Elevated Program Shortcut without UAC Prompt - Create

How to Create an Elevated Program Shortcut without a UAC Prompt in Windows​

   Information

This will show you how to create an elevated "Run as administrator" shortcut of any installed program 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 Vista, Windows 7, and Windows 8.

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.

   Warning

• 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. Press the Windows + R keys to open the Run dialog, type taskschd.msc, 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/tap 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/tap on the Configure for drop down box to open it, and select Windows® 7, Windows Server™ 2008 R2 or the Windows you are currently in. (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/tap 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.
/c start "Task Name" "Full Path of Program"


For example:

/c start "CCleaner" "C:\Program Files\CCleaner\CCleaner64.exe"

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

10. Click/tap 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/tap 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 or press and hold on an empty area of your desktop, then click/tap on New and Shortcut.

14. Type in the target below for the location field, then click/tap 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/tap on the Finish button. (see screenshot below)

16. Right click on the new shortcut (ex: CCleaner) on the desktop, then click/tap on Properties.

17. Click/tap on the Shortcut tab, and on the Change Icon button. (see screenshot below)

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

19. Click/tap on the Browse button. (see screenshot below)

20. Navigate to the .exe file of the program that you have created this shortcut with, select it, and click/tap 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/tap on OK. (see screenshot below)

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

23. You can now use this elevated shortcut to run at startup in your "Startup" folder, run at startup as a task, Pin to Start Menu, Pin to Taskbar, assign a keyboard shortcut, or move to where you like for easy use.

24. When you run this new elevated shortcut, you will now no longer have to click/tap 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.
• Delete the shortcut.

That's it,
Shawn

Related Tutorials

---

• How to Set Priority Level for Applications and Processes in Windows 7
• 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 Create an Elevated Command Prompt Shortcut in Windows 7 and Windows 8
• How to Create an Elevated Windows 7 Task Manager Shortcut
• How to Change UAC Notification Settings in Windows 7
• How to Create a Task to Run a Program at Startup and Log On in Windows 7
• Enable or Disable the User Account Control (UAC) Blacking Out of Screen in Vista and Windows 7
• How to Elevate All Administrator Accounts UAC Privilege Level
• How to Add "Run as administrator" to VBS File Context Menu
• How to Add "Run as administrator" to MSI File Context Menu
• How to Require Users to Press CTRL+ALT+DEL to Approve UAC Elevation
• How to Create an Elevated Program Shortcut a Standard User is able to Run in Windows 7
• How to Change Behavior of User Account Control (UAC) Prompt for Standard Users
• How to Display a Message Reminder in Windows with Task Scheduler

 

[marcvarc]

Use with ZTreeWin

Hi gurus all,
I have applied the method in the tutorial, which is excellent work, thank you.
However on one program, ZTreeWin, there is a minor irritation.
I have pinned the shortcut to the task bar so ZTreeWin opens with one click.
But its window is not active - I have to click in the window before I can use it.
I really want to click once and immediately be able to key in any command to ZTreeWin.
Is there any way to retain the focus on the opened ZTreeWin program?
Many thanks, marcvarc.

 

[Brink]

Hello Marcvarc, and welcome to Seven Forums.

I played around with this in the screenshot below for this program, and it open in one click using this in the Actions tab under step 7 and 9.



Hope this helps,
Shawn

 

[marcvarc]

Many thanks for having a look at this, Shawn, and suggesting a solution.
I have recreated your method but it still doesn't work for me.
Yes you can open ZTreeWin with one click, but it still requires a second click in the ZTreeWin window to activate the window. Only then can you key in keyboard commands to ZTreeWin.
So that's two clicks, which is no improvement on clicking on the ZTreeWin icon once to open the UAC window and a second click on the Yes button in the UAC window.
But thanks for having go, cheers, marcvarc.

 

[Brink]

I don't think that there will be a way to change this since it seems to be specific for that program.

 

[Urthboundmisfit]

Solution found: Avira AntiVir Personal - Free Antivirus



No UAC prompts on boot, no shortcut hacks or tweaks needed, Icon loads in tray.... IOW, the way an AV should work!!

I dumped Avira 3 days after I made this post. (3 FP's, NO help from Avira support on said FP's, 2 failed updates and unbearably LOOOONG successful updates, COUNTLESS "nag splashscreen" prompts BEGGING me to upgrade...and switched back to


wait for it...




Micr$oft $ecurity E$$ential$ which is what I originally had and disliked. Months later, I find that I've become a fan of M$$E

Go figure???

 

[Dave76]

Welcome back, MSE is a good AV, stays quite and is there when needed.

I'm running MSE and Avast, great combination

 

[Urthboundmisfit]

Thanks!!! & D'OH!!!

Welcome back, MSE is a good AV, stays quite and is there when needed.

Thanks! I concur.

I'm running MSE and Avast, great combination

Seems to be a lot of that going around, and much debate whether it's effective or not. I see by your specs that Resources would not be an issue on your machine, but for "most" average users...not so much.

Coincidentally (or maybe NOT??), I started a topic just YESTERDAY @ Bleepingcomputer on this PRECISE topic. Have a peek at it, PARTICULARLY the replies by Didier Stevens & the infamous Quietman7 and see if you'll still employ this tactic. I'd be interesteed to read your (or any other members') thoughts on the subject.

Link: 2 Real time AV's-- Yes or No? (I say NO)

 

[Brink]

Let's stay on topic of the tutorial now. Thank you.

 

[faginbagin]

Just wanted to say Thank You for this tutorial, and to add a suggestion. If you want to run multiple instances of the application (like putty), you'll need to make one more change to the task's properties. Under the Settings tab, change the setting for

If the task is already running, then the following rule applies:

Change the default value of:
Do not start a new instance

to:
Run a new instance in parallel

HTH,
Helen

 

[whs]

I tried the procedure on cmd. After I had completed the 24 steps, it worked very well (and I was exhausted - LOL ). The only thing I noticed is that when I now call cmd with this shortcut, it is initially not active - have to click on the cmd window to activate it. No big deal, but I thought I mention it.

 

[Brink]

Thank you Wolfgang.

I'll do some playing tonight to see if I may be able to find a way to workaround that issue.

 

[whs]

Hi Shawn, it is really not an "issue". Just an observation with which I can easily live. But I guess you like the "challenge" - LOL.

 

[Passiel]

Hi, I am trying to following your instructions for this. I made Yahoo Messenger run always in Admin and the instructions I used to reverse it are not working. It always has the blue and yellow shield on it and will not start up automatically now like I want it too.

I tried to reverse it using these instructions - Press winkey+r and run this command:
> > >
> > > "net user administrator /active:no"

In the admin account, another account with admin privileges and another account with standard privileges and none worked.

In your tutorial I get stuck at Step 11 where I get an error saying something about a password (see attached screen shot) is there anyway for me to just yank the yellow and blue shield off? I really appreciate the help. I am having a hard time finding the right phrase to Google this with.

Thanks!

 

[Brink]

Hello Passiel, and welcome to Seven Forums.

Sorry, but I'm a bit confused as to what you are wanting. The command you posted has nothing to do with this tutorial.

Is your user account an administrator account and does it have a password created for it? If not, then that may be why you are getting the error in the screenshort.

 

[Passiel]

No there's no password. I did get it figured out another way. Basically I just wanted to know how to take the admin rights off that program and that was how someone else told me to do. Guess they weren't on the same page as I was. Thanks for your time.

 

[Brink]

Ah, ok. I'm happy to hear that you got it sorted out though.

 

[bagavan]

Excellent tutorial brink..I found it very handy.

 

[Brink]

I'm glad to hear that Bagavan. Thank you.

 

[gogreen]

Excellent tutorial, Shawn! Just what I wanted.

I created this shortcut for Windows Live Mail 2011. I noted that when starting the program with the prompt, WLM did not come up fill screen as I like it. And when I clicked the upper-right box to expand the window, it did not hold this position after closing and starting.

My solution was to drag the window borders manually to where I want them. These settings held on closing and re-opening the program.

A little tip that worked for me.

 

[Brink]

You're most welcome gogreen. I'm happy to hear that it was able to sort out that issue for you.