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If you’re a Windows user, you must have come across the term that says to run as administrator. Isn’t it? Or there may be some guides where you would be instructed to configure the settings by running in administrator mode. And if you have no idea about what it means and how it works, then this guide is going to be fruitful for you. So without wasting time, let’s get started and read the same in detail-
What Does Run as Administrator Mean?
When you check on Windows, you will find two users account divided into administrator and standard ones. Generally if one is using a laptop or PC at work, they will be given the standard user account while if they own the laptop, clear access to the administrator account will be there.
Discussing the term “Run as administrator”, means that the one using it will have a fair chance to configure it into the system settings. It will be easier to either write, read or execute any program for the user through it. There will be various segments where most of the users are restricted to make any changes while it will be accessible only for the Administrator account user.
How to know if you’re using an administrator account?
If you’re unsure whether the account you’re using is an administrator one or a normal one, you need to follow the given steps-
- Go to the Settings.
- Tap on Accounts.
- Hover to Your Info section.
- Now you can see the Administrator account.
There, you need to check whether your name is written or not. If not, you are not an administrator of that specific system.
When and how should I run apps as an Administrator?
It is paramount to know and to comprehend that you do not need to run your system through an administrator account always. However, there might be a few apps too to which you may not be able to have full access or you may require to make some changes such as configuring the settings, performing diagnostics and more and that’s when you will need to use the run as administrator mode. Once you’re running your PC from an administrator user account, you can make as many changes in the system as required.
Talking about how can you run apps as an administrator of the system, is also an essential thing to learn as you may require it at some point. Here are the steps that you must follow-
- First, tap on the start menu from the bottom left.
- Now hover over the app where you want to make changes.
- Now right-click the app’s icon and click on More.
- Now select the Run as administrator option.
And it’s done. Please note that through all these steps mentioned, you can easily open any installed application’s settings and change it through the run as administrator mode option. If you prefer using this option more often, you can also make a shortcut for the same on your desktop. To do that, follow the given steps-
- First, you need to create a shortcut for the app you want to choose.
- Now right click on the shortcut.
- Click on Properties.
- Now choose the Compatibility option.
- Now you can see the “Run this program as an administrator option. Checkmark it.
What are some important shortcuts to admin access?
So here are some vital locations that you must know to get a shortcut to admin access-
- Start menu- Right-tap on any app of your choice that you wish to open and tap on launch a program as an administrator.
- Run prompt- For this, you do not have to do anything but paste this code into Run which is Windows key +R RunAs.exe /user: Administrator “cmd.exe”
- Taskbar- Here, you need to tap on a program that you want to run and hover over right-click option and move to the run as administrator option.
- File Explorer-Here, you need to go to the file explorer option and select the file you want to open. Now tap on the Manage option given and go to the run as administrator option.
- Task Manager- Here, tap on the file and go run new task and then tap on create this task with administrator privileges option. Once you do that, there will be a space where you need to enter the location of your file.
- Command Prompt- Here, all you have to do is to enter the given line along with the place where your file is located. runas /user:administrator
Wrapping up,
After going through the given guide, you must be clear with what is run as an administrator mean. We have tried mentioning everything related to the same. However, if you’re still unsure about a query, then please feel free to comment and let us know the same. We are happy to help.
FAQ
1- Is run as administrator safe?
Yes, If you’re using the run-as administrator mode on your Windows OS, then it is quite safe to some extent. Now that with the administrator mode, you will be able to make any changes to your PC such as installing or uninstalling an app or configuring into any system, it is recommended that you should not leave it with the admin mode open. Other than that, there is a possibility of getting malware and other virus attacks.
2- What is the difference between normal run and run as administrator?
The major difference between the normal run and the run administrator mode is the access. In the normal run, you will be restricted with some permissions and can configure the limited settings whereas in the run as administrator mode, you can configure every possible setting easily.
3- Is it OK to run Command Prompt as administrator?
Yes, it is completely ok to run the command prompt as administrator. However, if you’re doing that, here’s a tip for you. You can simply press the Windows key +X key on your keyboard. Also, please note that you will have to run it then in administrator mode timely.
4- Can I remove myself as administrator? If yes, how?
Yes, it is possible to remove yourself from the administrator mode. To do the following, you need to click on the three vertical dots located on the top right and go to edit settings. From there, scroll through the options and tap on page role. You can see a pencil icon available. Tap there and click on the remove button and confirm the action.
