Windows 7 - Elevated Program Shortcut - Create for Standard User

   Information

This will show you the administrator how to create a elevated program shortcut that allows a standard user or any user account to be able to run a program that runs as administrator without being prompted to enter the administator's password each time in Windows 7.

   Note

Thank you to our member Onikuro for pointing out this option in his post here.

   Warning

You will not be able to do this in Windows 7 Home Basic and Starter editions since they do not support the runas /savecred switch option.

1. If you have not already, enable the built-in "Administrator" account, and create a password for it.
NOTE: You must use the actual built-in Adminstrator account, and not just another administrator type user account. If you don't the shortcut will now work.

2. Log in to the built-in Administrator account, right click on a empty space on the desktop, and click on New and Shortcut.

3. Type the location below into the location area, and click on the Next button. (see screenshot below)

   Note

• You would substitute ComputerName in the command below with the actual computer name.
• The default user account name of the built-in Administrator account is Administrator unless manually changed. If it was changed, then you would also need to change the Administrator name in the location below as well.
• You would substitute Full path to program's exe file in the command below with the actual full path of the elevated program's exe file within quotes that you want to have the standard user be able to run.

Code:

runas /user:ComputerName\Administrator /savecred "Full path to program's exe file"

For example: I would like to have a standard user to be able to run CCleaner without me or them having to enter the Administrator's account password each time. For this, I would type this:

Code:

runas /user:Brink-PC\Administrator /savecred "C:\Program Files\CCleaner\CCleaner.exe"

3. Type in the name of the program (ex: CCleaner), and click on the Finish button. (see screenshot below)

4. Right click on the new shortcut, click on Properties, Shortcut tab, and on the Change Icon button. (see screenshot below)

5. Click on OK. (see screenshot below)

6. Click on the Browse button, navigate to the location of the program's (ex: CCleaner) exe file, click on Open, select the program's icon, and click on OK. (see screenshots below)

7. Click on OK. (see screenshot below)

8. Make copies of the shortcut to the desktop of any user account (ex: standard user) that you would like to be able to run a elevated program without getting a UAC prompt or having to provide the administrator's password.

9. Log on to any user account that you made a copy of the shortcut to, and run the shortcut.

10. In the command prompt that opened, type in your built-in Administrator account's password and press Enter. You will not see the password while you are typing it in. (see screenshot below)
NOTE: You will only have to enter the Administrator's password for only the first time that this shortcut is ran in a user's account. Afterwards, it will be remembered and entered automatically for the user when they run it without anyone being able to see the password.

11. The user can now Pin to Taskbar or Pin to Start Menu this shortcut, assign a keyboard shortcut to it, or move it where they like for easy use in their user account.