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If you can’t open Windows Device Manager because of the “Device Manager is blocked by Administrator” error, continue reading below to fix the problem.
As you know, Device Manager in Windows allows you to see and control the hardware installed on your computer. Also through the device manager you can uninstall and update device drivers or revert device drivers to older versions if they don’t work properly after installing a newer version.
However, some users which have administrative privileges on their computer, are facing the “Device Manager has been blocked by Administrator” error when they try to access Device Manager and in this article we will see why this problem occurs and how to fix it.
When does the error message ‘Device Manager is blocked by the Administrator’ appear?
The error message “Device Manager is blocked by Administrator“, typically indicates that there are restrictions in place on your computer that prevent your user account from accessing or making changes to the Device Manager. For example, if your computer is owned by an organization, there is probably a policy in your organization that prevents users from accessing Device Manager without having administrator rights on the computer.
In other cases, the error may appear due to a problem with the Windows operating system or when the computer is infected with a malicious program.
How to Fix Device Manager is Blocked by Administrator in Windows 10/11.*
* Important:
1. As mentioned above, this problem can occur when your computer is managed by an organization. If this happens in your case, contact your network administrator and ask them to solve the problem.
2. To be able to open Device Manager, you must login to the computer, with a user account with administrative rights.
- Open Device Manager with Hidden Administrator Account.
- Open Device Manager from Power User Menu (Start + X).
- Open Device Manager from System Properties.
- Open Device Manager after logging in to the Administrator Account.
- Repair Windows System files.
- Repair Windows with an In-Place Upgrade.
Method-1. Open Device Manager using the Hidden Administrator Account.
In some cases the error “Device Manager has been blocked by the Administrator” appears because there is a problem with your user account rights. To solve the problem do the following:
1. Open PowerShell (or Command Prompt) as Administrator. To do that, click the Start menu and type powershell or cmd in the search bar. Then select Run as administrator.
2. In the PowerShell (or command prompt) window, type the following command and press Enter to activate the hidden Administrator account:
- net user administrator /active:yes
3. Then give the following command (and hit Enter), to open the Device Manager.
- devmgmt.msc
4. Once the commands are successfully executed, the Device Manager window will open and you will be able to view and control your devices.
Method 2. Open Device Manager from Power User Menu (Start + X).
In Windows 10/11, pressing the Windows (
) + X keys together opens the “Power User Menu”, which provides access to a variety of system tools, settings, and management options. So another way to bypass the error “Device Manager is to open the Device Manager from the “Power User” menu. To do that:
1. Press the Win + X keys, or right-click on the Start to open the Power User menu.
2. Then click on Device Manager to open it. If the Device Manager, doesn’t open by this way, then press Win + X again, but this time click Computer Management. *
3. In Computer Management, expand the System Tools menu and then click Device Manager to open it.
Method 3. Open Device Manager from System Properties.
Another way to open Device Manager if it is blocked by Administrator, is from System Properties.
+ R keys to load the Run dialog box.
1b. Type sysdm.cpl and press Enter, to open the System Properties.
2. In System Properties window, select to Hardware tab and click on Device Manager button.
Method 4. Open Device Manager after logging in to the Administrator Account.
1. If you haven’t already, follow the instructions in the first method above, to enable the “Administrator” account by giving the “net user administrator /active:yes” command in PowerShell or in Command Prompt as Administrator.
2. Restart your PC and login to Windows using the Administrator account.
3. After logging to Windows try to open the Device Manager. Then according the result:
a. If Device Manager doesn’t open, skip to next method.
b. If Device Manger opens, apply the below steps:
+ R keys to load the Run dialog box.
4b. Type control userpasswords2 and press Enter.
5. Select your user account and click Properties.
6. Now go to Group Membership tab, select the Administrator option and click Apply > OK.
7. Finally, sign-out from Administrator account and login to your account.
8. Try to open Device Manager.
Method 5. Fix ‘Device Manager Blocked by Administrator’ by Repairing Windows System files.
1. Open Command Prompt as Administrator.
2. At the command prompt window, type the following command & press Enter:
- Dism.exe /Online /Cleanup-Image /Restorehealth
3. Be patient until DISM repairs component store. When the operation is completed, (you should be informed that the component store corruption was repaired), give this command and press Enter:
- SFC /SCANNOW
5. When SFC scan is completed, restart your computer.
6. After restart check if the problem is fixed.
Method 6. Repair Windows with In-Place Upgrade.
If any of the above methods fixed the issue, try to perform a Windows In-Place Repair/Upgrade, by using the detailed instructions in one of these articles, according your Windows Edition:
That’s it! Which method worked for you?
Let me know if this guide has helped you by leaving your comment about your experience. Please like and share this guide to help others.