Fixed “Full administrator rights” bug in OneDrive

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Microsoft OneDrive (formerly SkyDrive) is a file hosting and synchronization service run by Microsoft as part of the web-based Office version.

Launched in August 2007, OneDrive allows users to store files and personal data, such as Windows settings or BitLocker recovery keys, in the cloud, share and sync files between Android, Windows Phone, and iOS mobile devices, Windows and macOS computers, and Xbox 360 and Xbox One consoles. Users can download Microsoft Office documents to OneDrive.

If you see the OneDrive error message “Full administrator privileges” when you try to launch the app, you’re not alone.

In this troubleshooting article, we’ll look at best practices that have solved the problem for some users. Please follow the steps in this guide carefully to avoid further problems.

What causes OneDrive Full Admin Rights Error

The answer lies in Microsoft’s UAC (User Account Control) security feature. By default, applications that run in interactive mode have lower, non-administrative permissions. This happens for all accounts, including administrators.

It seems that OneDrive needs this context with lower permissions to do its job. In fact, in this FAQ on the OneDrive desktop, Microsoft confirms that UAC ensures that OneDrive can be run by an administrator. When we removed UAC from the equation (by right-clicking on OneDrive.exe and selecting “Run as administrator”), we were able to reproduce the error from the beginning.

But while UAC restricts desktop user privileges, UAC does not come into play when running in the context of a Windows service. Services are always provided with the highest privileges. To avoid the error, we need to find a way to run OneDrive with restricted privileges.

To fix the “Full administrator rights” error in OneDrive



Report the “Full Administrator Rights” error on OneDrive to Microsoft

1. Set your Windows 10 diagnostics and usage data settings to “Full” by going to Settings, then click Privacy, and finally select Diagnostics and Feedback.
2. Click on the Cortana search box and type Feedback, then select Feedback Hub.
3. Click the Report a Problem button to open a new ticket.
4. Provide as much detail about your problem as possible.
5. Click Next.
6. Highlight the “Problem” button and select “Client Program” and “Windows Community”.
7. Attach screenshots of the problem, if available.
8. Click Submit.

Changing settings using a third-party application

1. Download a third-party application.
2. Launch the installer and follow the on-screen instructions to complete the installation.
3. Open AlwaysUp and go to OneDrive > Settings.
4. On the Connection tab, check the Run the application without administrator rights checkbox.
5. Click the Save button.
6. Make sure that the problem is solved.

Temporarily disable and resume administrative rights

1. Log in to your Windows 10 PC using a regular user account.
2. Press Win+X on your keyboard and press PowerShell(Admin) to open it.
3. At the command line > copy the following command and execute it:
   user network administrator /active:no
4. Wait for confirmation at the command prompt.
5. Try to find out if the problem is fixed.
6. Re-activate administrator rights by following steps 1 and 2 of this method, and run the command :
   network administrator /active: yes

Be sure to follow the steps in this guide. This ensures that no other settings have been changed, making it easier to track down and fix the problem.

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