Run Programs as Administrator with Full Rights in Windows

But remember to be very careful

We have previously written about creating a shortcut to run a command prompt window with administrator rights in our post,Create a Command Prompt Shortcut with Admin Rights. If you need to run a program that requires administrator rights, there are several methods for doing this. Sometimes you may need to run a program as administrator if it is reporting anAccess Deniederror orNo Permissionerror.

If you are using any of the methods in this post for running programs as administrator while logged in as a standard user instead of as an administrator, you must enter the administrator’s password on theUser Access Control(UAC) dialog box before the program will run as administrator.

NOTE:Be careful which programs you run as administrator. Be sure you trust the program. Once you have applied administrator andUACpermission, the program has full access to your computer.

Use a Keyboard Shortcut

To run a program as administrator using a keyboard shortcut, pressCtrl + Shiftwhile opening the program.

NOTE:This method allows you to run a program temporarily as administrator, only for the current instance of the program, until you close it.

If theUACdialog box displays, clickYesto allow the program to run with full administrative privileges.

Use the Program’s Context Menu

You can also use the program’s context menu to run the program as administrator. To do this, right-click on the program’s shortcut or.exefile and selectRun as administratorfrom the popup menu.

NOTE:This method allows you to run a program temporarily as administrator, only for the current instance of the program, until you close it.

If theUACdialog box displays, clickYesto allow the program to run with full administrative privileges. Normally, this method is used when you have to open an Administrator command prompt.

Use Compatibility Mode for the Program

To use theCompatibility Modeto run the program as administrator, right-click on the shortcut for the program or on the program’s.exefile and selectPropertiesfrom the popup menu.

NOTE:This method allows you always to run the selected program as administrator when you open it.

Click theCompatibilitytab. If you are logged in as an administrator user, select theRun this program as an administratorcheck box in thePrivilege Levelbox, so there is a check mark in the box. However, if you are logged in as a standard user, theRun this program as an administratorcheck box is unavailable. To turn on this setting as a standard user, click theChange settings for all usersbutton.

ThePropertiesdialog box changes to contain only theCompatibility for all userstab. In thePrivilege Levelbox, select theRun this program as an administratorcheck box, so there is a check mark in the box. ClickOK.

You are returned to theCompatibilitytab on the standardPropertiesdialog box. ClickOKto close it. If theUACdialog box displays, clickYesto allow the program to run with full administrative privileges.

The next time you open the program, it will run as administrator.

Use Advanced Properties for the Program’s Shortcut

To change the properties of the program’s shortcut to allow you to run the program as administrator, right-click on the program’s shortcut. ThePropertiesdialog box displays. Click theShortcuttab, if it is not already active, and click theAdvancedbutton.

NOTE:This method allows you always to run the selected program as administrator when you open it.

TheAdvanced Propertiesdialog box displays. Select theRun as administratorcheck box, so there is a check mark in the box. ClickOK.

You are returned to theShortcuttab on thePropertiesdialog box. ClickOKto close it.

The next time you open the program, it will run as administrator. Remember to be careful when running programs as administrator, and when considering whether to allow other standard users of your computer administrator access. Enjoy!

Founder of Help Desk Geek and managing editor. He began blogging in 2007 and quit his job in 2010 to blog full-time. He has over 15 years of industry experience in IT and holds several technical certifications.Read Aseem’s Full Bio

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