How to Always Run Terminal as Admin on Windows: 3 Easy Ways

By Atish Rajasekharan Published February 2, 2023

The Windows Terminal is a powerful command-line tool that allows system administrators to perform various tasks. However, many tasks require administrator privileges to run correctly, making it tough for the users to follow the tedious steps of opening the Terminal in administrator mode. So, to save you time and hassle when working with Terminal, we will guide you on how to always run Terminal as admin on Windows.

This guide is especially helpful for developers, system administrators, and power users who use Windows Terminal often to run scripts and commands that need administrator rights. With that said, let’s begin with the article.

1. How to Always Open Windows Terminal as Administrator Using Settings

This method will help you permanently launch Windows Terminal as administrator. As a result, you won’t have to select Run as administrator every time you launch Windows Terminal. Follow the steps below.

Step 1: Press the Windows key on your keyboard, type Windows Terminal, and click Open.

Step 2: Click on the chevron (arrow) icon.

Note: Alternatively, you can press ‘Control + ,’ to open Settings.

Step 3: From the drop-down menu, select Settings.

Step 4: In the window’s left pane, under Profiles, click on Defaults.

Step 5: Now, in the right pane, toggle on ‘Run this profile as Administrator.’

Step 6: Click Save to apply the changes.

Once you complete the above steps, the next time you open Terminal to use Command Prompt or PowerShell, it will open with elevated administrator rights. If you want to avoid making changes in the Terminal’s settings but still want to open it as an administrator without any hassle, continue reading.

2. Run Windows Terminal as Administrator Using Desktop Shortcut

This method is more straightforward and doesn’t require changes in the Terminal’s settings. It is more of a workaround and is quicker. Let’s show you.

Step 1: Right-click on the Windows desktop, go to New, and choose the Shortcut option.

Step 2: In the Create Shortcut window, type the below path and click Next.

%LocalAppData%\Microsoft\WindowsApps\Wt.exe

Step 3: In the next screen, give the shortcut a name and click Finish.

Eg: Windows Terminal Admin

Step 4: Now, right-click on the newly created shortcut and select the Properties option from the context menu.

Step 5: Under the Shortcut tab, click on the Advanced button.

Step 6: In the Advanced Properties, check the ‘Run as administrator’ option and click OK.

That’s it. You have successfully created a Terminal shortcut that, whenever opened, will open with administrator privileges. You can also change the shortcut icon to the Windows Terminal icon.

Step 7: Now, click on the Change Icon button.

Step 8: Type the below path and press Enter.

%systemroot%\system32\shell32.dll

Step 10: Select the icon and click OK.

Step 11: Finally, click Apply and OK.

You can now double-click the shortcut to open the Windows Terminal quickly with administrator rights. Moreover, you can drag the shortcut to the taskbar or ‘Pin to Start’ to make your process more efficient.

That said, if you run Windows Terminal occasionally, you don’t need to go through all the above-mentioned methods. You can open Terminal and ‘Run as administrator’ when needed. Keep reading.

3. Open Windows Terminal as Admin via Search

There are multiple ways to open Windows Terminal as an administrator. Such as using the Run dialog box, Quick Access menu, and the start menu. However, Windows Search is the most common way to access Terminal. Follow the instructions below.

Step 1: Press the Windows key on your keyboard and type Terminal.

Step 2: Now, click on ‘Run as administrator.’

In the prompt, click Yes.

There you have it. You have successfully opened Windows Terminal as administrator. If you have any queries, check out the FAQ section below.

FAQs on Running Windows Terminal as Admin

1. Is Windows Terminal the same as PowerShell?

With Windows Terminal, you can use multiple shells, including PowerShell, Command Prompt, and Azure Cloud Shells, among others. PowerShell, on the other hand, is a scripting language and command-line shell that can be used either alone or as part of Windows Terminal.

2. Does Windows Terminal use GPU?

Yes, it uses GPU to render its text, in turn improving the performance over the default Windows command line experience.

3. Is PowerShell always admin?

Typically, PowerShell runs with the same permissions as the current logged-in user. However, you can run PowerShell as an administrator by pressing the Windows key and typing PowerShell, then clicking ‘Run as administrator’.

Remove the Extra Step

Now that you know how to always run Terminal as admin on Windows, it can be a useful way to save time and improve your workflow. Remember, while running a terminal as an administrator grants you more rights, it also exposes your machine to more potential security risks. Therefore, use the methods above wisely.

Last updated on 19 January, 2023

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