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4 Ways to Run PowerShell as Administrator on Windows 11 & 10

It’s not often, but there may be times when you need to run PowerShell as an administrator. For instance, you might need to execute commands that require admin rights, such as uninstalling store apps, modifying system settings like changing the execution policy, or running scripts for tasks such as deleting older files. Without admin privileges, these commands and scripts may fail to execute or throw errors.

Fortunately, Windows gives you multiple ways to run PowerShell with admin rights. Learning different ways to open PowerShell with elevated permissions gives you flexibility. In this quick tutorial, I’ll show you four simple methods. Let’s get started.

Before You Begin

  • You must have administrator rights to run elevated PowerShell.

1. Use the Power User Menu To Run PowerShell as an Admin

The easiest & fastest way to open PowerShell with admin rights is by using the Power User menu. Here’s how:

  1. Press the “Windows key + X” shortcut.
  2. Select the “Terminal (Admin)” option.
  3. Click “Yes” in the UAC prompt.
  4. This action opens the Terminal window with the PowerShell tab.

Detailed Steps (With Screenshots)

First, press the “Windows key + X” shortcut to open the Power User menu. Alternatively, you can also right-click on the Start menu.

On Windows 11: Now, select the “Terminal (Admin)” option. Next, click “Yes” in the UAC prompt. As soon as you do that, the terminal opens with admin rights with the PowerShell tab active. If not, you can manually open the PowerShell tab by clicking the “Down arrow” on the title bar and selecting “Windows PowerShell”.

open terminal as admin

On Windows 10: Select the “Windows PowerShell (Admin)” option and then click the “Yes” button.

run PowerShell as administrator from win + x menu on Windows 10

2. Run Elevated PowerShell 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.

  1. Press the Windows key on your keyboard.
  2. Type “Windows PowerShell” in the search bar.
  3. Select the “Run as administrator” option.
  4. With that, the PowerShell opens with admin rights.

Detailed Steps (With Screenshots)

First, press the Windows key on your keyboard or on the taskbar to open the Start menu.

In the Start menu, type “Windows PowerShell” and then select the “Run as administrator” option to launch elevated PowerShell.

open PowerShell as administration from start menu

That’s it. It is that simple.

3. Use the Run Dialog to Open the Elevated PowerShell Window

One of the lesser-known things about the Run dialog box in Windows is that you can use it to open programs and tools as an administrator. Here’s how.

First, press the “Windows key + R” to open the Run dialog box.

Next, “powershell” in the blank field and press the “Ctrl + Shift + Enter” shortcut. Do NOT click the OK or simply press the Enter key. As soon as you do that, the PowerShell runs with admin rights.

run command to open powershell

4. Launch PowerShell With Admin Rights Using Command Prompt

You can also run PowerShell as administrator from Command Prompt. While it looks a bit roundabout way, this method is helpful if you are creating custom scripts that need access to an elevated PowerShell console. Here is how to do it.

First, press the Start key on your keyboard, search for “Command Prompt” in the Start menu, 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.

Wrapping Up — Opening Elevated PowerShell

Whenever you need to run PowerShell as an administrator, you have four methods: using the power user menu, the Start menu, the Run dialog, or an elevated Command Prompt. Whichever method you choose, the result is the same. Generally, the easiest way is to use the power user menu—just press the Windows key + X shortcut, select Terminal (Admin) or Windows PowerShell (Admin), and you’re done.

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

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