While most Windows users are familiar with the “Run as Administrator” feature, a few know about “Run as different user.” Luckily, Windows 10 offers both the options “Run as Administrator” and “Run as different user.”
You might already know that the “Run as different user” functionality is not new to Windows 10; it was first introduced in Windows XP. For some reason, Microsoft dropped this feature on Windows Vista. Again “Run as different user” was introduced in Windows 7, and now it continues in Windows 8 and Windows 10. Fortunately, Microsoft has not dropped the “Run as Administrator” feature in any version of the Windows operating systems.
Both “Run as Administrator” and “Run as different user” are handy features on Windows 10 if you want to run an application with other user account privileges on your PC. Run as administrator functionality allows you to run any application with admin privilege while logged in as a normal user. That means to perform an administrative task on your PC; you don’t have to switch to an administrator account.
Similarly, using the “Run as different user” feature, you can run an application from another user account of your PC. No need to switch to that user account; what a nice feature!
How do I run a program with administrator rights from a standard user account?
It is quite simple to run a program with an administrator right from a standard user account. Just right-click on the application or program that you want to run as administrator.
Now User Account Control dialog will appear, where you need to enter the administrator account’s password to continue.
That’s all.
How do I run a program with another user’s rights?
If you want to run a program or application with another user’s rights without actually switching to that account, do the following:-
Step 1. Press and hold the Shift key from the keyboard and then perform a right-click on an application or program that you would like to launch with another user account’s privileges.
Step 2. Windows Security dialog box will appear. Here, enter the “User name” and “Password” of the user account from which privilege you want to run the application. Finally, click the OK button.
How to Run a Program with Another User’s Rights Using Command Prompt?
You can also utilize Command Prompt to run a program or application with other user rights on Windows 10, even as an Administrator. To use the Runas command, you need to provide a different user’s credentials and the full path of the application you want to run.
For instance, if you would like to access Notepad with a Test user account that is available on your PC, execute the below-mentioned command in the Command Prompt window:-
runas /user:Test “C:\Windows\notepad.exe”
After executing the above command, you will be prompted to enter the password of the Test account. Once the password validation is done, Notepad will be opened with the specified account credentials.
How to Access “Run as different user” on the Start menu of Windows 10?
If you want to run programs or applications as a different user from Start Menu in Windows 10, you can do it by applying Group Policy settings. Do the following:-
Step 1. Open Local Group Policy Editor.
Step 2. In the Local Group Policy Editor window, navigate to the following path:-
User Configuration > Administrative Templates > Start Menu and Taskbar
Step 3. On the right-side pane of the “Start Menu and Taskbar” folder, double-click on the policy name Show “Run as different user” command on Start.
Step 4. Select Enabled.
Step 5. Click Apply.
Step 6. Click OK.
Now, right-click on any file on the Start menu that you want to run as a different user. Then, select the More option, and you will see a new option, “Run as different user.”
That’s all. Have fun!!!
Conclusion
In conclusion, Windows 10 provides two useful features, “Run as Administrator” and “Run as different user,” that allows users to run applications with higher privileges or from other user accounts without switching accounts. While “Run as Administrator” is a well-known feature, “Run as different user” is less known but equally important. This feature was introduced in Windows XP, dropped in Vista, and then reintroduced in Windows 7, 8, and 10. By utilizing these features, users can perform administrative tasks without switching to an administrator account and access applications from other user accounts without logging out. Furthermore, users can also use the Runas command in Command Prompt or customize the Start menu to access “Run as different user” conveniently. These features provide users with greater flexibility and convenience in managing their Windows 10 PCs.
