How to Fix the “Run as Administrator” Not Working Problem

• Several apps on your computer must be run as administrators for various purposes. It is possible that the feature will not work at all times.
• If you use a standard user account, you can make changes to the operating system’s settings and gain administrator access to generally off-limits areas.
• An administrator role protects your operating system from damage caused by accidentally modifying specific settings.
• We recommend downloading the Fortect Repair Tool to repair Run as Administrator issues.

There are several causes for the issue, and most of them may be fixed quickly and easily. However, you must first understand the problem to avoid causing severe damage to your system.

If the “Run as Administrator” option is not working, users who depend on ‘Command Prompt’ for most of their duties will have issues. Other software and programs are affected as well.

There are two symptoms of the “Run as Administrator” not working issue:

• The “Run as Administrator” option is missing from the context menu.
• Nothing happens after clicking on the “Run as Administrator.”

What is the “Run as Administrator” For?

Standard user accounts and Administrator user accounts are the two types of user accounts in Windows. Using an administrator account allows you to make changes to the operating system’s settings and gain administrator access to generally off-limits areas.

An administrator role protects your operating system from damage caused by a standard user account accidentally modifying specific settings. Additionally, if malware or viruses gets admin access to your computer, there is a high chance of losing all your files and data.

However, even if you use a Windows admin account, not every application requires full administrator privileges. In reality, your web browser shouldn’t have complete access to the entire operating system—this is bad for security. User Account Control (UAC) limits the apps’ capabilities even when launched from an administrator account.

When you select “Run as Administrator” from the context menu, the User Account Control will be bypassed, and the application will be run with complete administrative privileges to all aspects of your computer.

When you launch a program as an administrator, you’re granting it specific permissions to access areas of your Windows system that otherwise would be prohibited. This is a risk, yet it is occasionally needed for some applications to function correctly.

Troubleshooting the “Run as Administrator” Not Working Issue

You can follow several methods to fix the “Run as Administrator” problem. Some ways are straightforward to perform, while others require some technical expertise. However the case may be, our guide will give you all the necessary information that even less tech-savvy individuals can follow.

First Method – Enable the User Account Control

When you try to launch a program software that requires administrator privileges, the User Account Control (UAC) popup opens, asking you to confirm the authorization. You may encounter this problem if you accidentally disabled UAC or if malware did so without your permission. As a result, make sure the UAC is switched on. 

1. Hold down the “Windows” key and press the letter “R,” type in “control” in the Run dialog box, and press enter to open Control Panel.

2. In the Control Panel window, click on “User Accounts” and click “User Accounts” again in the next window.

3. Click on “Change User Account Control Settings” in the User Accounts window.

4. In the User Account Control Settings window, you will be presented with four levels to the UAC settings. You have the following options:

• Always Notify Me When
• Notify me only when apps try to make changes to my computer (Default)
• Notify me only when apps try to make changes to my computer (Do not dim my desktop)
• Never notify

5. By default, the 2nd option is selected; however, try to adjust the settings by dragging the slider on any option and “OK.”
6. Restart your computer and go back to step 1 until step 4 and select the default setting of the UAC (Notify me only when apps try to make changes to my computer (Default).
7. Restart your computer again and check if the Run as Administrator option is now available in the right-click menu in the app you are trying to open.

Second Method – Modify the Programs Settings

Changing program settings is one of the simplest and fastest ways to solve the problem.

1. Right-click on the program you wish to run as administrator and select “Open file location.”

2. Once in the program’s folder, right-click on it again and click “Properties.”

3. Go to the “Shortcut” tab and click the “Advanced” options.

4. In the Advanced Properties window, check “Run as Administrator” and click “OK.”

5. Click on “OK” once again to close the program’s properties window, restart your computer, and confirm if the problem still appears.

Third Method – Perform an SFC Scan

If your computer’s installation files are corrupted or missing, it can display various errors, including the “Run as Administrator” not working issue. To solve this, you can use a built-in tool in your Operating System called Windows SFC or System File Checker. This utility will scan your computer for corrupt or missing system files and repair them.

1. Press the “Windows” key on your keyboard and press “R” to bring up the run command line. Type “cmd” in the field and hold down the “ctrl and shift” keys. On the next window, click “OK” to open Command Prompt and grant the administrator permission.

2. On the next screen, you will see the command prompt window. To commence the scan, you must type in “sfc /scannow” and press “Enter” on your keyboard. Wait for it to complete and exit out of the command prompt window.

3. Once the scan is complete, restart your computer and check if the problem persists.

Fourth Method – Check for New Windows Updates

When you don’t update your Windows, you risk missing out on important updates that will resolve typical Windows errors like “Run as Administrator” not working. Follow these procedures to see whether there are any new Windows updates available.

1. Click on the “Windows” key on your keyboard. Simultaneously press “R” to bring up the run line command window. Type in “control update” and hit enter.

2. Click the “Check for Updates” button in the Windows Update window. You will receive notifications such as “You’re Up to Date” if no updates are necessary.

3. Alternatively, download and install if the Windows Update Tool finds a new update. You will be required to reboot your computer after an update.

Fifth Method – Create a New User Account and Set it to an Administrator Account

An issue with your user account could also be the cause of the “Run as Administrator” not working problem. To resolve the issue of not being unable to run programs as an administrator in Windows, you can set up a new user account here. Here’s how:

1. Bring up the run command line by holding down the “Windows” key and pressing “R.” Type in “control” and then press “enter.”

2. Click on Users Accounts.

3. Click Manage another account.

4. Next, click Add New User in PC settings. If you have a Microsoft account, then you can use that to create a new user account.

5. After creating the New User Account, press the Windows and I keys simultaneously.

6. Click “Accounts.”
7. On the left pane, click on “Family & other users,” and then click on the account that you created and click “Change Account Type,” set it to “Administrator,” and click “OK.”
8. Restart your computer and log in to the account you created to see if the problem has finally been fixed.

Sixth Method – Perform a Clean Boot

You should try performing a clean boot if you don’t figure out what’s causing the “Run as Administrator” issue. A third-party program or launching processes are usually at blame for the problem. It may be possible to determine the source of the situation by first turning off all apps that run at startup and then reenabling them one by one.

1. On your keyboard, press the Windows + R keys.
2. Once the run dialog box appears, type “msconfig” and click OK to open the System Configuration Window.

3. Click the Services tab section and check the Hide all Microsoft services box.

4. Click on the Disable all button and then select the Apply button.
5. Next, go to the Startup tab and select the Open task manager link.
6. Choose startup programs one by one and then select the Disable button.

7. Restart your computer and check if the “Run as Administrator” not working issue has been fixed.

Final Words

The problem with “Run as Administrator” not working correctly should not be taken lightly since there could be severe underlying issues. As with many Windows issues, a proper diagnostic can fix them. Finding out what caused this issue in the first place will ultimately save you time and energy in the long run.