Device Manager in the Windows operating system allows users to view and control the hardware installed on their computer. We can also use this utility to update, uninstall, or roll back device drivers. However, some Windows users are unable to open the Device Manager because it has been blocked by their administrator, or that’s what the error message says. In this article, we will learn what to do when the Device Manager is blocked by the administrator in Windows 11.
Fix Device Manager blocked by administrator in Windows 11/10
There are various reasons why an administrator might not want you to make changes to device drivers. Most of them are related to security, but they can also be to streamline user experience. One of the reasons for blocking the Device Manager is security because it prevents malicious software and users from tampering with the hardware configuration. However, a lot of users who are actually not a part of an organization or whose computer is not controlled by an admin get this error. Also there could be cases, where an administrator has not made any changes but the app is blocked. In any case you can execute the following solutions to resolve the issue.
- Turn on the super administrator account and then run it
- Launch Device Manager as an administrator
- Open Device Manager with alternative methods
- Turn off Windows Smart Screen temporarily
- Check Group Policy settings.
You may require administrative privileges to carry out some of these suggestions.
1] Turn on the super administrator account and then run it
There is a built-in administrator account that comes with Windows 11 and it allows computer manufacturers to install any apps without creating a user account. To prevent unauthorized access, the account is hidden by default. If you are unable to open Device Manager due to a lack of access, enable the hidden super admin account and then try to open Devices Manager. Follow the prescribed steps to enable hidden administrator:
- Press the Windows key and type Command Prompt.
- Right-click on Command Prompt and select Run as administrator.
- Here, click on the Yes button.
- Enter the following command in the command prompt.
net user administrator /active:yes
After running this command, now see if you are able to open Device Manager.
Read: System error 5 has occurred, Access is denied
2] Launch Device Manager as an administrator
Next up, let us try to open Device Manager with administrative privileges. This will do the trick as here you yourself are the administrator. Do keep in mind that since you are asking for administrative rights, your system might require your credentials.
Open Run, type “devmgmt.msc” and click Ctrl + Shift + Ok. Now, you may or may not be asked to enter the credentials. So, do that and check if the issue is resolved.
Read: This app has been blocked by your system administrator
3] Open Device Manager with alternative methods
There are other methods by which you can launch the Device Manager, we have mentioned two of them below. Just go through them and see if either of them works for you.
- Launch Device Manager from Computer Management: Launch Computer Management from Start and click on Device Manager placed under System Tools.
- Launch Device Manager from PowerShell: Open PowerShell as an administrator, type devmgmt.msc and hit Enter.
- Open Device Manager using CMD: Open an elevated Command Propmt, type
- devmgmt.msc and hit Enter.
- Using Windows Settings: Open Settings, type Device Manager in the Settings search bar and then select the displayed option.
If neither of the methods worked for you, there is something that’s stopping the Device Manager from running on your computer. Move to the next solution to resolve that.
Read: An administrator has blocked you from running this app MMC.exe
4] Turn off Windows Smart Screen temporarily
If you are unable to access Device Manager, it is very likely that Windows Smart Screen is conflicting with the app. In order to do the same, we recommend you disable the Windows SmartScreen and then start Device Manager.
5] Check Group Policy settings
Open Group Policy Editor and navigate to:
Computer Configuration > Windows Settings > Security Settings > Local Policies > Security Options
Ensure that the setting User Account Control: Run all administrators in Admin Approval Mode is Disabled.
This should however be done only temporarily.
We hope that you are able to resolve the issue using the solutions mentioned in this post.
Why can’t open Device Manager in Windows?
You are unable to open Device Manager in Windows due to various factors. However, before troubleshooting the issue, we recommend opening the app using alternative methods as mentioned in this post earlier. In case, those methods didn’t work for you, launch the app with administrative privileges.
Read: Bluetooth is missing or not showing in Device Manager
How do I open Device Manager as Administrator in Win 11?
Unlike almost every single application you can open Device Manager as an administrator just by right-clicking the app and selecting the right option from the Context Menu. In this case, you need to open Run, type “devmgmt.msc” and click Ctrl + Shift + Ok. Finally, click Yes when the UAC prompt appears.
Also Read: Device Manager is blank & not showing anything.
