account, you can restore your system to that point. This will revert the system settings, including user accounts, to the state they were in at the time of the restore point.
5. Reinstall Windows: As a last resort, if you cannot regain access, you may need to consider reinstalling Windows. This will reset your system but will also remove all installed applications and data, so ensure you back up important files if possible.

Make sure to keep a backup of your important data and consider creating a secondary admin account in the future to avoid similar issues.

References:

• Enable and disable the built-in administrator account