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

 

[Brink]

Hello JJ,

This is normal for it to open another icon on the taskbar. It does this since the pinned icon uses the "Task Scheduler" task location/target, and the second opened icon is for the program's exe file itself instead. You'll have a icon on the taskbar for each separate location or process when it's opened/ran.

Strange, it opens as the active window for me and not in the background. As a test, right click on the pinned icon, right click on the program in the jump list, click on Properties, click on Shortcuts tab, select "Maximize" next to Run, apply, then select the default "Normal window" next to run, click on OK, and see how it opens now.

 

[JJTech]

Hi Brink,

Thanks for your reply.

Are you saying that since I set this up via "Task Scheduler" that it will act differently from all the other icons/programs on the TB? All the others have just 1 icon even if you have 6 spreadsheets open, they will all be under the Excel icon.

I tried the second suggestion about the window and it still does the same thing.

JJ

 

[Brink]

Using say CCleaner as example from the tutorial, you'll have the pinned CCleaner icon (using: Task Scheduler), and all opened CCleaner windows will display in the other icon (using actual program's exe file) that opened on the taskbar.

It behaves this way since the pinned CCleaner icon (elevated shortcut from tutorial) actually is a pinned Task Scheduler shortcut instead. When you open the pinned CCleaner, it runs the .exe file for CCleaner which is different than Task Scheduler. This is why is has a separate icon open on the taskbar.

 

[JJTech]

Got it. Is there any way around that? I tried changing the original "Privilege level" to "run this program as an administrator" but that didn't help.

Any ideas on why it is not opening the window in the foreground?

 

[Brink]

Sorry, but there's not a way around having more than one icon on the taskbar when you open/run it. It's doing what it's suppose to be doing.

I'm not sure why it's not opening for you in the foreground since it's not doing it with me.

 

[JJTech]

Brink, do you know why changing the "Privilege level" in the original shortcut to "run this program as an administrator" doesn’t help?

 

[Brink]

The privilege level has nothing to do with how the icon appears on the taskbar. The privilege level only affects the UAC notification level settings.

 

[JJTech]

I understand that but why doesn't taking that action stop the UAC query?

 

[Brink]

Setting a program to "Run as administrator" is what would trigger the UAC prompt unless you turned UAC off completely. Using the method in the tutorial is a workaround to have shortcut of a program to "Run as an administrator" without getting a UAC prompt and still have UAC turned on.

 

[JJTech]

Thank you Brink! JJ

 

[Brink]

Thank you Brink! JJ

You're welcome. I hope that was able to answer your question adequately for you.

 

[RonCam]

Another way: RunSU (google it)

I've only tried this utility twice, but it worked fine both times. It's especially good if you have a long, complicated argument to pass. A bit large for what it does, but if you wish to remove it, a monitored install-uninstall showed it uninstalls cleanly.

 

[Infinite]

Thanks, this worked, but a couple of things:

1 - a typo:

12.......you gave it in step 3. Close Task Schedular.

2 - it still shows the Shortcut Icon Arrow (I tried your tutorial to remove that a while ago, it actually just made a black square instead). EDIT: Never mind - fixed

 

[Brink]

Thank you Infinite. Typo corrected.

 

[Katherinez212]

Thanks Brink great tutorial I understand everything and I think Axematic doing some sought of mistakes that's why its not working..

 

[Roxie2401]

Update tutorial

Sean,

Would it be possible to update the tutorial to include the "run shortcut minimized?" It kept bugging me until I got to page 7 or 8 and found your suggestion to change the Run property in the short-cut build to "Minimize."

That flashing cmd screen was strange until I realized that by running the task directly from the scheduler (right-click run) and it worked perfectly. Knew it had to be the shortcut.

Anyway, thanks for such great tutorials. I just moved from WinXP (forced, not by choice) and Win7 is really, really different.

Found this forum and have been practically living here trying to get Win7 to function more like XP.

 

[Brink]

You're most welcome Roxie. Thank you for the suggestion. I added a note box under step 23 for this.

 

[Glenn a windows]

Is there any way to create this sort of task via schtasks? I haven't figured out a combination of parameters to have a named scheduled task sitting there "On demand only", though.

 

[Brink]

Hello Glenn,

I'm not sure how you would go about it using the schtasks command to create it either with what's required in the tutorial. You might see if this may help.
Schtasks
Depending on what your needs are, you might also take a look at the tutorial below to see if that may work better for you. Once the shortcut is created and setup with the password for the first time, any user (standard or administrator) can use.
http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/193743-elevated-program-shortcut-create-standard-user.html

 

[WildWilly]

Taskmgr launches from Tasksched but no TM window opens at bootup

Hi. I followed all the instructions in this Tutorial. After booting up, I did not have a Task Manager window open. When I opened Task Scheduler, the listing for the Task Manager said it was successful and the task was running. When I manually opened Task Manager, it showed 2 instantiations of taskmgr.exe, one under SYTSEM (I assume that's the one Task Scheduler launched) and one under my user ID, which is of course the window I was looking at. I have tried numerous things. At this point, I have a Shortcut in my Startup folder. It refers to a .CMD file (it has also been named .BAT at some point but it fails to work just the same as either a .CMD or a .BAT) that consists of one line:

start taskmgr

I have a couple of other items in my Startup folder, including one for a different .BAT. They all start. Task Manager does not. If I go into the Startup folder after bootup & click the entry in the Startup folder, he said emphasizing that indeed this item is in the Startup folder, it launches Task Manager as an Administrator. (At least I got the part right about having the Shortcut run as an Administrator.). And it doesn't prompt me for the . . . what's it called? I'm a W7 newbie, less than a week . . . UAC. (So I also got the part right about changing the Local Policy for elevating without prompting. I'm the only user on this system & I've got every user, all one of them, defined as Administrator, and every Group, all two of them, defined as Administrators, with full permissions & my user ID owns the entire boot partition. Dangerous? Not so far. Talk to me in a year. )

I am at my wits' end. I have read a number of tutorials here (mostly an utterly wonderful site, by the way, congrats to all concerned) and with the help of those, I have changed my bootup image, my Start Menu Orb, my Start Menu icon, my Theme, and a number of other things major, minor, & cosmetic that I don't remember. This is the only task (so far) that I have not managed to successfully complete. So I finally broke down & registered so I could speak up. I sure hope somebody has some good ideas to help me.