Run PowerShell as Administrator on Windows 10/11: Easy Steps

This tutorial aims to guide you on How To Open or Run PowerShell as Administrator on Windows. PowerShell is a robust object-oriented automation engine and scripting language, complete with an interactive command-line shell. Microsoft developed it to empower IT professionals to efficiently configure systems and automate a wide range of administrative tasks.

Administrator Mode for PowerShell unlocks the full potential of this scripting language. It grants the logged-on user unrestricted access to the entire system, allowing them to interact with all components without limitations. This elevated access is crucial for tasks that require system-level privileges. Learning How To Open or Run PowerShell as Administrator on Windows is a vital skill for any system administrator or power user.

You can follow the steps below on the Orcacore website to easily run PowerShell as admin on Windows.

To complete this tutorial, you must log in to your Windows Client or Windows Server and follow the steps below.

1. Open PowerShell as an Administrator on Windows 10

This is a straightforward process. Simply right-click on the Start button and choose Windows PowerShell (Admin).

2. Open PowerShell as an Administrator on Windows 11

On Windows 11, you can right-click on the Start button and choose Windows Terminal (Admin). Windows Terminal often defaults to PowerShell, but you can configure it to use other shells as well.

If you look at the title bar of your PowerShell console, you can find out whether you have successfully run the PowerShell console as an Administrator. The title bar will typically include the word "Administrator." This is the quickest way to verify that you’ve correctly initiated the elevated session when you Run PowerShell as Administrator on Windows.

Another Way to Open PowerShell Admin

Alternatively, you can start PowerShell or PowerShell ISE (Integrated Scripting Environment) from the Start menu on Windows 10. Go to Start > Windows PowerShell and then right-click on Window PowerShell (or ISE) and choose Run as Administrator.

On Windows 11, the Start menu shortcut is available under All Apps > Windows Tools.

Also, you can use these instructions on your Windows Server.

Conclusion

Administrator Mode is for those who are already comfortable with PowerShell, or for those cases where a particular Cmdlet requires it. Hope you enjoy this guide on How To Run or Open PowerShell as an Administrator on Windows. Please subscribe to us on Facebook and YouTube.

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Alternative Solutions to Run PowerShell as Administrator

While the right-click methods are quick and easy, there are other ways to elevate PowerShell privileges. Let’s explore two alternatives: using the Task Manager and leveraging the Start-Process cmdlet.

1. Run PowerShell as Administrator via Task Manager

The Task Manager provides another avenue for launching PowerShell with administrative rights. This method is particularly useful if you already have the Task Manager open or prefer using it for process management.

Steps:

Open Task Manager: Press Ctrl + Shift + Esc or search for "Task Manager" in the Start menu.
Run New Task: Click on "File" in the Task Manager menu, then select "Run new task".
Enter PowerShell: In the "Create new task" dialog box, type powershell.
Elevate Privileges: Crucially, check the box that says "Create this task with administrative privileges".
Click OK: This will launch PowerShell with administrator rights.

This approach provides a GUI-based alternative to the right-click method. By selecting the "Create this task with administrative privileges" checkbox, you explicitly instruct Windows to launch the PowerShell process with elevated permissions. This is another convenient way to Run PowerShell as Administrator on Windows.

2. Using `Start-Process` Cmdlet to Elevate Privileges

PowerShell itself offers a powerful way to start new processes, including itself, with administrative privileges using the Start-Process cmdlet. This is especially useful within scripts or when you need to programmatically launch PowerShell with elevated permissions.

Explanation:

The Start-Process cmdlet allows you to start any executable. The -Verb RunAs parameter is key here. It tells Start-Process to run the specified executable with elevated privileges, prompting the User Account Control (UAC) dialog if necessary. The -FilePath parameter specifies the path to the PowerShell executable. Finally, the -Wait parameter makes the script wait for the new PowerShell instance to finish before continuing. This is useful if you need the elevated PowerShell instance to perform some task and then return control to the original script.

Code Example:

Start-Process powershell -Verb RunAs -Wait

This single line of code will open a new PowerShell window with administrator privileges. If the user running the script doesn’t have administrator rights, the UAC prompt will appear, requesting credentials.

Adding Script Block:

To execute a specific command or script block within the elevated PowerShell instance, you can use the -ArgumentList parameter to pass arguments to the new process. For example, to execute a specific command:

$command = "Get-Process | Where-Object {$_.CPU -gt 1} | Sort-Object CPU -Descending"
Start-Process powershell -Verb RunAs -ArgumentList "-NoExit -Command `"&$command`"" -Wait

Explanation:

$command: This variable holds the PowerShell command you want to execute. In this case, it’s retrieving processes consuming more than 1% CPU, sorting them by CPU usage in descending order.
-NoExit: This argument prevents the elevated PowerShell window from closing automatically after executing the command.
-Command: This argument specifies the command to execute. The entire command is enclosed in double quotes to ensure it’s treated as a single string.
&: This is the call operator, which executes the string as a PowerShell command.

Use Cases:

This method is particularly beneficial in scenarios where you need to automate tasks that require administrative privileges without manual intervention. For instance, you could use it to automatically install software, modify system settings, or perform other administrative operations as part of a larger script. The user will be prompted for credentials if needed, allowing for secure and automated elevation. This provides a programmatic way to Run PowerShell as Administrator on Windows, making it incredibly useful for scripting and automation.

By understanding these alternative methods, you can choose the approach that best suits your needs and workflow. Whether you prefer the convenience of the Task Manager or the flexibility of the Start-Process cmdlet, knowing multiple ways to Run PowerShell as Administrator on Windows will make you a more efficient and effective system administrator.