How do I run a program not as administrator?

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Apps and processes are of different types on your PC. All users can open some, while others require administrative privileges to run them.

This is usually because these apps and processes are sensitive and can tell differences in your Windows PC. So, you need to run these programs as an admin to make them work.

However, some users are starting to complain that Run as administrator is not working. To put it in their own words: Nothing happens when I click Run as administrator.

This guide will show you how to fix this issue effectively on your PC and restore your administrative privilege.

Why can I not run a program as an administrator?

Various factors can cause this problem, from corrupt system files to activities of third-party programs. Speaking of this issue, here are some of its variations reported by users:

• Run as administrator Windows 10 not showing up/missing: If the Run as administrator popup is not showing, it is not available or disabled.
• Windows 10 CMD Run as administrator not working: While some cannot run anything as an administrator in Windows 10, others can’t run Command Prompt as admin.
• Run as administrator not showing on right-click: This issue can be caused by the activity of your antivirus software. So, you might need to disable it temporarily.
• Run as administrator does nothing: If run as administrator does nothing when you click it, it might be due to corrupt system files. You can fix this by using dedicated software or the built-in repair tools.

How can I fix Run as administrator if it’s not working?

1. Remove the problematic applications

1. Press the Windows key + I to launch Settings.
2. Select the Apps option.
   
   
3. Select the problematic app and click the Uninstall button.
   
   

According to users, sometimes nothing happens when you click Run as administrator due to third-party applications such as QuickSFV or Express Zip, which add their options to the context menu in Windows.

It seems that these options caused the problem and prevented users from running applications with administrative privileges. And to fix this problem, you might have no other option than to disable third-party options from the context menu.

While several methods are available, we reckon the most effective one is to use professional software such as CCleaner.

1. Open CCleaner and select the Tools submenu.
   
2. Under the Uninstall section, locate your problematic app.
   
3. Select it, then click on the Uninstall button (top right).

It’s quick to act and simple to install. Once you get on your PC, you can use the uninstall feature to remove undesirable, obsolete, or problematic programs and delete leftover files with the PC cleaning features.

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2. Perform a Clean boot

1. Use the Windows key + R shortcut to open the Run dialog.
2. Now, type msconfig and click OK.
   
   
3. Click the Services tab at the top.
4. Now, check the Hide all Microsoft services box and click the Disable all button to disable all services on the list.
   
   
5. From here, click the Startup tab at the top.
6. Choose Open Task Manager.
   
   
7. Right-click each of the applications there and select Disable.
   
   
8. Now, head back to the System Configuration window.
9. Finally, click Apply and OK to save changes and restart your PC.
   
   

After doing that, all third-party services and applications will be disabled. If the problem is gone, one of the disabled applications or services was certainly causing the issue.

To pinpoint the cause of the problem, you need to enable all disabled applications and services one by one until you manage to recreate the problem.

Remember that you’ll need to restart your PC after enabling a set of services or applications to apply changes.

Once you find the problematic application, you can disable it or remove it from your PC, and the issue will be permanently resolved.

3. Perform an SFC and DISM scan

1. Press Windows key + X and select Command Prompt (Admin) or PowerShell (Admin).
   
   
2. Once the Command Prompt starts, type the command below and press Enter to run it. sfc /scannow
   
3. The SFC scan will now begin. Remember that the scan can take about 10-15 minutes, so don’t interrupt or interfere with it.

According to users, if nothing happens when you click Run as administrator, damaged files may cause the problem. To fix the issue, it’s advised to perform an SFC scan.

After completing the SFC scan, check if the problem is still there. If, for some reason, you couldn’t run an SFC scan or if the scan didn’t fix the problem, you need to perform a DISM scan by doing the following:

1. Start Command Prompt as an administrator.
2. Enter the following command and press Enter: DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth
   
3. The DISM scan will now start. Remember that this scan can take about 20 minutes, sometimes more, so don’t interfere with it.

After the scan is finished, check if the problem is resolved. If you couldn’t run an SFC scan before, try running it after the DISM scan and check if that helps.

Alternatively, you can use a dedicated tool in Restoro to quickly fix these broken or corrupt files. This tool is not only fast, but it also saves you the stress of typing commands.

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4. Check your antivirus

Security software, including your antivirus, can interfere with specific applications, causing the run as administrator not working issue (among others).

To rule out this possibility, we advise you to disable certain antivirus features temporarily.

Remember that this method doesn’t always work, so if the problem is still there, you might want to try disabling your antivirus or removing it altogether.

Should this be the answer, it’s time to switch to a more competent antivirus like ESET NOD32. Many antiviruses that are compatible with Windows 10 and Windows 11 can keep you protected without interfering.

ESET NOD32 is built to offer real-time protection while staying lightweight to remove the risk of system crashes.

Not only that, it does not give false positives and does not block vital Windows components such as the Run as administrator feature. Moreover, its entire architecture is built to protect, not disturb, while seamlessly collaborating with other essential programs.

5. Boot to Safe Mode

1. Press the Windows key + I open the Settings app.
2. Select the Update & Security option.
   
   
3. Click Recovery in the left pane.
4. Now, click the Restart now button under the Advanced startup section.
   
   
5. Navigate to the Troubleshoot > Advanced options > Startup Settings and click the Restart button.
6. After your PC reboots, you should see a list of options.
7. Select the Safe Mode with Networking option by pressing the corresponding keyboard key.

After doing that, you should boot to Safe Mode. Once you enter Safe Mode, check if the problem is still there. If the issue doesn’t appear in Safe Mode, your account or your settings may be causing the issue.

6. Create a new user account

1. Open the Settings app and head over to the Accounts section.
   
   
2. Select Family & other people in the left pane.
3. Choose Add someone else to this PC.
   
   
4. Please select I don’t have this person’s sign-in information > Add a user without a Microsoft account.
   
   
5. Enter the username you want to use for the new account and click Next.
   
   

After creating a new user account, it’s a good idea to upgrade your new account to an administrative account. To do that, follow these steps:

1. First, open the Settings app and navigate to Accounts > Family & other people.
2. Next, select the newly created account and choose Change account type.
   
   
3. Set the Account type to Administrator and click OK.
   
   

If the problem still appears, perhaps the issue is caused by your account. For example, your account can get damaged, leading to this and many other problems.

To fix the issue, creating a new user account is advised. After that, sign in to the new version and check if the problem appears.

If not, you need to move all your files to the new account and start using it instead of your old one.

How can I fix Run as administrator if it’s not working on Windows 11?

Tweak Registry Editor in Safe Mode

1. Open the Settings and remain on the System tab, and select Recovery.
   
2. Click the Restart now button under Advanced startup.
3. Select Troubleshoot and click Advanced options.
4. In the Advanced options screen, select Command Prompt.
   
5. Once the CMD opens, use the typing field to insert this command: net user administrator /active:yes
6. Make sure you press Enter to run it.
7. If Windows 11 Run as administrator is still not working, reaccess the CMD (using the same steps).
8. This time, type in regedit to open the Registry Editor.
   
9. Locate this key in the left pane of the editor and highlight it: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE
   
10. Select File from the upper menu bar and click on Load Hive.
    
11. Go to the following path: C:Windows\System32\config
12. C: is usually the drive containing the Windows installation, but it can be a different letter there.
13. Select the SAM file and click Open.
    
14. Use the Load Hive dialog box to type REM_SAM as the name of the key and click OK. (This will load the hive into the HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE branch).
15. Now, look in the left pane of the registry one more time and locate this key: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\REM_SAM\SAM\Domains\Accounts\Users\000001F4
16. In the right pane corresponding to the 000001F4 key, double-click the F Dword (REG_BINARY) to modify it.
    
17. Place your cursor on line 0038 (1st column), replace the value 11 with 10, and click OK.
18. Close everything and reboot your Windows 11 PC.

This should help you recover your administrative privileges if somehow the admin account became disabled along the way.

How do I force an app to run as administrator?

1. Press the Windows key and type cmd.
2. Select the Open file location option under Command Prompt.
   
   
3. Right-click on Command Prompt and select Properties.
   
   
4. Click the Advanced… button in the Shortcut tab.
   
   
5. Check the box for Run as administrator box.
6. Finally, click the OK button to save the change.
   
   

With this, you can always open Command Prompt as an administrator without needing any pop-up or UAC prompt. Note that we only used Command Prompt as an example here.

You can constantly adapt the steps to any app you want to force Run as administrator for.

As you can see, this can be a big problem. If nothing happens when you click Run as administrator in Windows 10 or if Windows 11 Run as administrator is not working, a third-party application is likely causing the problem.

Before attempting other manipulations, remove them and check if that helps.

If you want to know how to consistently make files and apps run as an administrator on Windows 10, check our detailed guide to do it quickly.

Feel free to let us know in the comments below if any of our solutions helped you solve the problem.

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