Microsoft has passively suggested that users stay away from the daily use of the built-in Administrator account since the introduction of Windows NT, instructing users to create a named account with administrative privileges. With the introduction of Windows 7, they took a more active stance and disabled the built-in Administrator account. When Windows 8 rolled out, they took this a step further by making the built-in apps non-responsive to the Administrator account.

Apps like Cortana, the Microsoft Store, and the Weather app cannot be accessed by Administrator because they require UAC (User Access Control) to function properly. In Windows 8.1 and Windows 10, Administrator is not subject to UAC; all actions performed by Administrator are performed with elevated permissions. If you want to continue to operate as Administrator and do want your actions to be hindered, you must enable UAC for the Administrator account.

To enable UAC for the Administrator account:

  • click the Start button and go to All Apps.
  • Open Windows Administrative Tools.
  • Open Local Security Policy.
  • Go to Local Policies –> Security Options –> User Account Control: Admin Approval Mode for the Build-in Administrator Account.
  • Click Enabled and click OK.
  • Reboot.