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How to Run PowerShell as Administrator in Windows 10

Need to open or run PowerShell as an administrator? Here are simple ways to run PowerShell as an administrator in Windows 10.

Apart from Command Prompt, Windows also comes with PowerShell. Compared to Command Prompt, PowerShell is much more modern and just as powerful. One exciting thing about PowerShell is that, unlike Command Prompt, PowerShell uses cmdlets, and the command structure itself is lengthy. Since the cmdlets are pretty long, they can be easy to remember. On the other hand, it can be a pain in the back to type. In addition to that, PowerShell also comes with an Integrated Scripting Environment (ISE). The ISE lets you create, run, and debug PowerShell scripts. You can think of it as an IDE for PowerShell.

Generally, most Windows users never need to open PowerShell. However, there might be situations where you need to open it. For example, to uninstall built-in store apps or change the PowerShell execution policy. Often these commands may require you to open and run PowerShell as an administrator. If you don’t open the PowerShell as admin, these advanced commands will not execute and even throw errors.

In this quick and straightforward Windows guide, I will show you multiple ways to run PowerShell as an administrator.

Run PowerShell as Administrator

To run PowerShell as an administrator, do the following things.

  1. Select ‘Windows PowerShell (Admin)’ from the Power User menu.
  2. Search for PowerShell in the Start menu.
  3. Use the Run command with Ctrl + Shift + Enter shortcut.
  4. Command to run PowerShell as administrator

Run PowerShell as Administrator from Win + X Menu

The easiest way to open PowerShell with admin rights is from the Win + X menu (Power User menu). Here is how to do it.

First, press the “Windows key + X” shortcut or right-click on the Start menu. From the resulting menu, select the “Windows PowerShell (Admin)” option. As soon as you choose the option, Windows will open PowerShell with admin rights. Press the ‘Yes’ button in the UAC prompt to start using it.

run PowerShell as administrator from win + x menu

Search & Open PowerShell as Admin from the Start menu

Like any other installed program in Windows, you can run PowerShell as administrator directly from the Start menu. Here is how.

First, open the Start menu and search for “PowerShell.” Next, either click on the “Run as administrator” option or right-click on the PowerShell result and select the “Run as administrator” option. As soon as you choose the option, PowerShell will be opened with admin rights.

open PowerShell as administration from start menu

Use the Run command with Ctrl + Shift + Enter shortcut

Though most people don’t know, you can open a program as an administrator directly from the Run dialog box. PowerShell is no different. Here is how.

First, press the “Windows key + R” keyboard shortcut to open the Run dialog box. You can also search for ‘Run’ in the Start menu too. After opening the Run window, type “PowerShell” and press the Ctrl + Shift + Enter shortcut. As soon as you do that, the PowerShell opens with admin rights.

run command to open powershell

Command to Run PowerShell as Administrator

You can also run PowerShell as administrator from Command Prompt. This is helpful if you are creating custom scripts that need access to admin PowerShell. Here is how to do it.

First, press the Start key on your keyboard, search for “Command Prompt,” right-click on the result and select the “Run as administrator” option. This action will open Command Prompt as admin.

Next, type “start powershell” and press the Enter button. As soon as you press the button, PowerShell opens with admin rights.

open PowerShell from the Command Prompt

That is all. It is that simple to run PowerShell as an administrator.

I hope that helps. If you are stuck or need some help, comment below, and I will try to help as much as possible.

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