What is an administrator account?
An administrator account is a user account on a computer that has permission to do everything — install software, change system settings, and access all files.
Written By Erdinc Akay
Last updated About 2 months ago
The short version
An administrator account is a user account on a computer that has permission to do everything — install software, change system settings, access all files, and manage other user accounts. A regular (or "standard") user account can run applications and work with their own files, but is blocked from making changes that could affect the whole system.
Why this matters for remote management
Many maintenance tasks require administrator access: installing a patch, restarting a service, reading certain log files, or checking hardware health. Without it, the operating system refuses the request.
This is why octoja's agent installs as a system service — it runs with full system-level privileges so it can perform these tasks on your behalf, even when nobody is logged in at the device.
What about the built-in terminal?
When you open a terminal on a device from within octoja, the session runs under the agent's own identity — which is typically the SYSTEM account on Windows or root on macOS and Linux. That means the terminal is already elevated. You do not need to type "Run as Administrator" or use sudo — you are already there.
Important: Because the terminal has full system access, treat it with care. Commands you run have the power to change anything on the device. If you are unsure what a command does, look it up first.
The names vary by platform
The concept is the same everywhere: one level can change the system, the other cannot.