How open PowerShell as administrator from the run window

Windows 10 appears to have a keyboard shortcut. According to How to open elevated command prompt in Windows 10 you can press ctrl + shift + enter from the search or start menu after typing cmd for the search term.

image of win 10 start menu
(source: winaero.com)


Yes, it is possible to run PowerShell through the run window. However, it would be burdensome and you will need to enter in the password for computer. This is similar to how you will need to set up when you run cmd:

runas /user:(ComputerName)\(local admin) powershell.exe

So a basic example would be:

runas /user:MyLaptop\[email protected]  powershell.exe

You can find more information on this subject in Runas.

However, you could also do one more thing :

  • 1: `Windows+R`
  • 2: type: `powershell`
  • 3: type: `Start-Process powershell -verb runAs`

then your system will execute the elevated powershell.


The easiest way to open an admin Powershell window in Windows 10 (and Windows 8) is to add a "Windows Powershell (Admin)" option to the "Power User Menu". Once this is done, you can open an admin powershell window via Win+X,A or by right-clicking on the start button and selecting "Windows Powershell (Admin)":

[Windows 10/Windows 8 Power User menu with "Windows Powershell (Admin)

Here's where you replace the "Command Prompt" option with a "Windows Powershell" option:

[Taskbar and Start Menu Properties: "Replace Command Prompt With Windows Powershell"