How to Open PowerToys as Administrator on Windows 11

When you install and open PowerToys, it opens without admin rights. While this is good enough in most cases, some tools in PowerToys require admin rights to work. For example, tools like environment variables, hosts file editor, file locksmith, etc., require admin rights to function. The good thing is, you have two ways to go about it. You can either manually open PowerToys with administrator rights or, you can configure PowerToys to always open with administrator rights. Depending on your use case, you can follow the method of your choice.

Without delay, let me show you the simplest ways to launch PowerToys as an administrator on Windows 11.

Before You Begin

• You need admin rights to open PowerToys as an admin.
• The steps are tested on Windows 11 and Windows 10.

Open PowerToys as an Administrator

1. Press the Start button.
2. Enter “PowerToys” in the Start menu search bar.
3. Select the “Run as administrator” option.
4. This opens PowerToys as an administrator.

Configure PowerToys To Always Open as an Administrator

If you want PowerToys to always open with admin rights, follow the below steps:

1. Press the Start button.
2. Enter “PowerToys” in the Start menu search bar.
3. Select the “Run as administrator” option.
4. Go to the “General” tab on the sidebar.
5. Select the “Always run as administrator” checkbox under the “Administrator mode” section.
6. That’s it. From now on, PowerToys will automatically open with admin rights.

Wrapping Up — Launching PowerToys as an Admin

If you generally don’t use tools in PowerToys that require administrator rights, follow the first method where you manually open PowerToys using the “Run as administrator” option. However, if you regularly use advanced tools, configuring PowerToys to always run as an administrator makes your life simpler. Whichever method you choose to follow, the process is pretty simple, as you’ve already seen.

If you have any questions or need help, comment below. I’ll be happy to assist.