Administrator blocks

Question

I have a very useful Epson printer which faithfully updates from time to time, with my permission.

Suddenly, the updates are being blocked - the screen tells me that 'the system administrator has set policies to prevent this installation'.

According to my Microsoft 365, the Administrator is me, and I haven't set any such policy.

I've done my best to investigate what might be going on, and I see from my start up screen that there is an Administrator who might or might not be me - but I cant get into that screen because I do not know the demanded password, and have never hitherto had to use such a thing - it tells me to insert a key - naturally, I don't have it.

(When I bought this Lenovo PC about 4 years ago - super machine - it came from the esteemed Curry's, and I continue to see 'Team know-how' on screen every time I boot up. Suerly they haven't retained Administrator rights?)

Any ideas?

Answer 1

Dear Anthony Cleary,

Thank you for reaching out to the Microsoft Q&A.

Currys / Team Know-how: It is extremely unlikely they have retained administrator rights. That would be a massive security and privacy breach. The "Team Know-how" logo you see is almost certainly just branding they added to the system's startup image or as pre-installed software when they first set up the machine. It's cosmetic and you can safely ignore it as the cause of this problem. You are the administrator of your PC.

You could try these steps below to solve this issue:

1. Temporarily pause your antivirus:
   • Look in the bottom-right corner of your screen by the clock for the icon of your antivirus software (it could be Windows Defender, Norton, McAfee, Bitdefender, etc.).
   • Right-click on the icon and look for an option like "Disable Auto-Protect," "Pause Protection," or "Disable Firewall." Most will have an option to disable it for a short period, like 15 minutes.
   • Once it's paused, try running the Epson installer again (it's still best to right-click and "Run as administrator").
   • Crucially, remember to re-enable your antivirus software afterward, or simply restart your computer, which will almost always turn it back on automatically.
2. The "Run as administrator" override:
   • If the Epson update automatically tries to run and fails, cancel it.
   • Go to the Epson support website and manually download the latest driver or software updater for your printer model. Save it to your Downloads folder.
   • Open your Downloads folder and find the installer file you just downloaded (it will be an .exe file).
   • Do not double-click it. Instead, right-click on the file.
   • From the menu that appears, select "Run as administrator" > Yes.

The screen you are seeing asking for a password or a "key" is almost certainly the BitLocker Recovery Screen.

• What it is: BitLocker is a disk encryption feature built into Windows to protect your data if your PC is lost or stolen. Sometimes, a significant system change (like a failed update) can make Windows think something is wrong, and it will ask for this recovery key to prove it's you.
• How to find it: On another device (like your phone or a tablet), open a web browser and go to: https://account.microsoft.com/devices/recoverykey
• Log in with your Microsoft account, and you will see a long, 48-digit recovery key listed for your Lenovo PC.

You don't need to use this key right now, but it's vital to know where it is. The fact that you've seen this screen supports the theory that a recent update has changed security settings on your machine.

I hope this could help. If you have any further issues, we are happy to assist.

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Best regards, 

Bryan Vu | Microsoft Q&A Support Specialist