How to Run a Program as Administrator in Windows 10 (Admin)

This is a common thing that you can run into with Windows 10. Administrative privilege needs to be given to a program for it to work properly. We will show you how to run a program as an administrator and how to set it up to run as an administrator permanently.

Assigning administrative rights to an installed program makes the most sense. But what if it’s an installation program, and you need it to be run as an administrator?

Thankfully it’s easy to do. Here’s how:

To run a program as administrator in Windows

1. Open up Windows File Explorer and navigate to your file or program. Use the navigation tree on the left and get the file showing in the right pane.

2. Move your mouse pointer to hover over the file and press the right mouse button. A new contextual menu will open, and then move your pointer to hover over Run as administrator and press the left mouse button.

Depending on how your User Account Control settings are configured, you may have to confirm the action with a full-screen prompt.

How to run programs as administrator from Start Menu

Note: In order to complete this process, you will need the program in question installed first.

1. After opening the Start Menu and finding your program, move your mouse pointer to hover over the program and press the right mouse button.
2. Move your pointer to hover over ‘More’ and in the new rollout menu, move your pointer to hover over Run as administrator. Press the left mouse button.

Alternatively, from a desktop shortcut

1. Move your mouse pointer to hover over the shortcut to the program on the desktop, and press the right mouse button.
2. Move the pointer to hover over Run as administrator and press the left mouse button.

Run a program as administrator permanently

There are two main ways of accomplishing this. One way is to make the change in the shortcut to the program. The other way is by changing the properties of the main program file.

Changing the shortcut settings

1. Move the mouse pointer to hover over the shortcut on your desktop.
2. Press the right mouse button and move your pointer to hover over Properties and press the left mouse button.
3. In the Properties window, move your pointer to hover over the Compatibility tab. Press the left mouse button.
4. Move the pointer to hover over the Run program as an administrator checkbox. If it is unchecked, press the left mouse button.
5. Move your pointer to hover over the OK button and press the left mouse button.

Changing the file properties

1. Open Windows File Explorer. Locate the program you want to always run as an administrator.
2. Hover the mouse pointer over it and press the right mouse button.
3. Move your pointer to hover over properties and press the left mouse button.
4. Move the pointer to hover over Compatibility and press the left mouse button.
5. Move the pointer to hover over the Run program as an administrator checkbox. If the checkbox is unchecked, press the left mouse button to check it.
6. Move your pointer to hover over the ‘OK’ button and press the left mouse button.

When you don’t see ‘Run this program as an administrator’ to click on

It’s not your fault. This can sometimes happen with certain applications.

Follow this procedure instead:

1. In the Windows File Explorer, navigate to your application.
2. Right-click on the file and left-click on Troubleshoot compatibility.
3. Check The program requires additional permissions checkbox and left-click it to enable it.
4. Left-click on Next.
5. Left-click on the Test the program button.
6. Left-click on Next after closing the application that was opened for testing.
7. Left-click on Yes, save these settings for this program.

How do administrative privileges work?

Access to anything in Windows has various permission levels attached to it. This helps administrators set who has permission to access predetermined features, files, or settings. The administrator is the user with the highest level of permission.

Therefore, it is most likely that the owner would have administrator privileges.

Conclusion

We hope that you have found this helpful and know how to run the software as an administrator in any circumstance.