If you’ve ever tried to run a command on Windows that required administrative privileges, you’ve probably encountered the system error 5 warning. This can be frustrating, especially if you actually need to run the command. Luckily, it’s very easy to fix the system error 5 problem on Windows 10, 8, and 7.

Most people are surprised when they see the error message "System error 5 has occurred" when using the Windows Command Prompt because most commands do not require administrative access. However, if you ever try to use one of those administrative commands, you will encounter this problem.

It is the equivalent of an "Access Denied" error. If you type a command like "net user" that requires elevated (administrator) access, you will see the system error message 5. This message can appear even if you think you have administrator rights on the computer.

The easiest solution to a System 5 error is to run the command prompt as an administrator. Here's how to do that.