How to Run an App as Administrator in Windows 10
Windows 10, like all Windows versions since Windows Vista, includes User Account Control or UAC which limits the user’s rights even if he is a member of the Administrators group so that malicious apps or malware can’t make unauthorized changes to your PC.
However, there are a number of apps that don’t work properly in Windows 10 unless they are run as administrator. Some of your own automation scenarios like batch files or PowerShell scripts may require administrative privileges.
While it is possible to disable UAC entirely in Windows 10, it is a bad idea from a security standpoint. The right way is to run certain apps as Administrator as and when it is required. Here are some methods you can use to launch a desktop app as administrator.
The easiest way to run an application as Administrator is to right click its executable file or shortcut in the Start menu/Start screen and pick “Run as Administrator” from the context menu.
Contents
- To Run an App as Administrator in Windows 10,
- Run as Administrator in File Explorer
- Run as Administrator in File Explorer Ribbon
- Run as Administrator using Keyboard Shortcut
- Always Run as Administrator using Shortcut Advanced Properties
- Run as Administrator using Task Manager
- Run as Administrator in Compatibility Properties
To Run an App as Administrator in Windows 10,
- Open the Start menu (Press Win or Ctrl+Esc on the keyboard).
- Right click on the app shortcut.
- Select “Run as Administrator” from the context menu.
The same method can be used to launch an app as Administrator from File Explorer.
Run as Administrator in File Explorer
- Locate the executable file for the app you want to start elevated.
- Right-click on it.
- Select ‘Run as Administrator’ from the context menu.
Run as Administrator in File Explorer Ribbon
- Open File Explorer to the folder that contains the target app.
- Select an app in the file listing.
- Click the ‘Run as administrator’ button on the Manage tab.
For shortcuts and apps pinned to the taskbar and the Start menu, you can use a keyboard shortcut.
Run as Administrator using Keyboard Shortcut
- Select an app in the Start menu to highlight it.
- Press and hold the Ctrl + Shift keys.
- Press Enter or click on the app to run it as Administrator.
- Release the Ctrl + Shift keys. The app will be started elevated.
- For the taskbar icons, you can right click the pinned app to show its context menu. Right click the program’s name inside the menu, and click on the Run as administrator command.
In case you need to always run the application as administrator, you can modify or create a shortcut which will start it always elevated.
Always Run as Administrator using Shortcut Advanced Properties
- Right click the shortcut.
- Select Properties from the context menu.
- On the Shortcut tab, click the Advanced button.
- Do one of the following options for what you would like to do:
- To always run the shortcut as administrator when opened: Check the Run as administrator box, then click on OK.
- To not always run the shortcut as administrator when opened: Uncheck the Run as administrator box, then click on OK.
This is the native way to elevate a program’s privileges automatically every time you launch it. You will still get a UAC prompt when using this method.
Run as Administrator using Task Manager
- Open Task Manager
- Click the “More details” link if it opens in compact mode.
- Open the File > Run new task menu.
- Type the full path to the .exe file, or browse to and select the program’s .exe file or shortcut.
- Now check the option Create this task with administrative privileges and click the OK button.
Run as Administrator in Compatibility Properties
- Right click the shortcut.
- Select Properties from the context menu.
- In Properties, switch to the Compatibility tab.
- In the Settings section, turn on the Run this program as an administrator option, and click on OK.
- Note: If the Run this program as an administrator setting is grayed out, then you will need to click on the Change settings for all users button. Then enable the Run as administrator option for all users.
