Windows provides a Run as Administrator option that allows users to run applications and programs with admin privileges. You can also use it to troubleshoot your computer. But what if this feature malfunctions and takes away your admin rights?
That’s where this guide comes into play. So let’s see what you can do to fix Run as Administrator not working on Windows.
If you’re having trouble running applications that have admin privileges, restarting your computer may resolve the issue. This simple solution will resolve any temporary issues and return the system to its default state.
Not all user accounts are created equal. To run programs with special admin privileges, you must have an admin account. So go to Control Panel and check your account type. If that account isn’t labeled as an admin account, switch to another account or create a new one.
Windows User Account Control (UAC) prevents malicious programs from installing on your computer. This security feature may prevent you from using elevated privileges.
To make sure the problem is not UAC related, go to Control Panel and check User Account Settings. If it is set to the highest level, bring it down to default. Here’s how to do it:
1. Press Win + S simultaneously to open the search box.
2. Type Control Panel in the search box and press Enter. This will open the Control Panel window.
3. View items under Large icons in Control Panel and click User Accounts.
4. On the right, click Change User Account Control settings . Doing this will open the User Account Control Settings window.
5. Here you will see a slider with four options: Always notify , Default , Notify me only when applications try to make changes to my computer and Never notify .
6. Drag the slider to Default , then click OK. It will set your UAC to default and allow you to run applications with admin rights.
Now close the window and restart your PC. Then try to run the application with the Run as Administrator feature and see if it works.
Run as Administrator is not working even though you have tried the suggestions above? Maybe setting a group policy will block this feature. To fix this, go to Local Group Policy Editor and check the settings.
Here’s what you need to do:
1. Press Win + R simultaneously to open the Run dialog box.
2. Type gpedit.msc in the text field and press Enter. This will open the Local Group Policy Editor window on your desktop.
3. From the left navigation panel, go to the following path:
4. On the right side, you will see a list of different security options. Scroll to the bottom and double-click the User Account Control: Run all administrators in Admin Approval Mode policy.
5. Doing this will open another window. Here, select the Disabled option and click Apply > OK .
6. Close the Local Group Policy Editor and restart the computer.
After the reboot, try running a program with admin rights. It will work immediately. Don’t forget to re-enable the Admin Approval Mode setting once you’re done troubleshooting.
When you right-click on a program or file, you often see a Run as Administrator option in the context menu. If it’s missing, you should check your context menu items for clutter.
Warning : This solution involves editing the Windows Registry. One mistake can also cause serious problems. So be cautious and make a registry backup before applying any changes.
Follow these steps to clean up the context menu:
1. Press Win + R on your keyboard to open Run.
2. Type regedit in the text field and press Enter. Doing this will open the Windows Reged Editor.
3. If the UAC window appears, click Yes to grant admin rights.
4. In the Registry Editor window, navigate to the following path:
5. Next, expand the ContextMenuHandlers folder and look for any suspicious entries. If you find any, delete them.
6. Now exit Registry Editor and restart the computer.
When the computer restarts, you will see a Run as Administrator option in the context menu. Try running a program with admin rights and see if it works.
Besides the fixes mentioned above, some general solutions work in all situations. Try these if you’re still having trouble running the app with admin rights: