This app can’t be activated by the Built-in Administrator

You may receive the error message This app can’t be activated by the Built-in Administrator when you try to open certain apps on your Windows 11 or Windows 10 computer. This post provides the most adequate solutions affected PC users can apply to resolve the issue on their device. In some cases, the error occurs when you try to open PNG, GIF, JPEG, and PDF files.

When you encounter this issue, depending on the program in question, you’ll receive the full error message along the following lines;

Microsoft Visual Studio

Unable to activate Windows Store app. The activation request failed with error ‘This app can’t be activated by the Built-in Administrator’.

See help for advice on troubleshooting the issue.

This app can’t be activated by the Built-in Administrator

If you’re faced with this issue, you can try our recommended solutions below in no particular order and see if that helps to resolve the This app can’t be activated by the Built-in Administrator issue that has occurred on your Windows 11/10 device.

1. Run Windows Store Apps Troubleshooter
2. Run System File Checker (SFC) scan
3. Reset Microsoft Store or Clear Windows Store Cache
4. Change UAC level
5. Modify User Account Control policy via Group Policy Editor

Let’s take a look at the description of the process involved concerning each of the listed solutions.

Before you try the solutions below, check for updates and install any available bits on your Windows 11/10 PC and see if the error reappears when you launch the app. On the other hand, if the error started to appear after a recent Windows update, you can uninstall the update. Also, make sure that you are using an administrator account. You can change a standard account to admin account or simply create a new account with admin privilege. If you want, you can create Local Administrator Account on your PC.

1] Run Windows Store Apps Troubleshooter

As the app in question is a Microsoft Store app, you can begin troubleshooting to resolve the This app can’t be activated by the Built-in Administrator issue that has occurred on your Windows 11/10 device by running the Windows Store Apps Troubleshooter and see if that helps.

To run Windows Store Apps Troubleshooter on your Windows 11 device, do the following:

• Press Windows key + I to open Settings app.
• Navigate to System > Troubleshoot > Other troubleshooters.
• Under the Other section, find Windows Store Apps.
• Click Run button.
• Follow on-screen instructions and apply any recommended fixes.

To run the Windows Store Apps Troubleshooter on your Windows 10 PC, do the following:

• Press Windows key + I to open Settings app.
• Go to Update and Security.
• Click the Troubleshooter tab.
• Scroll down and click on Windows Store Apps.
• Click the Run the troubleshooter button.
• Follow on-screen instructions and apply any recommended fixes.

If this didn’t help, you can uninstall and reinstall the Windows Store app in question.

2] Run System File Checker (SFC) scan

This solution requires you to run SFC scan on your Windows 11/10 PC and see if that helps. The native utility will repair any corrupt system file which is a likely culprit to the issue in hand.

3] Reset Microsoft Store or Clear Windows Store Cache

Some affected users reported they were able to resolve the issue in hand by resetting Microsoft Store or clearing Windows Store cache. So, you can give this a try and see if that works for you, otherwise try the next solution.

4] Change UAC level

Due to security setting of newer versions of Windows, certain file types that are opened through Store apps will require UAC (User Account Control) permissions in order to run, but since the built-in account doesn’t have UAC privileges, you’ll get the error. In this case, to resolve the issue, you can change the UAC level on your Windows 11/10 PC.

Try the next solution if this didn’t work for you.

5] Modify User Account Control policy via Group Policy Editor

This is a two-step solution which requires you to enable Admin Approval Mode for the Built-in Administrator Account and then modify the User Interface Privilege Isolation (UIPI) registry key value.

Do the following:

• Press Windows key + R to invoke the Run dialog.
• In the Run dialog box type gpedit.msc and hit Enter to open Group Policy Editor.
• Inside the Local Group Policy Editor, use the left pane to navigate to the path below:

Computer Configuration > Windows Settings > Security Settings > Local Policy > Security Options

• Scroll on the right pane, locate and double-click on User Account Control: Admin Approval Mode for the Built-in Administrator account policy to edit its properties.
• In the policy window, set the radio button to Enabled.
• Click Apply > OK to save the changes.
• Exit Group Policy Editor.

For Windows 11/10 Home users, you can add Local Group Policy Editor feature and then carry out the instructions as provided above.

Now, you can proceed with the step 2 to modify the UIPI registry key value.

Since this is a registry operation, it is recommended that you back up the registry or create a system restore point as necessary precautionary measures. Once done, you can proceed as follows:

• Press Windows key + R to invoke the Run dialog.
• In the Run dialog box, type regedit and hit Enter to open Registry Editor.
• Navigate or jump to the registry key path below:

Computer\HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\System\UIPI

• At the location on the right pane, double-click on the (Default) entry to edit its properties.
• In the properties dialog, input 0x00000001(1) in the Value data field.
• Click OK or hit Enter to save the change.
• Exit Registry Editor.
• Restart PC.

Hope this helps!

Related post: Microsoft Edge can’t be opened using the built-in administrator account

How do I enable the built-in administrator account?

To enable the built-in Administrator Account in Windows 11/10 PC, follow these instructions:

• Open Command Prompt in elevated mode.
• Type net user administrator /active:yes, and then hit Enter.
• Wait for confirmation.
• Restart your computer, and you will have the option to log in using the administrator account.

What is built-in administrator account?

The built-in administrator account in the Windows operating system (OS) is the first account created when the operating system is installed. You can also delete the built-in Administrator Account in Windows.