Always Run as Administrator

The ability to run a program as an administrator is a powerful tool for IT administrators, as it allows them to bypass security restrictions and gain access to system resources that would otherwise be inaccessible. However, there are some risks associated with running a program as an administrator, and it can be inconvenient to have to manually adjust the settings every time a program is launched. Fortunately, Windows has a built-in feature that allows IT administrators to specify that all programs should run as an administrator by default.

To enable this feature, IT administrators should first open the Local Group Policy Editor by typing “gpedit.msc” into the search bar. Once opened, navigate to the following location: Computer Configuration > Windows Settings > Security Settings > Local Policies > User Rights Assignment. From here, locate the “Run all administrators in Admin Approval Mode” policy and double click it. By default, this policy is set to “Disabled,” so IT administrators will need to change this setting to “Enabled.”

Once the policy is enabled, all programs that are launched on the machine will run as an administrator by default. However, this does not mean that all programs will automatically be given full access to system resources. Instead, users will be prompted to provide their credentials before being allowed to access the resources. This is an important security measure, as it prevents malicious programs from being able to access system resources without the user’s permission.

It is important to note that this policy only applies to programs that are launched on the machine. If a user attempts to access a program from a remote location (such as a web browser or a remote desktop connection) then the user will still be prompted to provide their credentials before being allowed to access system resources.

In addition, some programs may not be compatible with running as an administrator by default. If this is the case, then IT administrators will need to manually set the program to run as an administrator each time it is launched. This can be done by right-clicking on the program’s shortcut and selecting “Run as administrator” from the context menu.

Overall, the ability to run all programs as an administrator by default is a powerful tool for IT administrators. However, it is important to note that there are some risks associated with using this feature, and it is important to ensure that only trusted users are given access to the system resources that are made available by running programs as an administrator. If used correctly, this feature can be a useful tool for IT administrators to manage their network and ensure that their system is as secure as possible.