How to Run Command Prompt as Administrator in Windows 11 and 10 (6 Ways)

Running Command Prompt as administrator in Windows 11

Many commands only work with administrator rights: sfc /scannow, DISM, chkdsk, editing the hosts file or installing a PowerShell module for all users. Open Command Prompt the normal way and you get "Access is denied" or "The requested operation requires elevation". This article shows six ways to open Command Prompt (cmd), PowerShell or Windows Terminal as administrator in Windows 11 and Windows 10, how to check that it worked, and what to do when the option is missing.

Quick overview

Method	How	Windows 10	Windows 11
Start menu	Search `cmd` > Run as administrator	Yes	Yes
Keyboard shortcut	Search `cmd` > `Ctrl + Shift + Enter`	Yes	Yes
Win + X menu	Terminal (Admin) or Windows PowerShell (Admin)	Yes	Yes
Run dialog	`Win + R`, type `cmd`, `Ctrl + Shift + Enter`	Yes	Yes
Task Manager	Run new task with administrative privileges	Yes	Yes
sudo	`sudo` for a single command	No	From 24H2

Method 1: from the Start menu

Click Start or press the Windows key.
Type cmd (or command prompt).
Click Run as administrator on the right of the search results. You can also right-click Command Prompt.
Click Yes in the User Account Control (UAC) prompt.

The same works for powershell and terminal.

Method 2: the Ctrl + Shift + Enter shortcut

The fastest way without a mouse: press the Windows key, type cmd and press Ctrl + Shift + Enter instead of just Enter. Windows immediately shows the UAC prompt. Click Yes to confirm.

Method 3: the Win + X menu

Press Windows + X (or right-click the Start button).

Windows 11: choose Terminal (Admin). Windows Terminal opens with PowerShell by default. Want the classic Command Prompt? Click the arrow next to the tab and choose Command Prompt, or press Ctrl + Shift + 2 (with the default profile order). That new tab also runs as administrator.
Windows 10: choose Windows PowerShell (Admin). To see Command Prompt here instead, go to Settings > Personalization > Taskbar and turn off the option that replaces Command Prompt with Windows PowerShell.

The Win + X menu in Windows 11 with Terminal (Admin)

Method 4: the Run dialog

Press Windows + R.
Type cmd (or powershell, or wt for Windows Terminal).
Press Ctrl + Shift + Enter. Plain Enter or OK opens the window without administrator rights.

Method 5: Task Manager

Useful when the Start menu or File Explorer hangs.

Open Task Manager with Ctrl + Shift + Esc.
Click Run new task (in Windows 10: File > Run new task).
Type cmd and tick Create this task with administrative privileges.
Click OK.

Method 6: sudo in Windows 11 (24H2 and later)

Since the Windows 11 2024 Update (version 24H2), Windows has its own sudo command, like Linux and macOS. It runs a single command with administrator rights from a normal window.

Open Settings > System > For developers.
Turn on Enable sudo.
Choose how sudo runs applications: in a new window, with input disabled or inline (in the same window).

Then type, for example:

sudo sfc /scannow
sudo notepad C:\Windows\System32\drivers\etc\hosts

You still get a UAC prompt, but you no longer need to open a separate admin window. In a company environment your administrator can turn sudo off by policy; the option is then greyed out.

How do you know you are running as administrator?

The title bar starts with Administrator:.
The default folder is C:\Windows\System32 instead of C:\Users\yourname.
Type net session. If you get "Access is denied", you are not running as administrator.

In PowerShell this returns True when you are an administrator:

([Security.Principal.WindowsPrincipal][Security.Principal.WindowsIdentity]::GetCurrent()).IsInRole([Security.Principal.WindowsBuiltInRole]::Administrator)

Always open Windows Terminal as administrator

If you often need administrator rights, you can make a Windows Terminal profile start elevated by default:

Open Windows Terminal and press Ctrl + , (settings).
Pick the profile on the left, for example Command Prompt.
Turn on Run this profile as Administrator and click Save.

Use this sparingly: everything you start in that window has full rights on your computer.

Troubleshooting

UAC asks for a user name and password: your account is a standard account. You need the credentials of an administrator account, or ask your IT department.
"Run as administrator" is missing or does nothing: on managed company PCs this can be blocked through Intune or Group Policy. That is on purpose; contact IT.
"The requested operation requires elevation": the window runs without administrator rights. Close it and open it again with one of the methods above.
A network drive is missing in the admin window: drives mapped as a normal user are not visible in an elevated window. Use the full path (\\server\share) or map the drive again.