How to Run PowerShell as Administrator

PowerShell is one of the most useful and powerful tools in Windows operating systems, but it can be difficult to access if you don’t know where to start. If that’s you, follow these steps which will show you how to run PowerShell as an administrator so that it has more control over your computer.

The “run powershell command as administrator without prompt” is a common issue for many people. There are multiple ways to run PowerShell as Administrator, but the easiest way is to open up PowerShell with the Run As Administrator option.

There are occasions when you must use PowerShell to ‘run as administrator,’ whether you’re new to PowerShell or already know how to execute commands. Why? Because any operation you do in PowerShell may demand higher rights at times.

From the standpoint of an end-user, a command-line addict, or an IT admin, you’ll discover just about every method conceivable to execute PowerShell as administrator in this lesson!

This lesson is divided into many stages, each demonstrating how to use PowerShell as an administrator. In the Table of Contents, you may choose whatever approach you choose.

Prerequisites

This post will be a step-by-step guide. If you want to follow along, make sure you have the following items:

• A PC running Windows 10 — Although Windows 10 was used as an example in this article, the most of the solutions are compatible with Windows 7 and above.
• A user account having administrative rights. Learn how to make one if you don’t already have one.
• Windows PowerShell 5.1 or PowerShell 7 — The majority of these approaches will work with Windows PowerShell 5.1 or PowerShell 7.

With a right-click, you may run PowerShell as an administrator.

A right-click is one of the easiest methods to launch PowerShell as an administrator. You can execute PowerShell by right-clicking on it in a few different places. Let’s go through them one by one.

Making Use of the Search Bar

The Search Bar is one of the most convenient methods to run most of the apps on your computer. It’s also a simple method to execute any application, including PowerShell, as an administrator.

To execute PowerShell as administrator directly from the search bar:

1. Type powershell into the search box on the taskbar. This command will open the PowerShell version of your choice.
2. If you’re using PowerShell Core, look for Windows PowerShell or simply PowerShell in the search results.
3. Select Run as administrator from the context menu by right-clicking on the menu item.

These processes are shown in the screenshot below.

Runnning PowerShell Making Use of the Search Bar

You may also right-click on the menu item if you pin an application to the start menu or taskbar. With this strategy, Windows 10 generates a PowerShell shortcut on the start menu or taskbar that is more easily accessible.

To execute PowerShell as an administrator on a pinned object, follow these steps:

1. Return to the search box and look for the PowerShell icon.
2. Right-click the PowerShell icon and choose Pin to Start or Pin to Taskbar from the context menu.

PowerShell may be pinned to the Start Menu or the Taskbar.

1. To begin, press the Start button.
2. On the right side of the Start Menu, look for Windows PowerShell (or PowerShell Core).
3. Run as administrator by right-clicking on the menu item.

PowerShell Can Be Launched From The Start Menu

Using File Explorer to run PowerShell as an administrator

If you’re in Windows’ File Explorer, you may also run PowerShell as an administrator from there.

1. File Explorer may be launched by using the Win Key + E shortcut keys or by clicking the icon on the taskbar, as seen in the picture below.

From the taskbar, open File Explorer.

2. In File Explorer, go to File, Open Windows PowerShell, and then Open Windows PowerShell as administrator, as shown below.

In File Explorer, run PowerShell from the File menu.

Using the PowerShell Executable in PowerShell

You may execute PowerShell as administrator from either a 32-bit or 64-bit operating system’s respective location.

1. Navigate to one of the folders listed below in File Explorer.
   • C:WindowsSystem32WindowsPowerShellv1.0 (32-bit OS)
   • C:WindowsSysWOW64WindowsPowerShellv1.0 for 64-bit OS
2. Locate the powershell.exe program.
3. Select Run as Adminstrator from the context menu when you right-click on powershel.exe.

From a Folder, Run PowerShell as Administrator

Adding a PowerShell Shortcut to the Desktop

You may build a Windows shortcut for PowerShell if you want an easy method to access it.

1. Provide the path to the PowerShell executable after the Create Shortcut process has begun. This is the route for Windows PowerShell:

• C:WindowsSysWOW64WindowsPowerShellv1.0powershell.exe for 32-bit OS
• C:WindowsSystem32WindowsPowerShellv1.0powershell.exe for 64-bit OS

Continue with the creation of the shortcut.

2. Give the shortcut a descriptive name (PowerShell Admin for example).

Name Your PowerShell Shortcut

3. Right-click on the shortcut you just made and choose Properties from the drop-down menu, as shown below.

Getting to the Shortcut Properties in PowerShell

4. Select the Shortcut tab, then the Advanced button to open the Advanced Properties box.

Shortcut Properties in PowerShell

5. Select the Run as administrator option in the Advanced Properties window and click OK.

PowerShell should be run as an administrator.

6. Return to the Shortcut Properties window and click OK to save your changes.

The Win-X menu, as illustrated in the accompanying picture, is another option to quickly access PowerShell. The Win-X (or power user menu) menu was never given an official name, although it was popularly known as such since the shortcut to reach it was Win Key + X.

Once the option appears, choose Windows PowerShell (Admin) and you’re ready to go.

Using the WinX Menu to run PowerShell

How to Use the Activate the Command Window

The Execute Command Window is a useful feature that allows you to run applications without using the SearchBar, Start Menu, or File Explorer to find them. To launch PowerShell as an administrator from the Activate the Command Window, follow these steps:

1. Hold down the Win key and the R key at the same time. As illustrated in the picture below, a little window will appear.
2. Ctrl+Shift+Enter or Ctrl+Shift+Enter or press and hold Ctrl+Shift.
3. To execute PowerShell as an administrator, click OK.

Activate the Command Window

PowerShell is now executing as an administrator.

How to Use Task Manager

Task Manager is an application that allows you to monitor and terminate processes of programs and services presently operating on your computer. You may also use it to do an operation manually, like as executing PowerShell as an administrator.

Using the task manager, execute PowerShell as an administrator:

1. Using the Ctrl+Shift+Esc keys on your keyboard, or as seen in the picture below, open the Task Manager.

You may also open Task Manager by right-clicking on the Task Bar and selecting Task Manager.

Start Task Manager.

2. After Task Manager has opened, go to File and choose Run new task, as shown below.

In Task Manager, create a new task.

3. A window should appear that appears similar to the Run window mentioned above.

4. Type in powershell ensuring you also check the Create this task with administrative privileges checkbox and To execute PowerShell as an administrator, click OK.

Using the Command Line to Run PowerShell as an Administrator

Don’t worry if you often use the command line; PowerShell may be executed as an administrator there as well.

If you already have cmd.exe open and running as adminstrator using the methods given in this article, you can simply execute start powershell to have it run as adminstrator.

It’s not an issue if you’re not running a command prompt as administrator yet. Using the -Verb runas argument, run the Start-Process cmdlet using PowerShell from cmd. exe.

Start-Process in PowerShell runAs -Verb powershell

If you’re currently in a PowerShell window, use Start-Process powershell -Verb runas to start a new PowerShell instance with administrator privileges.

Using PowerShell as an Administrator with a Batch File

So you’ve learned how to run PowerShell as an administrator from a command prompt. If you already know how to do it, you can automate it using a batch file!

Copy the following line into your preferred text editor and save the file as PowerShell as admin. You can bat wherever you want.

Powershell.exe -Command “& {Start-Process Powershell.exe -Verb RunAs}”

When you execute the batch file, a PowerShell window will appear, running as administrator!

Using PowerShell as an Administrator with a Scheduled Task

Task Scheduler is a Windows 10 built-in software that allows you to conduct automatic activities online. As a result, you may use it to build a task that, for example, executes PowerShell as administrator every time you log in to your computer.

Start the Create Taskbox and choose one of the following files to run:

• C:WindowsSystem32WindowsPowerShellv1.0 (32-bit OS)powershell.exe

• C:WindowsSysWOW64WindowsPowerShellv1.0 for 64-bit OSpowershell.exe

Fill in the settings for all of the menu boxes shown below in the Create Task windows, making sure the Run with highest privileges checkbox is selected.

Allow the Run with Highest Privileges option to be enabled.

When the scheduled job is run, PowerShell will now be run as administrator!

Additional Reading

PowerShell is a powerful command-line tool that allows users to manage the Windows operating system. This can be done by running PowerShell as Administrator on macOS. Reference: how to run powershell as administrator on mac.

Related Tags

• how to run powershell as administrator in vscode
• run powershell script as administrator from batch file
• run powershell script as administrator – windows 10
• open powershell from cmd
• what is windows powershell (admin)