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Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesFind Drivers →Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsFix Now →From an ordinary Command Prompt, run powershell -Command "Start-Process cmd -Verb RunAs". Windows asks for UAC approval or administrator credentials, then opens a new Command Prompt with an administrator token. Your original window remains open.
The quickest method: start a new administrator Command Prompt
The most broadly useful command is:
powershell -Command "Start-Process cmd -Verb RunAs"Run it directly in the existing, non-elevated Command Prompt. PowerShell invokes Start-Process and passes the Windows RunAs verb to cmd.exe. Microsoft defines that verb as launching an application as Administrator.
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- Open or focus the ordinary Command Prompt you are already using.
- Paste
powershell -Command "Start-Process cmd -Verb RunAs"and press Enter. - Respond to the User Account Control prompt. An administrator account normally receives a consent prompt; a standard user must provide administrator credentials.
- Use the newly opened Command Prompt for commands that require elevation. Leave the original window open if you still need its session.
This does not convert the existing window into an administrator console. It starts a separate child process with an elevated token, so commands already running in the first window remain non-elevated.
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Which command should you use?
| Method | Command or requirement | What it does | Best fit |
|---|---|---|---|
| PowerShell RunAs | powershell -Command "Start-Process cmd -Verb RunAs" |
Requests UAC approval or credentials and opens a new elevated Command Prompt. | Most situations where you are already at a Windows Command Prompt and want a new administrator window. |
runas with an account |
runas /user:COMPUTERNAMEAdministrator cmd |
Starts Command Prompt under the specified account and asks for that account’s password. | Cases where you must select a particular local or domain account. |
| Sudo for Windows | sudo cmd; Windows 11 version 24H2 or later, with Sudo enabled |
Runs the command elevated from an unelevated console. Its configuration determines whether elevation uses a new window, an inline process, or a process whose input is closed. | Windows 11 24H2-and-later systems where Sudo has been enabled in Settings. |
All three methods still operate within Windows security controls. None silently bypasses User Account Control or grants rights that the selected account does not possess.
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What “elevated” means in Command Prompt
Windows separates a normal process token from an administrator token through User Account Control (UAC). Even when a person belongs to the Administrators group, an ordinary Command Prompt normally runs with the filtered token used for everyday work. A process that needs administrator access must request the administrator token.
In Admin Approval Mode, UAC usually presents an administrator with a consent prompt. When the signed-in person is a standard user, UAC asks for credentials belonging to an administrator account instead. The prompt is therefore expected behavior, not an indication that the command failed.
Starting a child process from a normal Command Prompt does not automatically elevate that child. The child must be launched with a mechanism such as the RunAs shell verb, the runas command, or Windows Sudo. This distinction explains why simply typing cmd opens another ordinary console rather than an administrator console.
Open an elevated CMD under a named account with runas
Use runas when the account identity matters. Microsoft’s documented pattern is:
runas /user:COMPUTERNAMEAdministrator cmdReplace COMPUTERNAME with the computer name and replace Administrator with the account you need. The account can be a local or domain account, provided the account name is written in the form appropriate to your environment.
- At the existing Command Prompt, enter the
runascommand with the target computer and account. - Press Enter. Windows prompts for the password of the specified account.
- Enter the password when requested. The new Command Prompt runs in that account’s process context.
This is different from the PowerShell method: the PowerShell command asks UAC to elevate using the available administrator approval flow, while runas explicitly identifies the account whose credentials should start the process.
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When runas is the better choice
- You are signed in with a standard account but have credentials for a known administrator account.
- You need to select a particular local or domain identity rather than rely on the current sign-in.
- You need the launched process to use that account’s profile and security context.
What runas does not guarantee
The target account must actually have administrator rights for the operation you intend to perform. Also, not every program supports being started with runas. Microsoft specifically notes compatibility limitations, so a failure with one executable does not mean the syntax is wrong for every program.
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1Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problems2Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitches3Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsUse Windows Sudo on Windows 11 version 24H2 or later
Windows 11 version 24H2 and later can provide Sudo for Windows. After enabling it, the command to start Command Prompt elevated is:
sudo cmdEnable Sudo first
- Open Settings.
- Go to System > Advanced.
- Enable Sudo for Windows.
If Sudo is not enabled, sudo cmd will not provide the documented Windows Sudo behavior. The version requirement and the Settings switch are both prerequisites.
Choose how the elevated process behaves
Sudo for Windows can be configured to use one of several console behaviors:
- New window: the elevated process opens separately from the current console.
- Close input to the elevated process: the elevated process is launched with input handling restricted according to that Sudo mode.
- Inline: the elevated process runs in the current console session.
The exact experience therefore depends on the Sudo mode selected in Settings. If your goal is to preserve the original console and obtain an obvious separate administrator window, the PowerShell Start-Process command is the least ambiguous option.
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Can you elevate without closing the current Command Prompt?
Yes. The PowerShell RunAs command starts a new elevated Command Prompt and does not require you to close the existing one. This is useful when the first console contains a working directory, command history, or a running task that you still need.
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The new window is a separate process. Elevating it does not retroactively change the security token of the original window, and a command already running in the original console cannot gain administrator rights merely because another console was opened.
Windows Sudo can also be configured for a new window or inline operation. With inline mode, the elevated command shares the current console rather than creating a separate window, so its behavior is determined by the Sudo configuration you selected.
Troubleshoot an elevated CMD that will not start
No UAC prompt appears
Check that the command was entered exactly, including the quotation marks around Start-Process cmd -Verb RunAs. The command must be run in Windows with PowerShell available. If the account is standard, the expected interaction is a credential prompt rather than an administrator consent prompt.
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- Confirm the computer and account names in
/user:COMPUTERNAMEAdministrator. - Verify that the password belongs to the specified account; it is not necessarily the password for the account currently signed in.
- Confirm that the specified account has administrator rights for the task.
The command works for local files but fails from a network location
Microsoft warns that launching a program from a network location can fail when the credentials used by the launched process differ from the credentials used to access the network share. This is a credential-context problem, not proof that elevation itself is unavailable. Test the same operation from a local path, or ensure that the account starting the elevated process is authorized for the share.
The system reports a Secondary Logon problem
runas depends on the Secondary Logon service. If that service is unavailable, the command may fail before the new process starts. Check that the service is running, then retry the command.
The target program does not support runas
Some programs do not support the runas method. In that situation, use the PowerShell Start-Process method to launch cmd itself, or use Windows Sudo when the computer meets the Windows 11 24H2 requirement and Sudo has been enabled.
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sudo cmd is unavailable
Check both prerequisites: the computer must run Windows 11 version 24H2 or later, and Sudo must be enabled under Settings > System > Advanced. If either condition is missing, use the PowerShell command instead.
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Credential and security considerations
Elevation is a controlled change of security context, so read the UAC prompt before approving it. The prompt identifies the action that is requesting administrator access; approve only a process you intended to launch.
The runas syntax includes a /savecred option, but it should not be treated as the default shortcut. Saving credentials changes how future launches authenticate and has security implications. The basic documented pattern deliberately prompts for the password instead. Use saved credentials only when you understand the risk and the account policy that governs the computer.
Using an administrator Command Prompt also means that every command entered in that window has the elevated account’s authority. Keep the elevated window for tasks that need it, and use an ordinary console for routine commands.
A practical decision path
- Need a new administrator window from the current CMD? Run
powershell -Command "Start-Process cmd -Verb RunAs". - Need to specify another account? Run
runas /user:COMPUTERNAMEAdministrator cmdand enter that account’s password. - Running Windows 11 version 24H2 or later with Sudo enabled? You can use
sudo cmd, selecting the Sudo console behavior that matches your workflow. - Still failing? Check UAC interaction, administrator rights, the Secondary Logon service, network-share credentials, and whether the target program supports the chosen launch method.
The key point is that an ordinary Command Prompt cannot elevate itself merely by starting another cmd. Use an explicit elevation mechanism, respond to UAC or credential prompts, and remember that the elevated console is a separate security context unless Windows Sudo is configured for inline operation.
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