Declined Install option: Add File Explorer Run As Adminstrator option

[Rick Reinckens]

UPDATE -- IGNORE THIS THREAD. IT TURNS OUT EVEN IF YOU "Run As Administrator" BY CREATING THE SUGGESTED SHORTCUT IT DOESN'T ACTUALLY RUN AS ADMINISTRATOR.

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An apparent major difference between "Windows Explorer" in Win 7 and "File Explorer" in Win 10 is that with Win 10 you can't Run As Administrator.

Turns out that's not true. The File Explorer link won't show "Run As Administator". But in fact, both link to C:\Windows\explorer.exe.

If in Win 10 you navigate to that file and create your own shortcut, your shortcut will show the name as Windows Explorer and if you right click your shortcut, there will be a Run As Administrator option.

I suggest that in the TCC install options, in addition to the option "Have TCC handle the .bat extension?" there also be an option "Allow File Explorer to Run As Administrator?", which creates a Windows Explorer shortcut, probably on the desktop.

 

[vefatica]

If you mean TCMD's File Explorer, it's part of the TCMD.EXE process and will be elevated if and only if TCMD.EXE is elevated? If you don't mean that, what do you mean?

 

[Rick Reinckens]

No, I'm referring to Win 10 File Explorer.

The "File Explorer" shortcut that Win 10 offers doesn't have a Run As Administrator option, even if you right-click and select Properties. But it's actually just a shortcut to C:\Windows\explorer.exe

If you create your own shortcut, it will display as "Windows Explorer" instead, and will have the Run As Administrator option.

The suggestion is basically just to add to the TCMD/TCC installer "Create a shortcut to Windows Explorer on the desktop? Y/N"

(By the way, this might depend on the version of Win 10.)

 

[vefatica]

Did you ever try it? Here, on both Win7/32 and Win10/64 if I right-click c:\windows\explorer.exe (or a shortcut to it) and choose RunAsAdministrator, or if I (with TCC) "start /elevated c:\windows\explorer.exe", I get a UAC prompt and then a new Explorer window but I do not get a new instance of explorer.exe and the new explorer window is running in the old, still non-elevated explorer.exe.

As far as I know, the only way to get an elevated instance of explorer.exe is to first terminate the current, non-elevated, instance and then start an elevated instance.

 

[Rick Reinckens]

It's specifically related to the "File Explorer" shortcut--not to C:\Windows\explorer.exe. If you right-click on the file or if you create a shortcut and right-click on the shortcut you will get the Run As Administrator option.

Why Win 10 File Explorer doesn't offer Run As Administrator

I realize that's an old post but I'm still seeing this on recent installs. Apparently it's one more Microsoft "trick" to protect people who think a computer should work like glorified typewriter.

 

[vefatica]

It's specifically related to the "File Explorer" shortcut--not to C:\Windows\explorer.exe. If you right-click on the file or if you create a shortcut and right-click on the shortcut you will get the Run As Administrator option.

You'll get that option but it doesn't work! Test it! Do whatever you must do to get the "Run As Administrator" option and use it. Now, in "File Explorer" see if you can find ANY evidence that it's running as Administrator. I don't think you'll find any.

 

[AnrDaemon]

How is this in any way related to TC/TCC ?

 

[Rick Reinckens]

How is this in any way related to TC/TCC ?

Technically it's not--but let's face it, the folks who regularly use TCC routinely use things like Run As Administrator and when we find that there is no RaA option in File Explorer it's really frustrating. And it's not obvious that you can get around that by creating your own shortcut. Adding an option to the TCC installer simply to create an icon on the desktop is no big deal.

 

[Charles Dye]

Technically it's not--but let's face it, the folks who regularly use TCC routinely use things like Run As Administrator and when we find that there is no RaA option in File Explorer it's really frustrating. And it's not obvious that you can get around that by creating your own shortcut. Adding an option to the TCC installer simply to create an icon on the desktop is no big deal.

If you want to do this for many machines and you're using TCC, you can write a batch file to create an Explorer shortcut.

 

[vefatica]

I'd really like to see this work ... run "File Explorer" as Administrator ... with verification (other than a UAC prompt) that it is actually running as administrator. As far as I can tell, it's not possible on Win10. And to do it on Win7, you must first terminate the normal Explorer shell.

 

[AnrDaemon]

You don't need to terminate it.
Ctrl+Shift+RMB on free space in main menu (Win7) or on taskbar (W8+) will reveal "Exit" menu entry.

 

[Rick Reinckens]

If you want to do this for many machines and you're using TCC, you can write a batch file to create an Explorer shortcut.

I realize that. But most people don't even know it's possible--I ran across it by accident. I was under the impression that File Explorer is a different program from Windows Explorer until I happened to run across this. I'm sure most people think that.

As I mentioned, it wouldn't be a big deal to just add it as an option to the TCC installer--just like it asks now whether TCC should handle files with a .bat extension.

 

[Rick Reinckens]

I'd really like to see this work ... run "File Explorer" as Administrator ... with verification (other than a UAC prompt) that it is actually running as administrator. As far as I can tell, it's not possible on Win10. And to do it on Win7, you must first terminate the normal Explorer shell.

If that is a problem, I certainly would like to know. Other than possibly an Administator: prompt, what other way would there be to tell it's not actually running as an Administrator?

(You're not saying that Microsoft has ever made it look like their software can do something that it actually can't do, are you??? )

(Found the PERFECT Emoji !)

 

[vefatica]

If that is a problem, I certainly would like to know. Other than possibly an Administator: prompt, what other way would there be to tell it's not actually running as an Administrator?

If it's running as Administrator ...

1. You should be able to paste a file into c:\windows\system32 without further providing administrator permission
2. Apps started by it will run as Administrator
3. Add the "Elevated" column to Win10's TASKMGR and you should see "Yes"

 

[Rick Reinckens]

If it's running as Administrator ...

1. You should be able to paste a file into c:\windows\system32 without further providing administrator permission
2. Apps started by it will run as Administrator
3. Add the "Elevated" column to Win10's TASKMGR and you should see "Yes"

I did just try pasting into \system32 using PowerDesk Pro file manager running both as Administrator and not and it doesn't ask for permission when Run as Administrator but Windows Explorer Run As Administrator still does ask. So it does look like MS outright removed the ability to Run as Administrator.

I did run across something on Winaero that talks about hacking the registry, but obviously that would be completely unrelated to anything involving TCC/TCMD. It looks like to do certain administrator stuff it's just necessary to use a different file manager.