How to Run an App as Administrator in Windows 10


Some legitimate applications require a full administrator access token (elevated) to perform their functions or tasks. For example, when a program that you are trying to run is giving you a Access Denied or No Permission type error.

The User Account Control (UAC) message is displayed to request consent or credentials to allow an application to use the full administrator access token in any of the following circumstances:

• The application developer marked the application to require an administrator access token. This is done by using a development technique known as an embedded manifest.
• UAC detected that the application is an installer or setup application. (Automatic detection can be disabled by using Group Policy.)
• Microsoft analyzed the application and provided an application compatibility shim. A shim is a small amount of extra code provided by Microsoft that supports certain non-Microsoft applications.
• An administrator configured the application compatibility settings on the application's Program Properties page.
• An interactive user right-clicked the application and then clicked Run as administrator to start the application.

This tutorial will show you different ways on how to have an application Run as administrator with full unrestricted elevated rights in Windows 10.

The "Run as administrator" option is only available for desktop apps, and not available for Windows apps (aka: modern apps).

You must be signed in as an administrator or provide the credentials of a member of the local Administrators group to Run as administrator.

If you are signed in as a standard user, or if UAC is configured to always require credentials, enter the appropriate administrative credentials, and then click OK.

If you are signed in as an administrator and UAC is not configured to always require credentials, click Yes to start the application.

Contents

• Option One: To Run as Administrator using Keyboard Shortcut
• Option Two: To Run as Administrator using Context Menu
• Option Three: To Run as Administrator from Run Dialog
• Option Four: To Run as Administrator with Task Scheduler
• Option Five: To Run as Administrator in Start Menu
• Option Six: To Run as Administrator in File Explorer Ribbon
• Option Seven: To Run as Administrator on Taskbar
• Option Eight: To Run as Administrator in Task Manager
• Option Nine: To Always Run as Administrator in Shortcut Advanced Properties
• Option Ten: To Always Run as Administrator in Compatibility Properties
• Option Eleven: To Always Run as Administrator in Registry Editor

OPTION ONE

To Run as Administrator using Keyboard Shortcut

1 Select an app to highlight it.

2 Press and hold the CTRL + Shift keys.

3 Press Enter or click/tap on the app.

4 Release the CTRL + Shift keys.

OPTION TWO

To Run as Administrator using Context Menu

1 Right click on an app, and click/tap on Run as administrator. (see screenshot below)

How to Add 'Run as administrator' to MSI File Context Menu in Windows 10

How to Add 'Run as administrator' to PS1 File Context Menu in Windows 10

How to Add 'Run as administrator' to VBS File Context Menu in Windows 10

OPTION THREE

To Run as Administrator from Run Dialog

1 Press the Win + R keys to open the Run dialog.

2 Type the app file name (ex: "cmd") you want to run into the Run dialog.

3 Either press the CTRL + Shift + Enter keys OR press CTRL + Shift and click/tap on OK.

OPTION FOUR

To Run as Administrator with Task Scheduler

1 For how, see: How to Create Elevated App Shortcut without UAC Prompt in Windows 10

OPTION FIVE

To Run as Administrator in Start Menu

1 Right click or press and hold on an app in All Apps or on Start, click/tap on More, and click/tap on Run as administrator. (see screenshot below)

OPTION SIX

To Run as Administrator in File Explorer Ribbon

1 While in File Explorer (Win+E), select an app (ex: cmd.exe).

2 Click/tap on the Application Tools Manage tab, and do step 3 or step 4 below for what you would like to do.

3 Click/tap on the top half of the Run as administrator button in the ribbon. (see screenshot below)

4 Click/tap on the bottom half of the Run as administrator button in the ribbon, and click/tap on Run as administrator. (see screenshot below)

OPTION SEVEN

To Run as Administrator on Taskbar

1 Right click or press and hold on a program's (ex: Command Prompt) icon on the taskbar to open its jump list. (see screenshot below step 2)

2 In the jump list, right click or press and hold on the program's name (ex: Command Prompt), and click/tap on Run as administrator.

OPTION EIGHT

To Run as Administrator in Task Manager

1 Open Task Manager in more details view.

2 Click/tap on File (menu bar), and click/tap on Run new task. (see screenshot below)

3 Type the name of the app's .exe file (ex: cmd) or browse to and select the program's .exe file or shortcut, check the Create this task with administrative privileges box, and click/tap on OK. (see screenshot below)

OPTION NINE

To Always Run as Administrator in Shortcut Advanced Properties

1 Right click or press and hold on a shortcut of an app on your desktop or in File Explorer, and click/tap on Properties in the context menu.

2 Click/tap on the Shortcut tab, and click/tap on the Advanced button. (see screenshot below)

3 Do step 4 or step 5 below for what you would like to do.

 4. To Always Run Shortcut as administrator when Opened

A) Check the Run as administrator box, click/tap on OK, and go to step 6below. (see screenshot below step 5)

 5. To Not Always Run Shortcut as administrator when Opened

A) Uncheck the Run as administrator box, click/tap on OK, and go to step 6below. (see screenshot below)

6 Click/tap on OK. (see screenshot below step 2)

OPTION TEN

To Always Run as Administrator in Compatibility Properties

1 Right click or press and hold on an app on your desktop (Win+D) or in File Explorer (Win+E), and click/tap on Properties in the context menu.

2 Click/tap on the Compatibility tab, and do step 3 or step 4 below for what you would like to do. (see screenshot below)

 3. Set "Run as administrator" Privilege Level for App for Only Your Account

A) In the Settings section, check or uncheck the Run this program as an administrator box for what you would like to do, and click/tap on OK. (see screenshot below)

If the Run this program as an administrator setting is grayed out, then you will need to do step 4 below instead.

 4. Set "Run as administrator" Privilege Level for App for All Users

A) Click/tap on the Change settings for all users button. (see screenshot below step 4B)

B) In the Settings section, check or uncheck the Run this program as an administrator box for what you would like to do, and click/tap on OK. (see screenshot below)

C) Click/tap on OK. (see screenshot below)

If you checked the Run this program as an administrator box in step 4B, then the Run this program as an administrator setting in step 3 will be grayed out and unable to be changed unless you do step 4A again.

OPTION ELEVEN

To Always Run as Administrator in Registry Editor

1 Press the Win + R keys to open Run, type regedit into Run, and click/tap on OK to open Registry Editor.

2 If prompted by UAC, click/tap on Yes.

3 In regedit, navigate the location below that you want to use. (see screenshot below)

If the Layers key is not there, then right click or press and hold on the AppCompatFlags key, click/tap on New, click/tap on Key, type Layers, and press Enter.

(for current account only)
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\AppCompatFlags\Layers

OR

(for all users)
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\AppCompatFlags\Layers

4 In the right pane of Layers, right click or press and hold on an empty area, then click/tap on New, and click/tap on String Value. (see screenshot above)

5 Type in the full path of the app's exe file (ex: "C:\Program Files\CCleaner\CCleaner.exe") you want to always run as administrator, press Enter, then double click/tap on the full path in the right pane to modify it. (see screenshot below step 3)

6 Copy and paste the ~ RUNASADMIN data value, and click/tap on OK. (see screenshot below)

7 When finished, you can close Registry Editor if you like.

That's it,
Shawn Brink

Related Tutorials

---

• How to See if Process is Running as Administrator (elevated) in Windows 10
• How to Add or Remove 'Run as administrator' Context Menu in Windows 10
• How to Open an Elevated Command Prompt in Windows 10
• How to Add 'Run as administrator' to MSI File Context Menu in Windows 10
• How to Add 'Run as administrator' to PS1 File Context Menu in Windows 10
• How to Add 'Run as administrator' to VBS File Context Menu in Windows 10
• How to Change User Account Control (UAC) Settings in Windows 10
• How to Create Elevated App Shortcut without UAC Prompt in Windows 10
• How to 'Run as different user' in Windows 10

Windows 11 Tutorials