To perform certain tasks that require administrator privileges, you can enter the Task Manager as an administrator using graphical options, command-line options, and creating desktop shortcuts. We’ll show you how to do this on Windows 10 and 11.
Use the first and second methods below for a single instance where you want the task manager to have administrator privileges. To always run the utility with administrator privileges, use the third method in this guide.
notes: The steps to run Task Manager as an administrator are pretty much the same for Windows 10 and Windows 11. We will use a Windows 10 PC to demonstrate the steps in this guide.
related: What does “Run as administrator” mean in Windows 10?
Method 1: Start Menu
To quickly start Task Manager as an administrator, use the options in the PC start menu.
First, open the Start menu and search for “Task Manager.” When you see the utility in the search results, right-click it and select “Run as administrator”.
You will see a User Account Control prompt. Here, enter the password for your administrator account and press Enter.
Your instance of Task Manager is now open with full administrator privileges, and you can perform tasks that require special privileges.
Method 2: Command Prompt
To use a command to enter the Task Manager as an administrator, first, open the Start menu and search for “Command Prompt”.
Right-click the Command Prompt utility and select Run as administrator from the menu.
In the User Account Control prompt that opens, enter your administrator password and press Enter. Then, in the Command Prompt window, type the following command and press Enter:
task manager
Task Manager will open with full administrator rights.
related: How to Open Command Prompt as Administrator in Windows 8 or 10
Method 3: Desktop Shortcut
If you frequently run Task Manager as administrator, add a shortcut on your desktop that always opens this utility with administrator privileges.
To do this, first, launch the Start menu and search for Task Manager. Right-click the utility and select Open File Location.
In the File Explorer window, right-click the Task Manager shortcut and select Open File Location.
You will see a “Taskmgr.exe” file. Right-click this file and select Send to > Desktop (create shortcut).
You now have a Task Manager shortcut on your desktop. To make this shortcut always open the utility with administrator privileges, right-click it and select Properties.
On the Shortcuts tab of the Properties window, select Advanced.
Turn on the “Run as administrator” option and click OK.
Back in the Properties window, click Apply, and then click OK.
You are all set. From now on, whenever you open the desktop task manager shortcut, the utility will start with administrator privileges.
related: Enable (Hide) Administrator Account on Windows 7, 8, 10 or 11