Rumors about Microsoft adding sudo command to Windows 11 surfaced earlier this year. Users first discovered sudo references in language packs and then dug it out in one of the Windows Server preview builds. However, as it turned out, sudo is not coming to Windows Server—this feature will only be available on consumer versions of Windows 11.
Microsoft officially announced sudo for Windows 11 in build 26052. Although the same build of Windows Server 2025 contains the setting for enabling sudo, Microsoft does not plan to implement it in server SKUs. The company clarified it in the release notes for build 26052:
NOTE: The setting for enabling Sudo may incorrectly be showing on Windows Server Insider Preview builds – this feature will not be available on Windows Server and the setting will be disabled in a future Server Insider Preview build.
For those unfamiliar with the matter, sudo is a command that lets you execute commands with elevated privileges. It is a popular command on Linux and macOS, and now it is coming to Windows 11.
Sudo in Windows 11 preview builds is turned off by default. If you want to give it a try, head to Settings > System > For developers and toggle on the "Enable sudo" option. You can also configure how the command works by selecting one of three different modes: in a new window, with input disabled, and inline. Alternatively, open Windows Terminal as administrator and type:
- In a new window: sudo config --enable forceNewWindow
- Input closed: sudo config --enable disableInput
- Inline: sudo config --enable normal
If you want to learn more about sudo in Windows 11, check out this blog post from Microsoft. The company is also open-sourcing the project, so expect to hear more information about sudo in its GitHub repository. Official documentation for sudo is available on the Microsoft Learn website.