Your Account Has Been Disabled on Windows 10 Login — How to Fix It?

Encountering the message "Your account has been disabled" when logging into Windows 10? This warning can arise for various reasons, but in most cases, you can resolve the issue on your own. Let's go over the main ways to restore access to your account and fix this problem.

Reasons for Account Lockouts

Before jumping into solutions, it’s helpful to understand why the system might disable an account. Common reasons include:

  • An administrator manually disabled the account;
  • System errors or issues occurring after a system update;
  • Corruption of the user profile or system files;
  • Restrictions set on the account locally or through security policies.

Ways to Resolve the Issue

There are several methods to restore access to a disabled account in Windows 10. Let’s go through each in detail.

1. Using Safe Mode

Safe Mode is a great tool for diagnosing and fixing account issues. To enter Safe Mode:

  1. Restart your computer and press F8 or Shift + F8 as it starts to boot up.
  2. In the menu, select "Troubleshoot", then go to "Advanced Options" > "Startup Settings".
  3. Select Safe Mode with Command Prompt.

Once in Safe Mode, you can attempt to enable your account using the Command Prompt (see the next method for instructions).

2. Enabling the Account Through Command Prompt

To enable the account with administrative privileges, use the Command Prompt:

  1. Open the Command Prompt as an administrator (either in Safe Mode or using another account with admin rights).
  2. Enter the command:
net user username /active:yes

Replace "username" with the name of the disabled account. After running the command, try logging into the system again.

3. Using the Local Group Policy Editor

If you’re on Windows 10 Pro or Enterprise, you can use the Local Group Policy Editor:

  1. Press Win + R and type gpedit.msc, then press Enter.
  2. Navigate to Computer Configuration > Windows Settings > Security Settings > Local Policies > Security Options.
  3. Locate the setting "Account Lockout Policy" and set it to “Disabled”.

This action can help restore access if the account was disabled due to security policy settings.

4. Resetting the Administrator Account Password

If only the Administrator account is disabled, you can reset the password using a Windows installation disk:

  1. Boot from the Windows installation disk and select "System Restore".
  2. Open the Command Prompt and enter the command to reset the password:
net user Administrator new_password

After resetting the password, you can try logging back into the Administrator account.

5. System Restore

If nothing else works, you can try performing a system restore:

  1. Press Win + R and type rstrui to start System Restore.
  2. Select a restore point when the account was still active.

This will revert the system to a previous state, potentially restoring access to the account.