Windows Store not recognizing Admin privileges

06
2014-04
  • Danny D'Amours

    I'm trying to upgrade a new Dell laptop with Windows 8 to Windows 8.1. Using the default user logon created at initial boot, trying to upgrade to 8.1 via the Windows Store, I get the following error:

    "You need to use an account with Administrator privileges to install Windows 8.1, try logging in with the user account of an administrator of this PC and trying the update again."

    Putting aside the grammatical error of Windows Store, I can't tell why it is not recognizing admin privileges.

    Doing a

    "net localgroup Administrators"

    lists the username in the group.

    Creating an additional user with admin privileges to perform the install seemed to work but I don't understand why the original account didn't.

    • Answers
  • xilolee

    1) Check your user privileges: Windows key + r key (Windows +R) --> opens the run window

    2) Type/copy: control userpasswords2 (press enter) --> open user accounts window

    3) double click your user or select your user and click properties, click Group membership tab, check if the radio button is on administrators.

  • Danny D'Amours

    Creating an additional user with admin privileges to perform the install seemed the only workaround that I could find to install the 8.1 update.

  • Kevin Panko

    I called Dell tech support. They tried and also failed to update to Win 8.1. They did a bunch of updates, activated Dell backup and ran a command line utility wsreset.exe that cleared the store cache, I'm guessing that is what fixed the problem.

    Probably a left over setting from the preinstallation of apps.

  • Gabriel Militello

    Change your user to admin group like xilolee said. Then, run wsreset.exe to clean the cache like Kevin/Jean said.

    Now the store will reset all its information, getting user´s new credentials as admin and letting you install windows 8.1.


    • Related Question

    permissions - My Account type is Administrator in Windows 8 YET I don't get full access to folders
  • Abhishek Sha

    I'm running Windows 8 Pro. My account type is of admin:

    Windows 8 Account Type

    And My UAC is off:

    UAC

    Yet, I still get errors like this:

    1

    and

    2


    • Related Answers
  • gonzo23

    I do not have windows 8 but I had the same issue with my computer. On my system you have to log in as an administrator in safe mode to access some system folders and folders by other user logins. Other users login accounts on your computer can make their folders private and prevent not only other user logins from having access, but also an administartor account from accessing them. The computer system can also prevent some files from being accessed by the user by default. If it is not extremely necessary to access these type of files, then they are better left alone. However, sometimes it is just apparent that some things need to be revised ir deleted. In this case, you have to go into safe mode (speaking about my system) and tweak the properties of any file to allow access to "administrator", which will give acces to any user with an administartor account. For files that have been marked "to make private," and ones that deny access, you must add your user login name or administrator to the list of user types or users that can access the folder, and if successful, when running in normal mode you will be able to access these folders or files. It is a bit on the complicated side and your system is no doubt a little different. However, it is soemthing that can be fixed by someone with a bit of knowledge about how user acces works for your syste. The best place to start a search would be on the microsoft help pages online.

  • Nicole Hamilton

    You don't say what you're doing when this happens, but this sounds like it may be a problem you're encountering in your own code. If you try to start a child that requires elevation (marked in the .exe) using CreateProcess and you're not already elevated, it will fail. GetLastError() will report ERROR_ELEVATION_REQUIRED.

    To run an .exe that requires elevation, you have to use ShellExecuteEx() if you're not already running elevated.

  • Mark Allen

    If you enable and log in as the account named Administrator, everything will be elevated. It's not recommended, it's probably a bad idea, but it should work.

    Edit:

    The error message in the picture you posted states that the operation requires elevation. It means what it says. Even though you are a member of the administrators group on the machine, you aren't automatically running with elevated permissions all the time. This is a security feature. Windows XP for example wasn't like this. Vista and later have been.

    If you elevate your command prompt and run the installer from there, or right click on the installer in Explorer and choose Run as administrator, you will start the installer with elevated permissions and it should work, or at least give you a different error message. All turning off UAC does for you is not provide you with a special prompt asking you if it's ok first. It doesn't automatically elevate everything you do. I already told you the only way I know of to do that.