Fixed: You Need Administrator Permission to Install This Software

When you receive you need administrator permission to install this software message but you don’t remember the password, you can follow our guide to reset or remove it.

Irene

By Irene / Updated on April 23, 2025

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Why does the notice You Need Administrator Permission to Install This Software appear?

The notice "You need administrator permission to install this software" appears because your computer is trying to protect itself from unauthorized changes. Here's why it shows up:

🔐 1. User Account Control (UAC)

Windows includes a security feature called User Account Control (UAC), which helps prevent unauthorized changes to the system.
These changes could be anything from installing new software, modifying system files, or adjusting critical settings.

If the program you're trying to run needs elevated privileges—for example, to install drivers or write files to system folders—UAC will check whether the user has administrative rights.

🔷If you're not an administrator, UAC will block the action or ask for an admin's credentials.
🔷If you are an administrator, you’ll still see a prompt asking for confirmation before proceeding.

Purpose: Prevent malware or unauthorized users from making critical system changes without permission.

👤 2. Limited or Standard User Account

Windows has two main types of user accounts:

🔷Administrator – Full access to install software and change system settings.
🔷Standard (non-admin) user – Limited access, mainly for daily tasks like browsing, word processing, and running already-installed software.

If you’re logged in with a standard user account, you don’t have the permissions needed to install software. That’s why Windows shows the “You need administrator permission” message.

In this case, you have two options:

1. Ask someone with admin rights to enter their password when prompted.

2. Log in to an account that has administrative privileges.

🛡️ 3. Security Settings or Group Policies

If you’re using a work, school, or organization-owned computer, the system may be managed by IT administrators. They often use special settings called Group Policies to prevent users from installing software. This protects the device from malware or unauthorized apps and keeps the environment stable.

In such cases, even if you try to run something “as administrator,” it might still be blocked by system policies. You’ll need to contact the IT department to request permission.

How to fix it if you don't have the password?

If you’ve forgotten the administrator password, you won’t be able to install new software or make system changes because Windows will ask for that password every time. In this situation, one practical solution is to remove the password, which will let you install software without any prompts.

A reliable tool to help with this is AOMEI Partition Assistant. It’s an all-in-one disk management software that also includes features for solving common computer problems—like resetting or removing a Windows password.

With the Reset Windows Password feature, you don’t need to remember complex passwords, answer security questions, adjust complicated settings, or create a password reset disk. Whether you’re locked out of your PC or just want to get rid of the login password after you’ve signed in, this tool makes it easy.

You can reset or remove your Windows password in just a few minutes, with no hassle. It’s a simple and efficient way to regain full access to your computer.

AOMEI Partition Assistant

The Best Windows Disk Partition Manager and PC Optimizer

Part 1. Create a Windows password reset USB

Step 1. Launch AOMEI Partition Assistant and choose "Tools"> "Reset Windows Password".

reset password

Step 2. Select “Next” after reading to create a bootabale USB.

create password reset disk

Step 3. Choose one of the three available choices according to your needs and click “Proceed”.

• USB Boot Device: To create bootable USB Device.

• Burn to CD/DVD: To create bootable CD/DVD.

• Export ISO File: Use this method to make a bootable ISO file.

select usb device

Step 4. The USB flash drive requires to be formatted in this step, and all the data will be erased. Please make a backup of all your important files.

warning

Step 5. Wait for creating WinPE bootable USB drive. Then plug the USB into the computer that you hope to reset or remove the password.

finish

Part 2. Reset the Password

AOMEI Partition Assistant

The Best Windows Disk Partition Manager and PC Optimizer

Step 1. Change the boot order to make the PC boot from the USB after inserting the created reset USB.

change order

Step 2. Choose “Reset Password” and select the OS with clicking "Next".

select windows system

Step 3. Select the target account and the feature you need. Click “Next”.

select account

Notice: You can choose Remove Account Password or Reset Account Password from the two options under the window.

Step 4. Input the new password in the window and click “Yes” after confirmation.

set new password

Step 5. Click “Reboot Computer” to restart your PC after the operations.

Other possible solutions for fixing You Need Administrator Permission to Install This Software

Instead of removing the password, the following options may also help resolve the issue like you will need to provide administrator permission to operate.

Solution 1. Check your account type
Go to Control Panel > User Accounts > Your Account to see if your account has admin rights. If not, log in with an administrator account if possible.

Solution 2. Right-click the installer → “Run as administrator”
This gives the program elevated privileges. You’ll be asked for the admin password if needed.

Solution 3. Lower UAC Settings (not recommended for average users)
You can go to Control Panel > User Accounts > Change User Account Control settings and adjust the level of prompts. Lower settings reduce how often UAC warns you—but make your computer more vulnerable.

Solution 4. Ask the admin or IT department for help
If it’s a managed computer, you’ll need their assistance anyway.

Conclusion

The message “You need administrator permission to install this software” is a built-in security feature in Windows, designed to prevent unauthorized changes to your system. Whether it’s due to User Account Control (UAC), limited user rights, or system restrictions set by an organization, the solution depends on your specific situation. If you don’t have the password, tools like AOMEI Partition Assistant can help you reset or remove it safely. Or, checking your account type, running programs as administrator, or getting help from IT support are effective ways to work around the issue.

AOMEI Partition Assistant

The Best Windows Disk Partition Manager and PC Optimizer

Irene
Irene · Staff Editor
Irene is an Editor of AOMEI Technology. She devotes herself in giving insightful thoughts on common computer problems with simple and clear guidance. Irene loves to help people solve problems and explore more solutions on relevant issues. She loves reading, singing and travelling.