Add an Administrative Command Prompt to the Vista Start Menu

As Windows has evolved into Windows XP, Vista, and soon Windows 7, many of the management controls have remained, and in some cases appeared or have improved, only in the command line. Thus, for a power user or a hobbyist, often an elevated command prompt is needed. It's not necessary to go to the Accessories folder to access an administrative command prompt each time. It's easy to attach an elevated command prompt shortcut to the Start menu, and here we'll show you how.

Start by clicking the Vista Start button/orb and selecting "All Programs." Then right-click "Command Prompt" in Accessories and select "Copy."

Click on an open spot on your desktop, right-click, and select "Paste."

Right-click the "Command Prompt" icon and select "Properties."

Under the "Shortcut" menu, click the "Advanced" button.

Check "Run as Administrator" and click OK.

Click the "General" tab and rename the shortcut to "Admin Command Prompt" or similar, and then click OK.

Test the modified shortcut by double-clicking it. If UAC is active, clear the prompt, and then you should see the command-prompt window and it should be labeled "Administrator: Admin Command Prompt."

Type "exit" or click to close the window. Then right-click the Admin Command Prompt icon and select "Pin to Start Menu." Once it's pinned, you can click the Vista start/button orb or press the Windows button and use your mouse to drag the command prompt up or down in your list.

And that's it. You'll have an administrative command prompt available in your Start menu, ready upon demand to quickly start an elevated command prompt.

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What's a Quick Tip? Quick Tips are articles devoted to a specific, easily described subject that are too long to be blog posts and shorter than other articles.

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