How to Create an Elevated Program Shortcut without a UAC Prompt
Information
This will show you how to create a elevated "Run as administrator" shortcut of any installed program in Windows using Task Scheduler so that it will not give you a UAC prompt for permission when you start it while still having UAC turned on.
In the tutorial, you will first create a new task, then a new shortcut to run the task. Afterwards, how to change the icon of the shortcut.
Note
Special thanks to OEM for pointing this out, and the previous Vista version by DMEX.
This shortcut and task can only be created and work while logged in as an administrator account.
This shortcut will not work in a standard user account.
Here's How:
1. Open the Start Menu, then type taskschd.msc in the search line and press enter. NOTE:This will open Task Scheduler. This file is located at: C:\Windows\system32\taskschd.msc.
2. While having Task Scheduler Library selected in the left pane, click on Create task in the far right pane. (see screenshot below)
3. Under the General tab, type in the "Name" of the program you want to create this shortcut for. (see screenshot below) NOTE:This will be the name of the task. As an example, I will use CCleaner for that program. Make note of this name, you will need it later in step 12 and 14 below.
4. Check the Run with highest privileges box. (See screenshot below)
5. Click on the Configure for drop down box to open it, and select Windows® 7, Windows Server™ 2008 R2. (see screenshot above and below) NOTE:This is like compatibility mode. If the program does not support running in Windows 7 normally, then you can select the OS that is does support running in instead to have it run in compatibility mode as if it was running in that OS instead of Windows 7.
6. Click on the Actions tab, then on the New button. (see screenshot below)
7. In the Program/script: box in the Actions tab, copy and paste the path below. (see screenshot below step 9) NOTE:Thank you to chillz for the updated steps 7 and 8.
%windir%\System32\cmd.exe
8. In the Add arguments (optional): box in the Actions tab, type in the argument below. (see screenshot below step 9)
NOTE:Substitute Task Name in the argument below with the name you entered in step 3 (ex: CCleaner) within quotes, and substitute Full Path of Program in the argument below with the actual full path of the program's .exe file within quote.
10. Click on the Conditions tab, and uncheck the Stop if the computer switches to battery power box first, then uncheck the Start the task only if the computer is on AC power box. (see screenshots below) NOTE:This step is mostly for laptops, so that you will be able to run the program when the laptop is running on battery power.
11. Click on OK. (See screenshots above)
12. You will now see your new task created with the name (ex: CCleaner) you gave it in step 3. Close Task Scheduler. (see screenshot below)
13. Right click on a empty area of the desktop, then click on New and Shortcut.
14. Type in the target below for the location field, then click on the Next button. (see screenshot below) NOTE:Subsitute task-name in the target with the name (ex: CCleaner) within quotes that you used in step 3.
schtasks /run /tn "task-name"
For example: For my task name CCleaner I used from step 3, I would type:
schtasks /run /tn "CCleaner"
15. Type in a name you want for the shortcut (ex: CCleaner), then click on the Finish button. (see screenshot below)
16. Right click on the new shortcut (ex: CCleaner) on the desktop, then click on Properties.
17. Click on the Shortcut tab and on the Change Icon button. (see screenshot below)
18. Click on OK. (see screenshot below)
19. Click on the Browse button. (see screenshot below)
20. Navigate to the .exe file of the program that you have created this shortcut with, then select it and click on Open. (see screenshot below) NOTE:If you have a icon of your own that you would prefer to use instead, then navigate to where you have that icon saved at instead.
21. Select the icon you want for the shortcut, then click on OK. (see screenshot below)
If you would like to stop the quick flashing CMD pop-up when using the shortcut, then you can do this below to do so.
Right click on the shortcut and click on Properties.
Click on the Shortcut tab.
Select Minimized in the drop down menu to the left of Run, and click OK.
24. When you run this new elevated shortcut, you will now no longer have to click on YES to approve the UAC prompt to allow the program run as administrator.
Tip
To Undo and Remove this Task:
While having Task Scheduler Library selected in the left pane, right click on the task in the right pane that you created in step 12, then click on Delete and Yes to approve.
As always, very well done Shawn, tutorial is easy to read and understand.
This makes working with programs requiring a uac prompt that you trust a pleasure to run again, while keeping the security offered by the uac on and intact.
Note: Also works on Vista.
Thanks Shawn for this and All your contributions here on the greatest forum for Windows Windows 7.
Added:
Have the program load on start minimized:
To do this, you'll need to create a very simple .bat file. To start, Open your favorite text editor like notepad. Enter the following:
Code:
@echo off
start /MIN "" "C:\Program Files\CCleaner\CCleaner.exe"
The above is an example for cCleaner. For other programs, Simply enter the path to your program in quotes. Notice the 2 quotation marks placed together, anything you wish can be entered between them, but they must be there. See example:
Code:
@echo off
start /MIN "cCleaner" "C:\Program Files\CCleaner\CCleaner.exe"
Now you need to save this as a bat file. You do this by clicking file, then "save as" and in the save as box, there is a drop down for "save as type", choose "ALL TYPES" and name it something like "cCleaner.bat" to a location like "C:\MyBatFiles". You need to save the file with the ".bat" at the end. Thats how your basic notepad becomes a bat file. I recommend saving it to the c:\ root because it may need access to the file before you log in and if your not logged in yet the program might not load. So create a folder directly in C:\ drive and create a folder like the above example "MyBatFiles".
Example of "save as" above path:
C:\MyBatFiles\cCleaner.bat
Next you need to change the task scheduler for the program, so open it by typing task scheduler in start search and select it. If your tasks are not shown, Click on the Library folder near the upper left, then double click on the task you want to have open minimized on start up. Click on the "Actions" tab and highlight the current path and click "edit". In the opened edit window, you need to now browse to the newly created .bat file you just created. Once done click "OK".
Next, click on the "Triggers" tab. Click new and choose the option that best works for you from the drop down "Begin the task". For example "At startup". Click OK, then click OK to close the task editor. Thats it, your UAC program will not require your input, and will start automatically minimized for you.
Tip
For testing, in the triggers tab, "Begin the task" drop down, choose "On Workstation Lock". This way to test it, you don't have to restart the PC, just select "Lock" from the start menu. Once you log back on, you should see the program loaded and minimized. If so, you then can go back and choose at "At startup" in the task scheduler "triggers" tab, begin the task drop down.
Enjoy your program loading on startup, minimized, without UAC prompt input!
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Hello Brink!
Im trying this for CCleaner. I browsed to .exe file and added a task to task scheduler. Even i am able to start it directly from scheduler(right click and run) but shortcut on my desktop doesn't starts a CCleaner. Maybe im doing something wrong?
I used this as shortcut target: schtasks /run /tn CCleaner
Success Brink!!!
It works perfectly now! But i didn't find my mistake. I tryed all steps again 100% the same as above, and it worked. Cmd pop-ups and scheduled program runs.
And yes, im doing this as administrator!
And finally thanks! i hate UAC sometimes, but i dnt want to turn it off!
Sorry if my english was bad, it's foreign language for me.
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