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- Windows Terminal: set
"elevate": trueon a specific profile. - Command Prompt or Windows PowerShell: enable Run as administrator in the shortcut’s advanced properties.
- Windows 11 24H2 or later: use
sudowhen only one command needs elevation.
These methods start a new elevated process. They do not turn an already-open ordinary console into an administrator console.
First, check whether a console is already elevated
An elevated Command Prompt or PowerShell window normally shows Administrator in its title bar. In Windows Terminal, the entire window is either elevated or unelevated: administrator and non-administrator tabs cannot be mixed in one Terminal window.
Windows Terminal is the host application, not a shell. cmd.exe is Command Prompt, while PowerShell is a separate command-line application. On current Windows 11 installations, both commonly open inside Windows Terminal because Terminal became the default console host in Windows 11 version 22H2.
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Always elevate a Windows Terminal profile
Windows Terminal has an elevate profile property. Set it to true for an administrator-only Command Prompt or PowerShell profile.
1. Open the Terminal settings file
- Open Windows Terminal.
- Open the tab menu using the arrow beside the + button.
- Select Settings.
- Choose Open JSON file if you are editing the raw configuration.
Add administrator profiles to the profiles.list array. For example:
{
"profiles": {
"list": [
{
"name": "Command Prompt (Admin)",
"commandline": "%SystemRoot%\System32\cmd.exe",
"elevate": true
},
{
"name": "PowerShell (Admin)",
"commandline": "%SystemRoot%\System32\WindowsPowerShell\v1.0\powershell.exe",
"elevate": true
}
]
}
}Keep your existing profiles. Insert these objects into the existing list rather than replacing the whole file. In valid JSON, every object except the last one needs a comma.
2. Launch the administrator profile
Save the file, then open the Terminal tab menu. Select Command Prompt (Admin) or PowerShell (Admin). Windows will request UAC approval.
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If you select an elevated profile from an ordinary Terminal window, Windows Terminal opens a new elevated window. If the current Terminal window is already elevated, the profile opens as a new tab in that elevated window. This separate-window behavior is expected, not a configuration failure.
Make every Terminal profile elevated
To apply the setting by default, put "elevate": true under profiles.defaults:
{
"profiles": {
"defaults": {
"elevate": true
},
"list": [
{
"name": "PowerShell",
"source": "Microsoft.PowerShell"
},
{
"name": "Command Prompt",
"commandline": "%SystemRoot%\System32\cmd.exe"
}
]
}
}This makes all profiles elevate unless an individual profile overrides the default with "elevate": false. A more selective setup is usually safer: leave your everyday profile ordinary and create clearly named administrator profiles for system work.
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The property accepts only true or false, and its default is false.
Always run Command Prompt as administrator with a shortcut
A shortcut can be configured to request elevation every time it is launched. This works for a dedicated Command Prompt shortcut, including one pinned to the desktop or taskbar.
- Create or locate a shortcut to
cmd.exe. - Right-click the shortcut and select Properties.
- Open the Shortcut tab.
- Click Advanced….
- Enable Run as administrator.
- Click OK, then Apply, then OK.
Rename the shortcut to something obvious, such as Command Prompt (Admin). The name is only a label; it does not cause elevation. The important setting is Advanced… → Run as administrator.
When you launch that shortcut, Windows displays a UAC prompt. Accept it to start an elevated cmd.exe process.
Always run Windows PowerShell as administrator with a shortcut
The same shortcut method works for the built-in Windows PowerShell 5.1 console.
- Create a shortcut with
powershell.exeas its target. - Right-click the shortcut and select Properties.
- Select Shortcut → Advanced….
- Tick Run as administrator.
- Select OK → Apply → OK.
Name it PowerShell (Admin) so it is not confused with an ordinary PowerShell shortcut.
PowerShell does not automatically ask UAC to elevate an individual command. If you open ordinary PowerShell and run a command that requires administrator rights, the command may fail with an access-denied error rather than prompting you. Start PowerShell through the elevated shortcut, or use Windows sudo where supported.
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To check which PowerShell you are using, run:
$PSVersionTableWindows PowerShell 5.1 is included with supported Windows versions. PowerShell 7 is a separate, newer product and may have a different shortcut or executable. Configure the shortcut for the particular PowerShell installation you intend to use.
Use the Start menu for a one-time elevated launch
If you do not need a permanent administrator launcher:
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- Open Start.
- Search for Command Prompt, Windows PowerShell, or Windows Terminal.
- Choose Run as administrator from the result’s available actions or context menu.
- Approve the UAC prompt.
For a keyboard-driven method, press Windows key + X, then select Windows Terminal (Admin). You can also right-click the Windows Terminal taskbar icon, right-click the Windows Terminal entry in the jump list, and select Run as administrator.
If the signed-in account is not an administrator, Windows displays a credential prompt instead of a simple Yes/No confirmation. Enter the credentials of an account that is a local administrator.
Elevate only one command with Windows sudo
Windows 11 version 24H2 and later includes Sudo for Windows. It is useful when the shell should remain ordinary but one command needs administrator rights.
Enable sudo
- Open Settings.
- Go to System → Advanced.
- Set Enable sudo to On.
Then prefix the command with sudo:
sudo netstat -ab
sudo notepad C:WindowsSystem32driversetchosts
sudo diskpartsudo elevates the command after it. It does not turn the entire current PowerShell or Command Prompt session into an administrator console, and it does not currently run programs as another user.
Choose sudo’s behavior
The default and recommended mode is forceNewWindow. You can configure it from Settings → System → Advanced, or from an elevated console:
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sudo config --enable forceNewWindow
sudo config --enable disableInput
sudo config --enable normal| Mode | Behavior |
|---|---|
forceNewWindow |
Runs the elevated command in a new window. This is the default. |
disableInput |
Runs it in the current console while preventing input to the elevated process. |
normal |
Runs it inline with normal input and output behavior. |
Microsoft warns that normal mode has an input-security risk: an unelevated process may potentially send input to or read output from the elevated process in the same console. Use the default new-window mode unless you specifically understand the trade-off.
Which method should you use?
| Requirement | Best choice | Reason |
|---|---|---|
| Occasional administrator command | Start menu or sudo |
No permanently elevated shell is left open. |
| Dedicated administrator Command Prompt | Shortcut to cmd.exe |
Simple, visible, and independent of Terminal settings. |
| Dedicated administrator PowerShell | Shortcut to powershell.exe |
Starts the required shell elevated every time. |
| Command Prompt and PowerShell inside Terminal | Terminal profile with elevate: true |
Provides clearly named administrator profiles. |
| All Terminal profiles elevated | profiles.defaults.elevate: true |
Applies elevation globally, but increases the chance of running commands unnecessarily as administrator. |
Important limitations and failure cases
The shortcut still opens normally
Renaming a shortcut to “Admin” is not enough. Reopen its properties and verify Shortcut → Advanced… → Run as administrator is enabled. Also make sure you are launching that shortcut, not a separate Start menu or taskbar shortcut.
An elevated Terminal profile opens another window
That is normal when the profile is launched from an unelevated Terminal window. Windows Terminal cannot place elevated and unelevated tabs together in the same window.
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Programs started from an elevated PowerShell process generally inherit elevated execution. That can include editors, scripts, installers, and other child applications. For this reason, keeping PowerShell permanently elevated is less safe than elevating only the commands that need it.
You changed the console host
To switch from Windows Terminal back to the legacy Windows Console Host, use Start → Settings → System → Advanced → Terminal → Windows Console Host. Alternatively, open Windows Terminal settings and choose Startup → Default terminal application → Windows Console Host. This can cause compatibility issues for applications that combine graphical elements with text-mode console behavior, so changing the host is not normally required to obtain administrator rights.
Remote PowerShell work behaves differently
Local elevation and remote authorization are separate. An elevated local PowerShell window is not generally required simply to perform a remote operation. The account and permissions on the remote computer determine whether that operation is authorized.
FAQ
Does pinning PowerShell to the taskbar make it permanently run as administrator?
No. Pinning creates a launcher, but it does not automatically enable elevation. Configure the shortcut through Properties → Shortcut → Advanced… → Run as administrator, or use a Windows Terminal profile with "elevate": true.
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Can I turn an existing Command Prompt or PowerShell window into an administrator window?
No. Elevation applies when the process starts. Open a new elevated console using the configured shortcut, Terminal profile, Start menu action, or sudo.
Is Windows Terminal the same thing as Command Prompt?
No. Windows Terminal is the graphical host. Command Prompt runs as cmd.exe inside it, and PowerShell is another shell that can run inside it.
Why does Windows ask for administrator credentials instead of showing a Yes/No prompt?
The signed-in account is not an administrator. Enter credentials for an account that is a local administrator. Organizations may also apply policies that change how UAC prompts appear.
Can I set Windows Terminal to elevate only PowerShell?
Yes. Add "elevate": true to the PowerShell profile only. Leave other profiles unchanged, or explicitly set their property to false.
Does Windows sudo work on Windows 10?
The built-in Windows Sudo feature is included with Windows 11 version 24H2 or later. On unsupported versions, use an elevated shortcut or launch the console with Run as administrator.
The Bottom Line
For a permanent administrator launcher, configure a shortcut to cmd.exe or powershell.exe with Advanced → Run as administrator. For Windows Terminal, create a clearly named profile with "elevate": true. Avoid making every shell elevated unless you genuinely need that behavior: an elevated shell also gives administrator rights to applications it launches. On Windows 11 24H2 or later, sudo is usually the safer choice when only one command needs elevation.
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