A Windows User Is Locked Out of Her Computer, and You Must Log into the Local Administrator

Question: A Windows user is locked out of her computer, and you must log into the local administrator account

Options:

A. /HelpdeskAdmin

ANS: Option C: HelpdeskAdmin 

What to do when the computer is locked out?

Before the Admin username, a dash (_). Ensuring Windows recognises you as an administrator when you log into a local machine and grant you access requires the dot (.). The proper login is, therefore, ". "HelpdeskAdmin."

After you restart your computer, where Windows is already running, and if nobody has logged on, it's possible that you won't be able to log on to the machine locally or to the domain.

When you log in, the following error notification could appear:

• This computer has been locked and is in use.
• An administrator can only unlock this computer.
• For this computer to unlock, press Ctrl + Alt + Del.

If you repeatedly try to unlock the computer, you may get this error message: 

THE COMPUTER IS TEMPORARILY LOCKED. CONTACT AN ADMINISTRATOR TO UNLOCK THE SYSTEM. 

If a user has logged on and off several times, you may not log on to the system immediately after trying. Also, you can get the following error messages again displayed on the screen. 

• This computer has been temporarily locked due to an unknown issue
• A domain username or a system administrator can only unlock this computer.
• For this computer to unlock, press Ctrl + Alt + Del.
• You might see the following error notice if you attempt to unlock the computer:

NOTE: 

When the error message pops up, you can see that you have entered the actual domain name. 

Make sure the laptop is completely secured. A domain username or a system administrator can only unlock this computer.

The username is the title of the user who most recently logged on to the server, and the domain is the user's domain name.

How to Get Out of a Windows 10 Locked-Out Situation?

A locked Windows 10 account can be unlocked using various techniques. There are different approaches based on how you created your account, but one of the subsequent fixes might work.

• Reset the password of your Microsoft account 

Windows 10 strictly allow users to log in with Microsoft account. They don't allow the local account. If you reset your Microsoft account password, you must also change the password you log into Windows 10. 

NOTE: If you're locked out of a Windows 10 account connected to a Microsoft account, the only solution is to reset the password. The remaining techniques are restricted to using local accounts.

• Select the Reset Password link 

You must reselect the rest password and create a link beneath the password box.

This option will become available after typing the password wrong once for local Windows 10 accounts. 

Windows 10 probably will ask a series of security questions that you pre-set when you created the account will be asked by Windows 10. 

If you correctly respond to the questions, you'll have the option to change the password. 

• Password reset by a Windows administrator

This option resets an account password using the Windows Control Panel's User Accounts area. It can't alter the password for a Microsoft account and is only accessible if you are logged in with a Windows account with administrator privileges.

• Make use of a password-reset disc

The Forgotten Password Wizard can make this disc, which you can use to log in. However, this only functions if you put it up before getting locked out.

• Install Windows 10 again

Even though it's not ideal, this is your only choice if all other options fail. All current accounts will be deleted after a fresh reinstall of Windows 10. Use this only as a last option because it will also erase most current data.

• Disable "Password Expiration" and "Lockout Threshold"

Your account is locked by Windows' "account lockout threshold" after a certain number of unsuccessful login attempts. If the password expires, Windows might also restrict your account.

Change the security level from the secret administrator account if there have been too many unsuccessful logins attempts to access your account. Make sure the password for your account doesn't expire as well.

Since you cannot log in, you must use the Windows Recovery Environment to activate the concealed administrator account in the Group Policy Editor.

If Windows Home edition is installed on your machine, this solution won't work. Instead, try the suggestion (Delete Cached Credentials) in the next section.

While holding down the Shift key, choose Restart by selecting the Power icon in the bottom right corner.

Alternately, when Windows starts up, restart your computer and keep pressing the F8 or F11 key. See online tutorials on starting the system's recovery process in Windows 10 and 11 for additional details.

Regardless of how often you input a bad password, Windows will no longer block your account. Try restarting your computer and attempting to log into your primary account.

Frequently Asked Questions:

Q.1: How can I sign in as an administrator to a local account?

Ans: Click on Other User in the bottom-left corner of the sign-in screen. Enter your local admin password after typing "Administrator" as the username.

Q.2: How do you access your administrator account? 

Ans: Open the option "Run" with (Windows) + R 

Press [Ctrl] + [Shift] + [Enter] while typing "cmd". 

You should enter "net user administrator /active: yes". The admin account has been enabled.

Q.3: Which method is recommended while using the local administrator account?

Ans: Use two or more accounts, including an administrator account. A local admin or account with elevated access (domain admin) shouldn't be used for daily logins. 

Instead, set up two accounts - one regular with no administrative privileges and the other privileged with access to solely administrative functions.

Q.4: What are the primary differences between a local user and a domain user? 

Ans: Don't create confusion between local and domain accounts, as these parts are completely different. Local accounts are generally stored on machines, which you can use only for security purposes. 

But domain accounts are directly stored in Active Directory, and security settings need proper resources to offer services all over the network.