Enabling local account from troubleshoot command prompt

Question

_{Friday, June 22, 2018 2:22 PM}

I have a domain joined computer whose local accounts are all disabled. Consider all the domain profiles cannot be logged into even by disconnecting the NIC to use cache so I need to get into a local admin from recovery/troubleshooting menus. 

In Windows 10(1803) it seems the built-in administrator account is not temp re-enabled for safe mode anymore.

So I've rebooted to command prompt from the built-in troubleshooting menus and also from the install DVD. Both ways I've tried to have net user command to re-enable the administrator 'net user administrator /active:yes'  and I've also tried to add a brand new admin 'net user /add [username] [password]' then 'new localgroup administrators [username] /add'

Both commands get run successful, but after exiting the command prompt and continuing to the normal Windows gui login prompt, neither the enable or the account have persisted. What gives?

How can I recover a local admin account to regain the computer ?

All replies (1)

_{Friday, June 22, 2018 3:09 PM}

It cannot be done that way, because the local accounts you enabled are for WINPE environment.

To be able to manage local account, from winpe environment, type diskpart  - list disk - select disk - list volume to get the letter of the C drive.

Exit diskpart then type C: (if C is the letter attributed to SYSTEM drive).

cd c:\windows\system32

ren utilman.exe utilman.exe.bak

ren cmd.exe utilman.exe

restart with normal OS

ctrl+alt+del

click on the icon voice assistant to get CMD window open

reset password or enable account

if successful reboot in WINPE to rename back right executables

This applies to windows 10 and Windows 8.1

Cherif Benammar