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Administrative privileges are the highest level of permission that can be granted to a computer user. Levels of permissions are necessary in networked environments to ensure system security and prevent damage to computer hardware and software. A user with administrative privileges can perform tasks such as install and uninstall software and change a computer's configurations. Administrative privileges usually pertain to Windows NT 4.0, 2000, or XP machines as opposed to Windows 95, 98, or ME machines.

In most cases, home users are automatically the administrators of their home computers. If a home computer user is not the administrator some installations may fail.