I cannot access Device Manager because it is "blocked by administrator". I am the administrator.

[Frickity-Frack]

I got a notification to restart my computer to fix drivers. I did that. Now when I open Bluetooth settings there is no option to turn Bluetooth on. After reading support pages, I attempted to access Device Manager to uninstall and reinstall the Bluetooth driver. I cannot access Device Manager because it is "blocked by the administrator". I am the administrator. There is only one user account, mine. How do I confirm I am the administrator? What do I do now?

[Elohi_NR]

Hi @Frickity-Frack,

Welcome to the HP Support Community. 

I'd be glad to help you! 

I’m sorry to hear about the difficulties you’re facing. It sounds frustrating to deal with both Bluetooth issues and restricted access to your system settings. Let’s resolve this step by step.

To Confirm You’re the Administrator:

Check Account Type:

• Open Settings > Accounts > Your Info.
• Under your name, it should say Administrator. If it doesn’t, your account might not have admin privileges.

Verify in User Accounts:

• Press Windows + R, type control userpasswords2, and press Enter.
• In the list of users, your account should show Administrator under Group.

To Regain Access to Device Manager and Fix Bluetooth:

Run Windows in Safe Mode:

• Restart your computer and repeatedly press F8 or Shift + F8 (for older systems) during startup.
• Choose Safe Mode with Networking.
• Log in with your account and try accessing Device Manager by pressing Windows + X > Device Manager.

Reset Local Security Policies:

• Press Windows + R, type gpedit.msc, and press Enter (if accessible).
• Navigate to User Configuration > Administrative Templates > System.
• Look for "Prevent access to registry editing tools" or similar and set it to Disabled.

Create a New Administrator Account:

• Open Settings > Accounts > Family & other users > Add someone else to this PC.
• Create a new local account and set it as an administrator.
• Log into this account and try accessing Device Manager.

Enable Bluetooth via Troubleshooter:

• Open Settings > Update & Security > Troubleshoot > Additional Troubleshooters.
• Run the Bluetooth Troubleshooter to identify and fix the issue.

Manually Re-enable Device Manager:

• If none of the above works, you might need to reset group policies using Command Prompt:
  1. Press Windows + R, type cmd, and press Ctrl + Shift + Enter to run as administrator.
  2. Enter the following commands

3. Restart your laptop and try accessing Device Manager again.

Hope this helps! Keep me posted for further assistance

Please mark this post as “Accepted Solution” if the issue is resolved and if you feel this reply was helpful click “Yes”.

[Frickity-Frack]

I appreciate the help. I did manage to get that part figured out and am now able to access Device Manager. My problem now is that I cannot use Bluetooth. The driver is missing, and I've tried many different things to get it back. I keep getting a warning that says there was a problem downloading the driver, there is an error with the Realtek Bluetooth 5 Adapter, and to contact my manufacturer. I'm not sure where to go from here. 

[Elohi_NR]

Hi @Frickity-Frack ,

We apologize for the inconvenience. The issue seems to persist even after attempting the troubleshooting steps mentioned above.

This might require one-on-one interaction via remote assistance to fix the issue over the phone. 

I've sent you a private message with further instructions. In order to access your private messages, click the private message icon on the upper right corner of your HP Support Community profile, next to your profile Name or simply click on this link.

If the information I've provided was helpful, give us some reinforcement by clicking the Accepted Solution button, that'll help us and others see that we've got the answers!