How to: Get an elevated/admin explorer window in Vista


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Well first we start off with a folder that requires elevated/admin privilege to view/modify. In my example I couldn't open my SD card on my internal card reader.

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So I need an elevated explorer window to get to it. Here's how it's done...

Step 1:

Make sure folders are set up to run in a separate process.

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Step 2:

Open Task Manager.

Step 3:

Close all your folders and kill all but your primary instance of explorer.exe (because sometimes even with all the folders closed the second instance of explorer keeps running, sometimes it doesn't). With all your folders closed the primary explorer should be the one with the largest memory usage.

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Step 4:

Click on Show Processes from All Users. This puts your Task Manager into elevated/admin level.

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Step 5:

Run explorer pointing to any folder. If you want to have it immediately open to your restricted folder put in the path.

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Step 6:

You're done! After a little navigation I have made it to my pictures on my restricted folder.

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Thanks to BigBunny and Wilhelmus for helping me figure this out in the Vista support forums in this thread: https://www.neowin.net/forum/index.php?showtopic=574854

  • 2 months later...
  • 4 weeks later...

Sorry to resurrect a dead thread, but....

You could also use the RUNAS command as depicted here: http://www.petri.co.il/run_windows_explore...nother_user.htm

You could also use the Vista shortuct elevation trick, by hitting Control + Shift + Enter when running a shortcut.

You could also install Start++, which inludes a native sudo command to run apps elevated.

You could also install sudowin to do much the same thing.

You could also create a shortcut to explorer.exe, and then change it's compatibility options to run as an adminitrator....

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