HomeWinBuzzer TipsHow to Always Run a Program as Administrator in Windows 10

How to Always Run a Program as Administrator in Windows 10

We show you how to always run a program as an administrator in Windows 10 safely by modifying the properties of a shortcut.

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Running a program as an administrator is necessary to maintain full functionality in some scenarios. However, remembering to do so each you launch an app can be a hassle. Running a command in only be greeted with the “requires administrator privileges” message gets old fast. To remedy this, today we're going to show you how to set a program to always run as an administrator in .

Before we do so, however, it's worth issuing a few words of caution. Running an app as an admin every time makes it easier for malware to get a foothold on your PC. The method we show below will set the shortcut for the app to run it as admin rather than directly modifying the permissions of the app itself. This is safer and still requires you to choose “Yes” in a UAC prompt.

For more information about Windows 10 administrator access, as well as different methods to always run apps as an administrator, you can check our long-form how to run a program as an administrator guide.

With that said, here's a quick method to always run a program as an administrator on Windows 10:

How to Always Run as an Administrator in Windows 10

The fastest and safest way to make an app always run as administrator in Windows 10 is by modifying its Start Menu shortcut. We'll show you how to run Command Prompt as admin using this technique below:

  1. Press Start, type the name of your app, right-click it, and press “Open file location”

     

    Windows 10 - Search Command Prompt - Open File Location

  2. Right-click your app's shortcut and choose “Properties”

     

     File Location - Properties

  3. Open the “Shortcut” tab of the Properties window and click “Advanced…”

     

    Windows 10 - Search Command Prompt - Open File Location - Properties - Shortcut - Advanced

  4. Tick “Run as administrator” and press “OK”

     

    Windows 10 - Search Command Prompt - Open File Location - Properties - Shortcut - Advanced - Check Run as Admin - Accept

  5. Click “OK” in the properties window to close the app

    When you next run your app, you'll get a UAC prompt. Choose “Yes” to launch the app as an administrator.

    Windows 10 - Search Command Prompt - Open File Location - Properties - Shortcut - Advanced - Check Run as Admin - Accept

Extra: How to Create a Shortcut in Windows 11 and Windows 10

Though these days many prefer to use Start pins rather than create a shortcut on the desktop, they have their place. Knowing how to create a desktop shortcut can open additional avenues for efficiency, allowing you to pin a website or run a command with a double-click.

Featured - How to Create Desktop Shortcuts on Windows 10

How to Disable User Account Control (UAC) in Windows 11 and Windows 10

Windows 10 User Account Control (UAC) dialogs can be frustrating. They add an additional step to the process each time you run an exe file or run a program as administrator. As a result, it's tempting to disable UAC in Windows 10 / Windows 11 entirely, but you should understand the risks associated with such a change.

How to turn off and disable UAC in Windows 10

Last Updated on February 14, 2022 7:40 pm CET by Markus Kasanmascheff

Ryan Maskell
Ryan Maskellhttps://ryanmaskell.co.uk
Ryan has had a passion for gaming and technology since early childhood. Fusing the skills from his Creative Writing and Publishing degree with profound technical knowledge, he enjoys covering news about Microsoft. As an avid writer, he is also working on his debut novel.
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