Command Prompt/Elevated

The Command Prompt is the command line interface (CLI) provided with Microsoft operating systems. This activity will show you how to open an elevated/administrator command prompt.

Note: To complete this activity, you must have an administrative user account or know the username and password of an administrator account you can enter when prompted.

Readings

Preparation

To prepare for these activities:

Start Windows.
Log in if necessary.

Activity 1 - Open a Command Prompt

Two different methods for opening a command prompt are available. These include the Start menu and the Run command box.

Method 1 - Start Menu

To access a command prompt using the Start menu:

Open the Start menu.
Select All Programs.
Select Accessories.
Right-click on Command Prompt.
Select Run as administrator.
If you see a User Account Control dialog box asking if you want to allow the following program to make changes to this computer, select Yes.
If prompted for a username and password, enter an administrative username and password to continue.
Observe that the title bar of the command prompt is "Administrator: Command Prompt", indicating that it is running with elevated privileges.

Method 2 - Run Command

To access a command prompt using the Run command box:

Open the Start menu or press the Windows key + R.
Type cmd or cmd.exe in the Run command box.
Right-click on cmd.exe.
Select Run as administrator.
If you see a User Account Control dialog box asking if you want to allow the following program to make changes to this computer, select Yes.
If prompted for a username and password, enter an administrative username and password to continue.
Observe that the title bar of the command prompt is "Administrator: Command Prompt", indicating that it is running with elevated privileges.

References

Microsoft: Command Prompt: frequently asked questions