How to Repair 'An administrator has blocked you from running this app' Error in Windows 10

Q: How do I unlock an application that has been locked by the administrator?

Right-click on the file you are trying to run and select 'Properties' from the context menu. Switch to the General tab. Select the Unblock checkbox in the Security section. Click Apply and complete the changes with the OK button.

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If you’re getting the error message “Administrator has blocked this application from running” on your Windows 10 computer, it may be a cause for concern. Users report that even when logging in with an administrator account, Windows 10 gives the same error and blocks access to many system and third-party apps. There have been cases where mmc.exe blocked access to system applications such as Device Manager and Disk Management.

So, if you are facing these issues on your Windows 10 computer, follow our four-point guide below.

What causes the “Administrator has blocked this application from running” error message?

The purpose of this pop-up is to protect your system from running suspicious setup.exe files that can transmit a virus to your system. This is a useful tool to protect your computer, considering how often .exe files are used by attackers to launch ransomware, Trojans and other cyber-infections.

Therefore, if you are unsure about the reliability and security of a file or application, especially if it was downloaded from a questionable third-party source, we strongly recommend that you do not ignore the “Administrator has blocked this application from running” error message and run the application/file anyway.

However, the UAC prompt “Administrator has blocked this application from running” is usually not directly related to the downloaded files or applications. In most cases, this message appears when the content is legitimate, such as a system driver downloaded directly from the manufacturer.

How to eliminate the “Administrator has prevented you from running this application” message?

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Convert the assigned account to an administrator account

Make sure that you are logged in with an administrator account. If you don’t have an administrator account, you can still log in with a hidden administrator account.
Open the Settings application. You can do this quickly by pressing the Windows + I keys.
When the Settings app opens, go to Accounts.
In the left pane, click Family and Others. In the right pane, click your account, and then click Change Account Type.
The Change Account Type window appears. Set the account type to Administrator and click OK to save your changes.

Disable Windows SmartScreen

Log in to the Administrator account.
Open the Settings application.
Go to Update and Security.
Select Windows Defender from the left-hand menu.
Click on Open Windows Defender Security Center in the right pane.
Now click on Application and Browser Control.
Set all settings to Off. To disable SmartScreen, you must check Apps and Files, set SmartScreen for Microsoft Edge and SmartScreen for Windows Store applications to Off.

Use the command line to install the application

Type cmd in the search bar, and you should see Command Prompt in the list of results.
Right-click on it and select Run as administrator.
At the command prompt, you need to find the file you want to run. To do this, type cmd and then the folder where the application is stored.
Once you have successfully changed the folder location, simply enter the name of the file you want to run and then its extension.
The file should now run without any problems.

Enable the hidden administrator account

Run the command line as an administrator.
When the command line starts, type the following text and press Enter to run it:
net user administrator /active:yes
Exit your current account.
You should see a new administrator account. Log in to this account.
Find the application you want to install and run it.
The installation should go smoothly.
Then switch back to your normal account.
If you want to disable the administrator account, run the command line and type the following:
net user administrator /active:no

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Frequently Asked Questions

How do I unlock an application that has been locked by the administrator?

Right-click on the file you are trying to run and select "Properties" from the context menu.
Switch to the General tab. Select the Unblock checkbox in the Security section.
Click Apply and complete the changes with the OK button.

How do I get the administrator to unblock a program?

Check your antivirus software.
Use the command line to install the application.
Enable the hidden administrator account.
Disable Windows SmartScreen.
Convert the affected account to an administrator account.
Log in and log out of your account.

What does the message "the administrator has blocked this application from running" mean?

Many users report that user account controls prevent them from installing applications and the unexplained warning message "The administrator has blocked this application from launching" appears. The purpose of this pop-up is to protect the system from running suspicious setup.exe files that may carry a virus into the system.

Carter Blakefield