In this blog, we’ll walk you through the simple steps to open CMD as an admin, giving you the ability to execute commands that can improve your system’s performance, solve problems, and streamline your tasks.
Here is a quick step guide to open CMD as an admin:
- Right-click the Start button and select “Command Prompt (Admin)” or “Windows Terminal (Admin).”
- Type “cmd” in the search bar, right-click “Command Prompt,” and choose “Run as administrator.”
- Press Windows key + X and select “Command Prompt (Admin)” or “Windows Terminal (Admin)” (Windows 10 or later).
- For Windows 8 or earlier, press Windows key + X, select “Command Prompt,” then right-click the title bar and choose “Run as administrator.”
However, this is just an overview of the basic steps. In the following sections of our blog, we will provide more detailed methods and step-by-step instructions for opening CMD as admin through various methods.
Why Use Command Prompt as Administrator ?
First, before we dive into the “how”, let’s discuss the “why”. The Command Prompt, or CMD, is a powerful tool in Windows that allows you to perform tasks using text commands.
Moreover, running CMD as an admin—also known as an elevated command prompt—gives you access to commands and features that are otherwise limited.
Think of it as having superpowers on your computer you can troubleshoot, manage system files, and configure settings that regular user mode simply doesn’t allow.
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How to open CMD as Admin ?
You can open CMD as an admin in Windows 10 and Windows 11 using different methods. We’ll walk you through each one step by step.
Method 1: Using the Start Menu
This is one of the quickest ways to open CMD as an Admin.
Open the Start Menu:
- Firstly, click on the Start button or press the Windows key on your keyboard.
Search for Command Prompt:
- Secondly, type cmd into the search bar.
Run as Administrator:
- Subsequently, in the search results, right-click on Command Prompt and select Run as administrator.
Confirm User Account Control (UAC):
- Finally, a User Account Control (UAC) prompt will appear asking if you want to allow this app to make changes to your device. Click Yes.
Method 2: Using the Run Dialog Box
Alternatively, another quick method to open CMD as an Admin involves the Run dialog box.
Open the Run Dialog:
- First, press Windows key + R to open the Run dialog box.
Open CMD as Admin:
- Next, type cmd and then press Ctrl + Shift + Enter.
- As a result, this shortcut will open Command Prompt as an administrator without you having to right-click anything.
Confirm UAC:
- Finally, click Yes on the UAC prompt to proceed.
Method 3: Using the Power User Menu
Additionally, the Power User Menu is a lesser-known but very handy feature that allows you to open CMD as an Admin quickly.
Open the Power User Menu:
- Initially, press Windows key + X or right-click the Start button.
Select Command Prompt (Admin):
- Subsequently, from the menu that appears, click Command Prompt (Admin) or Windows PowerShell (Admin).
Confirm UAC:
- Finally, click Yes on the UAC prompt.
Method 4: Using File Explorer
Moreover, this method is useful if you’re already working in File Explorer and want to open CMD as an Admin quickly.
Open File Explorer:
- To begin, press Windows key + E to open File Explorer.
Navigate to System32:
- Next, go to C:\Windows\System32.
Find CMD:
- Subsequently, scroll down and find cmd.exe.
Run as Administrator:
- Then, right-click on cmd.exe and select Run as administrator.
Confirm UAC:
- Lastly, click Yes on the UAC prompt.
Method 5: Using Task Manager
Furthermore, Task Manager isn’t just for closing unresponsive programs; it can also be used to open CMD as an Admin.
Open Task Manager:
- Firstly, press Ctrl + Shift + Esc to open Task Manager.
Run New Task:
- Secondly, click File in the top-left corner and select Run new task.
Open CMD as Admin:
- After that, type cmd into the Create New Task dialog.
- Then, check the box that says Create this task with administrative privileges.
- Finally, click OK.
Confirm UAC:
- Finally, click Yes on the UAC prompt.
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Method 6: Using Windows PowerShell
Additionally, to use Windows PowerShell:
Open Windows PowerShell:
- To begin, right-click the Start button and select “Windows PowerShell (Admin).”
Launch CMD:
- Finally, in the PowerShell window, type cmd and press Enter. This will open Command Prompt with administrative privileges.
Advanced Methods to open CMD as Admin
For those who want to get even more efficient, here are a couple of advanced techniques to open CMD as an Admin.
Creating a Shortcut
Right-Click on Desktop:
- First, right-click on an empty space on your desktop.
- Then, select New, then Shortcut.
Enter Command Path:
- Subsequently, in the location field, type cmd.exe and click Next.
Name Your Shortcut:
- Then, give your shortcut a name like “Admin Command Prompt” and click Finish.
Modify Properties:
- Firstly, right-click on the new shortcut and select Properties.
- Secondly, click on the Shortcut tab and then on the Advanced button.
- Finally, check the box that says Run as administrator and click OK.
As a result, whenever you use this shortcut, CMD will open with administrative privileges.
Using Group Policy Editor (For Professional Editions)
Moreover, if you’re running a Pro version of Windows 10, you can use the Group Policy Editor to make the process of open CMD as an Admin even more seamless.
Open Group Policy Editor:
- Firstly, press Windows key + R, type gpedit.msc, and press Enter.
Navigate to Policy:
- Secondly, go to User Configuration > Administrative Templates > System.
Modify Settings:
- Subsequently, find the policy named Don’t run specified Windows applications and double-click it.
- Then, select Enabled and click on Show.
- Finally, add cmd.exe to the list and click OK.
Consequently, this will ensure that CMD always runs as an administrator when opened.
Statistics and Data
Interestingly, according to a Spiceworks survey, 68% of IT professionals use the shell regularly. Furthermore, 85% reported that having quick access to elevated CMD significantly improved their efficiency and problem-solving skills.
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Conclusion
In conclusion, running Command Prompt as an administrator is a valuable skill that can greatly improve your Windows experience.
Moreover, whether you’re looking for how to open CMD as admin using the quick launch menu method, the handy Run dialog, or any of the other methods we’ve covered, you now have several ways to access elevated CMD privileges.
Additionally, remember that while having administrative access is powerful, it should be used responsibly and only when necessary.
Furthermore, by mastering these methods, you’ll be better equipped to troubleshoot problems, manage system files, and perform advanced tasks on your Windows computer.
Finally, choose the method that best suits your workflow and remember to always pay attention to the User Account Control prompts for your system’s security.
Source: [ howtogeek, superuser, microsoft, makeuseof, spiceworks ]
Frequently Asked Question’s (FAQ’s)
To run CMD as an administrator, right-click the Start button and select “Command Prompt (Admin).” You can also type “cmd” in the search bar, right-click the result, and choose “Run as administrator,” or press Windows key + X and select “Command Prompt (Admin)” from the menu.
To switch to admin in CMD, open Command Prompt with administrative privileges by right-clicking the Start button and selecting “Command Prompt (Admin)” or by typing “cmd” in the search bar and choosing “Run as administrator.” This allows you to execute commands that require elevated permissions.
First launch Command Prompt with admin privileges by right-clicking the Start button and selecting “Command Prompt (Admin).” Then, use the cd command to navigate to the file’s directory, type the file’s name with its extension, and press Enter to open it with elevated permissions.
