Has it ever occurred to you that you opened a Windows 10 application and it did not function until you opened it in admin mode? Some tools, particularly those that alter system settings or install programs, require additional access. Dealing with permission windows or choosing when to run as administrator windows 10 is confusing. In this article, I will demonstrate how to open programs in admin mode in Windows 10 easily.
When Do You Need to Run as Administrator in Windows 10?
IT users are not the only ones who know “how to run as administrator in Windows 10”. There are everyday occasions when Windows asks for elevated rights to do something properly, and skipping that step means failed installs, hung settings, or programs don't function normally.
System-Level Configuration
Some tasks in Windows 10 require deeper access because they affect the system beyond your personal account. Here are two common situations where admin rights are necessary:
System configuration tools like firewall settings, user account permissions, and advanced network controls require admin access since they change how the system behaves for all users.
Registry Editor (regedit) also needs admin rights, as editing registry keys can influence system-wide behavior and may be blocked without proper access.
Installing or Updating Software
Installing or running certain types of software often triggers permission issues in Windows 10. That’s because these programs need elevated access to make deeper system changes:
Driver installation requires admin access because hardware drivers need to integrate directly with the operating system and affect how your device functions.
System-wide applications that install into shared directories like Program Files need elevated permissions to complete setup and operate correctly across all user accounts.
Running Security or Diagnostic Tools
Security and diagnostic tools often operate below the surface of the system, which is why admin access is usually required. These tools need deeper control to function properly:
Antivirus software needs admin rights to run full system scans, quarantine threats, and manage core security settings.
Disk management tools like chkdsk or partition managers require elevated access to inspect, repair, or modify storage devices at the system level.
Run as Administrator in Windows 10 – Basic Methods & Shortcuts
Let’s start with the easy stuff. These are the go-to methods most people use to quickly run an app with admin rights. No system tweaks, just a few clicks or keystrokes.
Method 1
Step 1: Start by using the search bar to find "Command Prompt", and then click on the "Run as Administrator" option to open Command Prompt with administrative privileges.
Method 2–Use the keyboard shortcut
Step 1: Type the program name in the Start Menu search bar, then press Ctrl + Shift + Enter. This opens the app with elevated privileges without touching your mouse.
Method 3– Use the Taskbar shortcut.
Right-click the pinned icon on your taskbar right-click the program name, then select Run as administrator.
Method 4– Launch from File Explorer.
Step 1: Navigate to the .exe file using File Explorer, right-click it, and choose Run as administrator. Handy for manually installed or portable apps.
These are perfect if you're only occasionally launching programs with elevated access and don’t want to modify system settings.
Advanced Setup – Always Run Specific Programs as Admin
If there’s an app you use regularly that always needs admin rights, like a system tool, game launcher, or network utility, it makes sense to skip the manual steps. Instead of right-clicking every time, you can configure Windows 10 to automatically run it with elevated privileges. This section walks you through a few ways to do that, from shortcut settings to compatibility tweaks. It’s simple, and once set, you won’t have to think about it again.
Step 1: Right click the shortcut for the application, choose Properties, then click the Advanced button under the Shortcut tab
Step 2: In the pop-up, check the box labeled Run as administrator, then hit OK. This is the most direct method and is often what people refer to when they say run program as admin Windows 10 shortcut.
Step 3: Right-click the app’s shortcut or .exe file and choose Properties. Go to the Compatibility tab and check “Run this program as an administrator.” Click Apply. From now on, it’ll always open with admin rights, no extra clicks needed.
Step 4: Press Win+R on your keyboard, type “regedit”, and press OK. This opens the Windows Registry Editor, where you can manually adjust system-level settings.
Step 5: In the Registry Editor, navigate to “HKEY_CURRENT_USER\ Software\ Microsoft \Windows NT \CurrentVersion \AppCompatFlags \Layers”. This folder contains all the mouse configuration keys, including those that control acceleration behavior.
Step 6: Add a new String Value with the full program path as the name and set the value to “RUNASADMIN”.
Be cautious here, registry changes can affect system behavior, so double-check your edits.
These options are great if you're managing a frequently used tool or setting up systems for others and want to avoid permission issues.
WPS Office – Reliable Performance with Admin Compatibility
After sorting out the admin settings, setting up permissions, creating shortcuts, even tweaking the registry, I still had documentation and follow-ups to handle. That’s when I leaned towards WPS Office. It didn’t need admin rights, didn’t slow anything down, and let me note down changes, track which apps needed elevation, and mark up help docs without opening five different tools. It kept everything simple, which really helped once the technical side was out of the way.
1. Cross-Platform Compatibility
If you’re jumping between devices or using a combination of workstations and mobile tools, compatibility matters. WPS Office doesn’t make that switch difficult, it’s designed to adapt easily.
WPS Office works on Windows 10, 11, macOS, Linux, Android, and iOS, so files stay accessible and consistent, no matter the platform.
Its lightweight build doesn’t drag down performance, making it ideal for modest setups and multitasking across systems.
2. Cost-Effective
You don’t have to spend a lot to get useful features. WPS makes basic productivity tools easy to access without hidden setup hurdles.
The Free Tier covers around 90% of what most people need, including Writer, Presentation, Spreadsheet, and PDF.
Premium plans unlock AI tools and cloud storage, and they’re priced lower than most other suites, around $3/month.
3. Productivity Tools
WPS includes all the familiar tools you'd expect from an office suite, but bundled into a compact, easy-to-use package. It's handy when you just want to get things done without switching between apps.
Writer: Helps with quick documentation, system notes, and creating clean, formatted reports with real-time collaboration support. It came in handy when I needed to keep track of every change I made during setup.
Spreadsheet: Great for logging changes, organizing version history, and managing project-related data with built-in functions. It was very useful for tracking which programs required admin access and when updates were applied.
Presentation: Build simple but effective slideshows for meetings, walkthroughs, or project overviews using a built-in template library. I realised its usefulness when it helped make a set of slides quickly and efficiently to explain system settings to a colleague of mine.
PDF: Open, edit, convert, and sign documents in a single place, complete with OCR for scanned text and e-signature tools. I used it to annotate a guide on registry edits while following along step-by-step.
When managing elevated permissions, it's helpful to have tools that keep everything else running quietly and efficiently in the background. WPS Office fits well into that setup.
FAQs
Q1: How do I run a program as admin without right-clicking?
Use the shortcut Ctrl + Shift + Enter from the Start Menu after searching for the app.
Q2: Can I force all users to run a program as admin?
Yes, but you’ll need to use Group Policy Editor or modify the registry, these are advanced steps suited for IT environments.
Q3: Why does my batch file fail to run as admin?
It’s likely not triggering elevated permissions. Without admin rights, commands needing system access will fail to execute.
Q4: Does WPS Office support macros like Excel?
Yes, the premium version offers full VBA macro compatibility for spreadsheets.
Keep Control Without Slowing Down
Learning how to run as administrator Windows 10 doesn’t have to be complicated. From one-time shortcuts to setting permanent permissions, this guide gives you everything you need to take control without getting overwhelmed. And once the setup is handled, WPS Office helps you stay organized, writing up notes, preparing documents, or tracking changes, without taking up more system resources than necessary. When your tools are this efficient, managing permissions becomes just another step, not a headache.
