Use "Run as administrator" with UAC disabled

[hedak]

If you have UAC enabled you can start a program with administrator rights using "Run as administrator". But after disabling UAC this entry has no effect any more. As instance on my computer a have two user accounts. One for Internet and one for local usage. But some apps on my internet account need admin rights. This is an workaround for that problem using Sysinternals' psexec:

0) you need to have an (admin) account with a password set, it won't work without having set a password to that user, i call that user "Administrator" here
1) Download Sysinternals "PsTools" here: PsTools (direct link: http://download.sysinternals.com/Files/PsTools.zip)
2) Extract the zip file to "C:\Program files\PsTools"
3) Check wether "psexec.exe" is within "C:\Program files\PsTools"
4) Press Win+R and type "regedit"
5) navigate to "HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Classes\exefile"
6) create a backup: right click the key "exefile" and "Export" it to any folder (remember that folder if my workaround doesn't work for you)
7) navigate to "HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Classes\exefile\shell\runas\command"
8) change the value of the string "(Default)" to "C:\Program Files\PsTools\PsExec.exe" -i -d -u Administrator "%1""
9) delete the string "IsolatedCommand" (don't delete the value only)
10) you have finished

When using "Run as administrator" now a console will appear where you have to enter the password of Administrator.

Important note: While typing the password no letters or signs will be printed out at the console! Just type and press the enter key.

If you sometimes have problems with this solution you can backup the changed "exefile" key. So you can easily import the original or the modded backup.

@Admin: Please move this tutorial to the tutorials forum and delete this line

 

[brianzion]

i have uac disabled and in my context menu i still have the option "Run as administrator" ? are you saying the when you click it does not "Run as administrator" i am the only user on my machine so this has no relevance to single users?

 

[archie123]

i have uac disabled and in my context menu i still have the option "Run as administrator" ? are you saying the when you click it does not "Run as administrator" i am the only user on my machine so this has no relevance to single users?

ive never had to set anything "run as admin" everything i run has full admin rights it seems by default , i dont have UAC enabled and im the only user so maybe thats why , but ive never been troubled with any issues regarding admin rights even using command prompt

 

[logicearth]

Here is a much easier way. Turn UAC on.

 

[archie123]

Here is a much easier way. Turn UAC on.

I cant , i hate it , its a waste of time and energy and as annoying as hell Just another pointless piece of software to fool us into thinking our pc's are safe in microsofts hands , i can set my firewall to be just as annoying if i want

i have friends who are pc savvy they disable it as a matter of course with zero issues , i have family members who are not as savvy leave it switched on and call me up at least once a month to remove all the rogue software from thier pc's , waste of time , or they ring me up all the time "my pc is asking for permission to do such and such what do i do?"..........................................well you start by disabling UAC

 

[alphanumeric]

I also have UAC turned off. It's an annoyance I can do without. I also still have the "run as administrator" context menu item and I have never had to use it.

 

[hedak]

With UAC disabled you still have "Run as administrator" in your context menu. But it doesnt work. On my computer a have two user accounts. One for Internet and one for local usage. But some apps on my internet account need admin rights. But as i said "Run as administrator" had no effect, because UAC is disabled.

 

[brianzion]

Here is a much easier way. Turn UAC on.

I cant , i hate it , its a waste of time and energy and as annoying as hell Just another pointless piece of software to fool us into thinking our pc's are safe in microsofts hands , i can set my firewall to be just as annoying if i want

i have friends who are pc savvy they disable it as a matter of course with zero issues , i have family members who are not as savvy leave it switched on and call me up at least once a month to remove all the rogue software from thier pc's , waste of time , or they ring me up all the time "my pc is asking for permission to do such and such what do i do?"..........................................well you start by disabling UAC

i agree its to much security and annoying if you have a decent security suite that should protect you

 

[Ztruker]

Maybe this will help: Vista: "Run as..." while UAC disabled - Vista Security

Basically says Run as Administrator is a part of UAC and when UAC is disabled, RaS no longer does anything. The the "runas" command-line tool still exists and can be used.

 

[gregrocker]

Is there a reason why you would want Users prompted to "Run As Adminstrator" yet not want even a minimum level of UAC turned on?

I know UAC is annoying and turn it off for my own installs or set to lowest for other installs. And it does indeed then disable Run as Admin making it the same as far as I can tell as running as hidden Admin.

Perhaps the OP has other Users he doesn't want installing Programs. Yet doesn't want constant nag messages about what he is doing.

They way I explain UAC to newbies is it might stop an internet intruder from running a program by asking you first, so dont' approve action you are not taking yourself at that moment. But most of the time it just asks you if you want to do what you are doing at the moment.

Others?

 

[alphanumeric]

Perhaps the OP has other Users he doesn't want installing Programs. Yet doesn't want constant nag messages about what he is doing.

UAC won't stop other users from installing programs, they will just get prompted, and can click yes anyway. You would have to give them a "standard user" account instead of an administrator account to restrict what they can do.

 

[gregrocker]

When using "Run as administrator" now a console will appear where you have to enter the password of Administrator.

What exactly is this password for? I assumed you have a Registry hack that requires an Admin password to approve something in order to proceed.

UAC won't stop other users from installing programs, they will just get prompted, and can click yes anyway. You would have to give them a "standard user" account instead of an administrator account to restrict what they can do.

I understand it would have to be a standard User account for it to need Admin to allow changes, as an Admin would allow it anyway. But then what is the password for? Confuddling

 

[alphanumeric]

With UAC disabled you still have "Run as administrator" in your context menu. But it doesnt work. On my computer a have two user accounts. One for Internet and one for local usage. But some apps on my internet account need admin rights. But as i said "Run as administrator" had no effect, because UAC is disabled.

OK, fair enough. I have no way of knowing if "run as admin" works or not, I've never had to use it. Are both of your accounts members of the administrators group? If one of them is only a standard user that would explain why you need it.

 

[alphanumeric]

When using "Run as administrator" now a console will appear where you have to enter the password of Administrator.

What exactly is this password for? I assumed you have a Registry hack that requires an Admin password to approve something in order to proceed.

UAC won't stop other users from installing programs, they will just get prompted, and can click yes anyway. You would have to give them a "standard user" account instead of an administrator account to restrict what they can do.

I understand it would have to be a standard User account for it to need Admin to allow changes, as an Admin would allow it anyway. But then what is the password for? Confuddling

The password would be the password for the built in administrator account. Mine actually has one because I enabled it and set a password. His instructions tell you to do the same thing in the first couple of steps.

 

[gregrocker]

So this is a password to continue beyond User Account prompt which no longer appears?

 

[hedak]

The password you have to enter is the password for an admin account (doesn't need to be the built in admin account, any other admin account works too). You will have to enter it running a standard user account and using my "Run as administrator" if the console asks for the password. You have to enter this password every time you use my "Run as administrator". You could expand the registry string i changed with the admins password, but it would stay there in clear text then...
Its like the normal "Run as administrator". But the normal "Run as administrator" works with UAC enabled only. I hope its clear now

 

[logicearth]

You know, you can have UAC on for standard users and off for Admin users, right?
Keeping UAC on you also get the benefits of the built in process sandbox, IE and Chrome both use.

 

[hedak]

OK, thanks for the tip. I'll try

Update: I finally got it working. The problem ist that i can't use the built in administrator account that way, because that account is hidden. My way works with every (admin) account. Anyway thanks!

 

[alphanumeric]

You know, you can have UAC on for standard users and off for Admin users, right?
Keeping UAC on you also get the benefits of the built in process sandbox, IE and Chrome both use.

You can, but I can't. I'm running Home premium, no group policy editor.

 

[hedak]

You know, you can have UAC on for standard users and off for Admin users, right?
Keeping UAC on you also get the benefits of the built in process sandbox, IE and Chrome both use.

You can, but I can't. I'm running Home premium, no group policy editor.

I don't have Home premium. But don't you even have the file "C:\Windows\System32\secpol.msc"?? That would do the trick. I know you don't have "gpedit.msc", but its not the same, right?