How to Open Elevated Command Prompt with Administrator Privileges in Windows Vista

Windows Vista power users have many ways to launch a command prompt or Windows command processor (cmd.exe) with administrator privileges, rights or credentials. It’s a security feature in Windows Vista that comes with User Access Control (UAC) that all processes will launch in restricted mode unless users specifically accept the elevation confirmation. For command prompt, the commands may refuse to run or have access denied error. So users need to launch command prompt will full admin rights and permission state. Here’s a few ways and methods the elevated command prompt can be opened and ran as administrator.

Method 1

  1. Click on Vista Start button.
  2. Locate the Command Prompt menu item (buried deep inside Accessories under All Programs or appear on program access history).
  3. Right click on Command Prompt.
  4. On the pop-up right click context menu, select “Run as Administrator”.

Method 2

  1. Click on Vista Start button.
  2. Click on Run.
  3. Type in “Cmd” (without quotes) in the Open textbox.
  4. You should see “This task will be created with administrative privileges”.
  5. Click on OK or press Enter.

Method 3

  1. Press the Win keyboard key or click on Vista Start button.
  2. Type cmd into the Start Search textbox.
  3. Press Ctrl+Shift+Enter keyboard shortcut. Ctrl-Shift-Enter is the general keyboard shortcut that triggers elevation to “Run as Administrator”.
  4. Press Alt+C or press Continue to confirm the UAC elevation warning prompt.

Method 4

  1. Click on Vista Start button.
  2. In the Start Search box, type in “Cmd” (without quotes).
  3. Right click on the Command Prompt in the search result listing.
  4. In the right click menu, click on “Run as Administrator” menu item.

Method 5

  1. Press on Win + R keyboard keys.
  2. Type in Cmd into the Open textbox.
  3. Hit OK or press Enter.

Method 6

You can create an easy access shortcut to elevated command prompt with administrative privileges at the desktop or Start menu.

Method 7

Add a right click contextual menu option of “Open Command Prompt as Administrator” to the Computer (My Computer) so that you can simply right click and click on the item to open the super command prompt.

Method 8

Turn off or disable User Access Control (UAC).

Method 9

If you prefer to hold down “Shift” key and right click on a folder open a command window here, a registry hack will allow you to open command window at current folder in elevated mode as administrator.

This guide has been reposted and updated at Tip and Trick.

45 Responses to “How to Open Elevated Command Prompt with Administrator Privileges in Windows Vista”

  1. David Vielmetter » HOWTO: Get PHPUnit to work in NetBeans 6.7
    December 3rd, 2009 09:51
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    [...] 4] Fire up a windows command prompt (as an administrator) and run the command “pear -V” to see the version of PEAR installed with XAMPP and to [...]

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    [...] reboot. In this case, run RemoveWatermark and press “R” key to rebuild MUI cache. Or open command prompt as administrator, run mcbuilder.exe again, then restart [...]

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    [...] Open an elevated command prompt as administrator. [...]

  4. Clean Install Windows 7 With Upgrade Media and Product Key on Formatted or Empty Blank Hard Drive » My Digital Life
    October 27th, 2009 01:50
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    [...] Open an elevated command prompt as administrator. [...]

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    [...] Open a command prompt with administrator’s privileges. [...]

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    [...] Open an elevated command prompt as administrator, and run the following command: [...]

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    [...] in Start Search box, and then click on Windows Memory Diagnostic on the search listing, or open an elevated privileged command prompt window with administrator’s rights, and type mdsched.exe then hit [...]

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    [...] In the newly installed Windows operating system, stop the Software Protection Service in Services.msc or with the following command (run in elevated command prompt): [...]

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    [...] Click on Start button -> All Programs -> Accessories, and right-click on Command Prompt then select Run As Administrator to open an elevated command prompt window. [...]

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    June 25th, 2009 06:24
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    [...] Vista you will need to run the installer in a cmd window with increased priviledges (as described here). Otherwise you are likely to encounter this [...]

  11. u guys r retards
    March 27th, 2009 04:21
    35

    it didnt put it in right down below r the instructions were it says type in put ‘net users’admin name’ *
    4 example if the admin was sam it would be
    net users sam *

  12. u guys r retards
    March 27th, 2009 04:18
    34

    its easy to change it but u need to change the admin password to something u no and open it and regain access all u need to do is open command prompt type in ‘net users’ it will tell u who is a admin and type net users” *’
    make sure to put the star in like i did and now u can change the password then confirm it
    and u dont need to run it as a admin.

  13. FUCKU
    March 22nd, 2009 11:30
    33

    fuck this shit it dont even work

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    [...] Sometimes, the beautiful, elegant, high resolution animated and dynamic Windows 7 boot screen UI may be changed to or replaced with Windows Vista boot screen, normally when user adds a Windows 7 entry in boot menu or accidentally when user attempts to repair the startup menu items with Windows Vista DVD, specifically Startup Repair. Windows Vista boot screen is a boring black background with low resolution green running progress bar. The invalid and wrong boot screen for Windows 7 is due to missing locale entry in boot record, which failed to be set when editing or rebuilding the BCD. When locale is not found, Windows boot loader does not know which boot locale folder to look for the animated bootscreen. Thus, in order to fix the boot screen so that the boot screen can be reverted, restored or reseted back to original animated Windows 7 boot screen, just run one of the following commands in elevated command prompt with administrator rights: [...]

  15. Alexander
    October 20th, 2008 22:53
    31

    Hello!

    Advanced Run is the most powerful free launcher that allows you to run any program, run any command line command, open and edit and print documents on behalf of any user account without switching between users.

    Advantages:
    – Advanced Run substitutes standard Windows Run feature so it is easy to run it by pressing [Win]+[R] standard key combination.
    – Pick Advanced Run… context menu item on whatever file you want to run or open.
    – Pick any user account you need, type it’s password and run a command without switching between users.
    – Select security profile to gain or reduce the privileges of the process you run.
    – Use command templates to dramatically automate your frequent and routine actions.
    – Specify implicitly shell verbs to perform additional actions on the file you need to open.
    – Use command shortcuts to automate your routine work.
    – Share your settings, security profiles and command shortcuts within your corporate network.
    – Take advantage of preinstalled security profiles and a whole bunch of useful command shortcuts.
    – Advanced Run has always been and always will be completely free!

    Check it out at http://www.ilyns.com/advanced-run.asp !

  16. Roger
    October 9th, 2008 21:35
    30

    The simple intructions to run command prompt as administrator by right clicking and choosing ‘run as administrator’ worked a treat! I couldn’t work out how to run as administrator when the only account on my computer is mine. Thanks!

  17. Solution to "Spore Clames I'm offline" - Electronic Arts UK Community
    September 8th, 2008 17:32
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    [...] to do is open an administrator level command prompt, if you are not sure how to do this look at How to Open Elevated Command Prompt with Administrator Privileges in Windows Vista

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    [...] For some users who’re using Windows Vista Business Edition or other volume licensing (VL) editions meant for activation via KMS method, the system may erroneously search for KMS host for activation, even if the user uses MAK product key with less than 25 machines on the network. The solution to volume licensing customers for 0X8007232B is also the same – reenter the product key again, using step above, or alternatively, run the following commands in an elevated command prompt: [...]

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    [...] Open a command prompt but do so with administrative privileges. See this link on how to do [...]

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    [...] After downloading the the Vista SP1 RTM CAB files of around 532.9 MB, use the following command to install the service pack in elevated command prompt with administrative privileges. [...]

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    [...] After downloading the the Vista SP1 RTM CAB files of around 532.9 MB, use the following command to install the service pack in elevated command prompt with administrative privileges. [...]

  23. Clinton
    December 23rd, 2007 19:10
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    Please re-upload
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    onto another site

    i try to download it but when i press download it just opens a ad..

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