Administrator accounts are reserved for important actions. Some of these include deleting files, uninstalling applications, or running applications that Windows usually don’t allow.
Command Prompt is one such app where you need admin access. If you cannot open it on an elevated account privilege, you cannot run specific tasks within it.
That is what this article deals with. Here, I will show you all the ways you can use to open cmd as an administrator.
So, let’s get started.
Why can you not Run Command Prompt as an Administrator?
The most common reason is that the user account you are using to open cmd is not an administrator account. Instead, it’s just the normal user account that does not have all the permissions associated with it. Think of a bank where only the Manager and the Security have the keys to the vault. A teller or a receptionist could not enter there even if they wanted.
Also, corrupted system files can prevent you from using cmd, even as an administrator. As Windows files are damaged, it does not function properly.
Thankfully you can fix this quite easily. The next section details this.
How to fix Unable to Run Command Prompt as Administrator
Create a new administrator account and run Command Prompt from there. You can also create a shortcut for cmd and then assign an administrator account to it. In addition, you can boot into safe mode and then run cmd from there. Finally, check for any system errors and fix them using the SFC tool.
First, let’s look at the easiest way.
Create a New Administrator Account
This will work only if you have an admin account and is logged into it. For a standard account, this is not going to work.
Here are the steps to create a new administrator account on Windows 11:
- Search Computer Management from the Start Menu and open it.
- Double-Click on Local Users and Group. This expands the menus within it.
- Now right-click on Users and select New User.
- Fill in the fields for username, password, and description.
- Click the Create button.
Now you need to assign the user as an administrator.
- Right-click on the user you just created and select Properties.
- Click the Member of tab and press the Add button.
- Press Find Now. This lists all the user account types on your computer.
- Click Administrators, and press the Ok button.
- Finally, click the Apply button.
Now log out of the present account, and you can see the newly created account on the login screen. Enter the password and log in to this account.
Now search cmd from the Start Menu and select Open as Adminstrator. This should open the command prompt as you have intended.
Create a Shortcut for CMD
You can also force the cmd to open as an administrator by creating a shortcut. There you can set that it will always open as an administrator.
That means every time you need to use the command prompt, just double-click the cmd shortcut. All commands will work for those apps requiring an elevated privilege.
These steps will create a cmd shortcut on Windows 11:
- Right-click on the desktop and open Show more options.
- Go to New > Shortcut.
- Click Browse. Now navigate to C\Windows\System 32\cmd.exe.
- Press the Next button.
- Enter the shortcut’s name and press Finish.
- Now right-click on the cmd shortcut and press on Properties.
- Click on Advanced.
- Check the tickbox near Run as Adminstrator and press Ok.
The command prompt shortcut should now work whenever you require admin privilege.
Elevate User Account as Administrator
If your user account does not have the administrative privilege anymore, you can easily set it. Then you can run any applications that require administrative access.
Follow these steps to set your user account as an administrator on Windows 11:
- Search for netplwiz from the Start Menu.
- Click on Properties.
- Press the Group Membership tab.
- Select Adminstrator and press the Apply button.
- Press Ok to close any opened dialog boxes.
Now try opening Command Prompt. It should open with the admin account.
Boot into Safe Mode
You can boot into the Safe Mode and run the command prompt as administrator from there. Plus, there are other benefits too.
Safe Mode can also help you to fix issues when Windows does not run normally. In this mode, you boot with only the core drivers so that any rogue applications are stopped. You get the opportunity to troubleshoot Windows and remove any apps that are not working as they should.
These are the steps to open the command prompt from Safe Mode in Windows 11:
- Press Win + I to open Settings. Alternatively, you can open Settings from the Start Menu or from the quick toggle.
- Navigate to System > Recovery.
- Click Restart Now under Advanced Startup.
- Navigate to Troubleshoot > Advanced Options > Startup Settings.
- Click on Restart.
- Now press the number that says Enable Safe Mode with Command Prompt.
Your computer should restart and open the command prompt with the Administrator privilege.
Run SFC Scan
SFC is a command part of Windows that checks for possible file corruptions on Windows and fixes them. Viruses and malware running rampant on a system can cause such issues and break a running installation of Windows.
Let’s see how you can fix your Windows if something like that happens.
These steps will run an SFC scan on Windows 11:
- Open Command Prompt from the Start Menu.
- Type the following command: SFC /scannow
- Press the Enter key.
The tool will scan your system for possible errors. It will automatically fix them, and upon completion, you will get a message stating Windows Resource Protection did not find any integrity violation. That will indicate that the process successfully completed.
Restart the computer, and now the command prompt should run with administrator permissions.
Frequently Asked Questions
How to run CMD with Administrator privileges in Windows 11?
Type cmd in the Start Menu and click on Run as Administrator. This should give you the privilege to run all commands.
Why is my CMD not running as administrator?
It is mainly due to the user account on your computer, which does not have administrator rights. Switch to an account that has this or create a new account as an administrator to fix this.
Conclusion
This article focused on opening a command prompt with the benefits of an administrator account. But the methods mentioned here should also work if your other apps are facing the same problem.
The issue lies in your user account, which needs to have administrative benefits. And by following the article, you ensure that the user account has the correct settings.
I hope this piece helps you out.
Until next time, it is time to say goodbye.
