[batch-file] Batch Script to Run as Administrator

I'm writing a client/server checking program but it needs to run as Administrator.

I want this to run silently on my network and users, and I don't want the "Run as" Administrator" prompt. Is there any beginning code that I can place into the batch file to make it auto-run as Administrator?

This question is related to batch-file administrator runas

The answer is


Solutions that did not work

No: The - create a shortcut [ -> Compatibility -> "run this program as an administrator" ] solution does not work.

This option is greyed out in Windows 7. Even with UAC disabled

No: The runas /env /user:domain\Administrator <program.exe/command you want to execute> is also not sufficient because it will prompt the user for the admin password.

Solution that worked

Yes: Disable UAC -> Create a job using task scheduler, this worked for me.

  • Create a job under task scheduler and make it run as a user with administrator permissions.
  • Explicitly mark: "Run with highest privileges"
  • Disable UAC so there will be no prompt to run this task

You can let the script enable UAC afterwards by editing the registry if you would want. In my case this script is ran only once by creation of a windows virtual machine, where UAC is disabled in the image.

Still looking forward for the best approach for a script run as admin without too much hassle.


You have a couple options.

  1. If you need to do it using only a batch file and native commands, check out How can I auto-elevate my batch file, so that it requests from UAC admin rights if required?.

  2. If 3rd-party utilities are an option, you can use a tool like Elevate. It is an executable that you call with the program you want to run elevated as a parameter.
    Like this: elevate net share ....


As I have not found any simple script so far, here's my two cents:

set ELEVATE_APP=Full command line without parameters for the app to run
set ELEVATE_PARMS=The actual parameters for the app
echo Set objShell = CreateObject("Shell.Application") >elevatedapp.vbs
echo Set objWshShell = WScript.CreateObject("WScript.Shell") >>elevatedapp.vbs
echo Set objWshProcessEnv = objWshShell.Environment("PROCESS") >>elevatedapp.vbs
echo objShell.ShellExecute "%ELEVATE_APP%", "%ELEVATE_PARMS%", "", "runas" >>elevatedapp.vbs
DEL elevatedapp.vbs

You could put it as a startup item... Startup items don't show off a prompt to run as an administrator at all.

Check this article Elevated Program Shortcut Without UAC rompt


My solution, if you dont need to have .bat file, is to convert the batch file to .exe file then you will be able to set up run as admin.


Following is a work-around:

  1. Create a shortcut of the .bat file
  2. Open the properties of the shortcut. Under the shortcut tab, click on advanced.
  3. Tick "Run as administrator"

Running the shortcut will execute your batch script as administrator.


Create a shortcut and set the shortcut to always run as administrator.

How-To Geek forum Make a batch file to run cmd as administrator solution:

Make a batch file in an editor and nameit.bat then create a shortcut to it. Nameit.bat - shortcut. then right click on Nameit.bat - shortcut ->Properties->Shortcut tab -> Advanced and click Run as administrator. Execute it from the shortcut.


If all above answers is not to your liking you can use autoIT to run your file (or what ever file) as a specific user with their credentials.

Sample of a script that will run a program using that users privelages.

installAdmin()

Func installAdmin()
    ; Change the username and password to the appropriate values for your system.
    Local $sUserName = "xxxxx"
    Local $sPassword = "xxx"
    Local $sDirectory = "C:\ASD4VM\Download\"
    Local $sFiletoRun = "Inst_with_Privileges.bat"

    RunAsWait($sUserName, @ComputerName, $sPassword, 0, $sDirectory & $sFiletoRun)
EndFunc   ;==>Example

AutoIT can be found here. -> It uses a .ua3 format that is compiled to a .exe file that can be run.


its possible using syntax:

RUNAS [/profile] [/env] [/netonly] /user:user Program

Key :
/profile Option to load the user's profile (registry)
/env Use current environment instead of user's.
/netonly Use the credentials specified only for remote connections.
/user Username in form USER@DOMAIN or DOMAIN\USER
(USER@DOMAIN is not compatible with /netonly)
Program The command to execute

example :

runas /env /user:domain\Administrator <program.exe/command you want to execute>

@echo off

 call :isAdmin

 if %errorlevel% == 0 (
    goto :run
 ) else (
    echo Requesting administrative privileges...
    goto :UACPrompt
 )

 exit /b

 :isAdmin
    fsutil dirty query %systemdrive% >nul
 exit /b

 :run
  <YOUR BATCH SCRIPT HERE>
 exit /b

 :UACPrompt
   echo Set UAC = CreateObject^("Shell.Application"^) > "%temp%\getadmin.vbs"
   echo UAC.ShellExecute "cmd.exe", "/c %~s0 %~1", "", "runas", 1 >> "%temp%\getadmin.vbs"

   "%temp%\getadmin.vbs"
   del "%temp%\getadmin.vbs"
  exit /B`

I made this slight modification to Matt's script to enable it to run from within a single script (just add this to the beginning of any script requiring UAC invocation), but read below the code for an even better solution that I've found on a blog:

:: ### START UAC SCRIPT ###

if "%2"=="firstrun" exit
cmd /c "%0" null firstrun

if "%1"=="skipuac" goto skipuacstart

:checkPrivileges
NET FILE 1>NUL 2>NUL
if '%errorlevel%' == '0' ( goto gotPrivileges ) else ( goto getPrivileges )

:getPrivileges
if '%1'=='ELEV' (shift & goto gotPrivileges)

setlocal DisableDelayedExpansion
set "batchPath=%~0"
setlocal EnableDelayedExpansion
ECHO Set UAC = CreateObject^("Shell.Application"^) > "%temp%\OEgetPrivileges.vbs"
ECHO UAC.ShellExecute "!batchPath!", "ELEV", "", "runas", 1 >> "%temp%\OEgetPrivileges.vbs"
"%temp%\OEgetPrivileges.vbs"
exit /B

:gotPrivileges

setlocal & pushd .

cd /d %~dp0
cmd /c "%0" skipuac firstrun
cd /d %~dp0

:skipuacstart

if "%2"=="firstrun" exit

:: ### END UAC SCRIPT ###

:: ### START OF YOUR OWN BATCH SCRIPT BELOW THIS LINE ###

My modification uses two file arguments as you can see, which isn't particularly elegant but does the job (and you can always hide them away at the tail end by reserving the first few arguments using dummy placeholders). Additionally, AFAIK Matt's script doesn't support spaces in file paths and this limitation also applies to my modification of this script.

This issue seems to be inherent in the way VBS handles these paths but on the below link there's an even better VBS-based solution for invoking UAC that runs from within a single script without the need for a workaround like this using file arguments and that also supports spaces in file paths:

http://pcloadletter.co.uk/2012/12/11/uac-elevation-for-batch-script/

The script on this link makes slightly different VBS calls as you'll notice, which for some reason circumvents the issue with spaces.


Don't waste your time, use this one line command to run command line as administrator:

echo createobject("shell.application").shellexecute "cmd.exe",,,"runas",1 > runas.vbs & start /wait runas.vbs & del /f runas.vbs

if you want to start any application with administrator privilege you will just write the hole path for this application like this notepad++ in my program files for example :

echo createobject("shell.application").shellexecute "%programfiles%\Notepad++\notepad++.exe",,,"runas",1 > runas.vbs & start /wait runas.vbs

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