Windows 10: Windows Update has locked out Admin account

The admin account on a single user machine which did not require a password to logon has been changed by an update this week to require a password which of course does not exist. The question is how can the Admin account be reset to allow access. There is a second non-admin account which boots without a password, but is of little use, because ther are none of apps etc that are contained in the admin account. The user does not have a Micrsoft account.
This was originally an OEM pre-installed Win 7 Home version and was upgraded by Windows update.
It is possible to setup a new account from the secondary account, the question is, how to replicate the admin account apps in a new admin account?

:)

 

Can't reset (keep files) or start Windows 10

This might help.

User Account Locked out or Lost Admin Privileges? WinRE can Rescue » The Winhelponline Blog :

http://www.winhelponline.com/blog/locked-user-account-lost-admin-privileges-rescue/

You need to boot from Windows installation media.

 

What's this option in Windows Update

I think that Windows "Unlocks" your Admin Account to complete the update, then "Locks" the account again so that only the Administrator can access it with their password.

By default, Windows wants "you" the Administrator, to have at least two accounts -

1, your Admin Account

2, your User Account

During some updates, Windows completes the update by doing some Administrator Account work after the Log In screen appears, and someone has logged in.

When you or any other user logs in with a User Account, Windows then uses the Admin Account to finish off the update and then releases the Admin Account.

If you only have one account, because you are a lazy single user like me and don't want to be hassled by Windows every time you tinker around with the OS or add new programs etc. then you can get locked out of Windows.

If your machine is used to automatically run lots of critical stuff unattended, then they (the critical stuff) will stop working until you or any other user has logged in and the Admin Account has been released by Windows update.

The purpose of this switch is not to help lazy users like me to get away with not having a user account, but to ensure that mission critical operations are disrupted as little as possible during updates.

If I have misunderstood this in any way, I am sure that a Microsoft Professional will put me right very quickly!

 

There's a thread already covering this think... Try search? (I'm on my mobile so can't find it).

 

Since I opened this thread, I have found various solutions to this problem by manipulating the utilman.exe file from a cmd window via the installation DVD. They refer to utilman file being in windows/system32, however I have this file in two places winsxs and wow64. I am now confused as to which of the files is being used by the 64bit OS during bootup, my guess is the one in wow64, am I right?

 

Prior to writing my previous post, I used "Everything search engine" which I now find does not include any results from the system32 folder. A File explorer search of the system32 folder immediately located the utilman.exe file, my confusion has been resolved.

Regarding my original question regarding resetting the admin password, I have gathered some information, and now await the return of my nieghbour to see if the proposed solution works on his locked computer. If the recovery works I will post back the details.

 

Just after my last post, my neighbour informed me that he was back to normal with his Windows 10. His son had contacted Microsoft and they issued a login code/password that allowed him to login to his admin account.

The solution I had intended to try is still untested. If anyone is interested, have look at the attachment which is a copy of an article by isumshare