Elevated Program Shortcut - Create for Standard User

How to Create an Elevated Program Shortcut Any User is able to Run in Vista, Windows 7, and Windows 8​

   Information

This will show you how to create an elevated program shortcut that allows any user (ex: Standard user) to be able to run a program that runs as administrator without being prompted to enter the administator's password each time in Vista, Windows 7, and Windows 8.

   Note

If the user you want to have this shortcut has been restricted with Parental Controls in Windows 7 with it set as Standard Account can only use the programs I allow, then they will not be able to use the shortcut in this tutorial since they will not be allowed to use the runas.exe file used by this shortcut. Windows 7 will not allow runas.exe to be added to the allowed to run list.

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If the user you want to have this shortcut has been restricted with Family Safety in Windows 8 with it set as (user) can only use the apps I allow, then they will not be able to use the shortcut in this tutorial since they will not be allowed to use the runas.exe file used by this shortcut. Windows 8 will not allow runas.exe to be added to the allowed to run list.

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You will not be able to do this in Vista Starter, Vista Home Basic, Vista Home Premium, Windows 7 Home Basic, and Windows 7 Starter editions since the runas /savecred switch option is not available and will be ignored in them.

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If you disable the built-in Administrator account, the elevated shortcut will stop working until you enable the built-in Administrator again. This is because the elevated shortcut uses the password of the built-in Administrator to approve running it.

OPTION ONE

To Create Elevated Shortcut for User using RunasSPC Program

1. Download the free RunasSPC program in a .zip file at the site below.

Download


2. The link below can help show you how to use the program.
Runas Spc guidance and examples

OPTION TWO

To Create Elevated Shortcut for User using runas Command

   Tip

This option uses the runas command included in Windows.

The Administrator's password (credential) used by the elevated shortcut is encrypted and stored in the Credential Manager (Control Panel (icons view)) as an "interactive logon" entry under Windows Credentials for only that user account like below.

The Administrator account's password cannot be viewed.

If you like, you can Remove (delete) this credential at anytime in Credential Manager to strip the password from the elevated shortcut to make it ask for the password again when opened like in step 18 below.

   Warning

This elevated shortcut creates a security hole.

It would be best to only do this with a trusted user.

Once you have created the elevated shortcut, the user can use the built-in Administrator's saved credentials in Credential Manager along with the command below to run and access anything they want on the computer with the same rights as the built-in Administrator.

RUNAS /savecred /user:administrator "command to run"

1. If you have not already, enable the built-in elevated "Administrator" account, and create a password for it.

   Warning

You must use the actual built-in Administrator account, and not just another administrator type user account. If you don't the shortcut will not work.

2. Log in to the built-in Administrator account, right click or press and hold on an empty space on the desktop, and click/tap on New and Shortcut.


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

   Note

• You would substitute ComputerName in the command below with the actual computer name.
• If the Administrator account has been renamed, then you would also need to substitute Administrator in the command below with the new name.
• 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.

runas /user:[B][COLOR=red]ComputerName[/COLOR][/B]\[B]Administrator[/B] /savecred "[B][COLOR=red]Full path to program's exe file[/COLOR][/B]"

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:

runas /user:[B][COLOR=red]Brink-PC[/COLOR][/B]\[B]Administrator[/B] /savecred "[B][COLOR=red]C:\Program Files\CCleaner\CCleaner.exe[/COLOR][/B]"

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

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

5. Click/tap on OK. (see screenshot below)

6. Click/tap 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/tap on OK. (see screenshots below)




7. Click/tap on OK. (see screenshot below)

8. While still logged in to the "Administrator" account, copy the shortcut to the desktop folder of the user account (ex: Test) that you would like to be able to run this elevated program without getting a UAC prompt or having to provide the administrator's password for it.

9. Right click or swipe down on the shortcut on the user's desktop that you just copied to, and click/tap on Properties. (see screenshot above)

10. Click/tap on the Security tab, and Advanced button. (see screenshot below)

11. Select the user account (ex: Test) that the elevated shortcut is for, and click/tap on the Disable inheritance button. (see screenshot below)

12. Click/tap on Convert inherited permissions into explicit permissions on this object. (see screenshot below)

13. Select the user account (ex: Test), and click/tap on the Edit button. (see screenshot below)

14. Make sure that only the Read & execute and Read "Allow" permissions are checked, and click/tap on OK. (see screenshot below)
NOTE: This will prevent the user (ex: Test) from being able to change the target of the elevated shortcut, and only be able to run the program the elevated shortcut was created to run.

15. Click/tap on OK. (see screenshot below)

16. Click/tap on OK. (see screenshot below)

17. Log on to the user account (ex: Test) that you made a copy of this shortcut to, and run the shortcut.

18. 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 the user account (ex: Test). Afterwards, it will be remembered and entered automatically for the user when they run it without anyone being able to see the password.

19. In Vista and Windows 7, the user can now Pin to Taskbar (Windows 7 only) or Pin to Start Menu, add to Quick Launch, assign a keyboard shortcut to it, or move this shortcut to where you like for easy use.

20. In Windows 8 and 8.1, the user can Pin to Taskbar on desktop, Pin to Start screen, add to Quick Launch, assign a keyboard shortcut to it, or move this shortcut to where you like for easy use.





That's it,
Shawn

Related Tutorials

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• How to Create a Elevated Program Shortcut without a UAC Prompt
• How to Run a Program as an Administrator in Windows 7
• How to See if Process is running as administrator (elevated) in Vista and Windows 7
• How to See if Process is running as administrator (elevated) in Windows 8 and 8.1
• How to Change UAC Notification Settings in Windows 7
• How to Run a Program as a Different User in Windows 7
• How to Create a Shortcut to Run a Program as a Specified User
• How to Rename the Windows 7 Built-in Administrator Account
• How to Change Behavior of User Account Control (UAC) Prompt for Standard Users

 

[Brink]

Jerome,

The tutorial below can help you to find your startup programs. I'd say anything from METHOD THREE and below may work best for this.

http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/1401-startup-programs-change.html

 

[JerometheGiraff]

Thanks, there are a few things in the tutorial, I forgot I could have used, duh

 

[Brink]

You're most welcome Jerome.

 

[JerometheGiraff]

I wasn't unable to find the path of the program, and I tried mostly all the methods, I knew this was going to be a little tougher, arghh.

 

[Brink]

What program is this for?

 

[JerometheGiraff]

Asus Start up programs, want their specific names, I had to write them down ?

 

[Brink]

Since these are included preinstalled ASUS OEM programs, these could also be ASUS drivers.

What does CCleaner (METHOD FIVE below) have listed for you? If you like, post a screenshot to make it easier.

http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/1401-startup-programs-change.html

 

[JerometheGiraff]

 

[Brink]

The listed ASUS ShellProcess Execute for the AsShellProcess.exe file path to the right looks like that may be it.

 

[JerometheGiraff]

On Step 11 there is Disable inheritance button. I have "Include inheritable permissions from this object's parent" I assumed it is similar, except for mine wasn't enabled !

When I run the program icon within a standard user, I get a prompt that flashes asking for the administrator password, it is extremely fast, I can't enter in the administrator password. I followed everything, but I'm unable to enter in the Admin password.

 

[Brink]

Jerome,

If you run this .exe file in your administrator account, does it open the program you want the standard user to be able to?

 

[JerometheGiraff]

No. The program doesn't seem to be your regular program, when I run the custom short-cut in the Administrator account, the CMD window, flashes open, closes, that's it. I may try to make the short-cut again, I don't have high hopes that things will be different the second time around !

 

[Brink]

Yeah, if the program's exe won't run normally in your administrator account, then it will not work with this in the tutorial either.

 

[JerometheGiraff]

The tutorial is useless for this program, arghhh any other suggestions ? I'll try one more time, if the same results, need an alternative.

 

[JerometheGiraff]

When I run the short-cut within an Administrator account, it's not to say it doesn't work, the command window flashes extremely fast, open, then closes, that I'm unable to catch any error. Opening a command window then running the short-cut, still won't allow me to catch what the error is.

 

[Brink]

Nar, I mean when you run the AsShellProcess.exe file itself instead in your administrator account, does it run.

 

[JerometheGiraff]

Thanks for all your help Brink. After searching, I found some information from others experiencing the same problem. Unfortunately all the solutions, were unsuccessful. My only solution is to try a program that can do it, otherwise, I have to manually enter in the Admin password

 

[Brink]

I hope that you find an alternative that works with that program.

 

[JerometheGiraff]

I hope as well Thanks

 

[JerometheGiraff]

If I mentioned this or not, the three programs I want to run at Start-up are in the Task Scheduler, I assume the installation of the programs did this automatically. Except I'm prompt for the Administration password when I restart the computer into a Standard account, this is what I want to overcome.