Running Windows File Explorer As Administrator

HDL · Aug 19, 2022

When I right click on File Explorer in the Start menu and try to run it as the Administrator, I get a dialog box with the error message you can see in the attachment. Does anyone know how to fix this?

By the way, there is only 1 account, mine, on this computer and I am already supposed to have administrator privileges but often times when using the Command Prompt I still have to Right click and choose Run As Administrator for it to have those privileges.

Try3 · Aug 19, 2022

HDL said:
I am already supposed to have administrator privileges

No. When you first log in you are assigned standard user privileges even though yours is an Admin account.
It's responding to the Admin prompt when you use, say, Run As Admin that raises you to Admin status for the task concerned. A standard user would, at that stage, have to enter an Admin's UserName & password whilst you are only called upon to click a Yes button.
That's just how Windows is designed.

I have not seen the specific example of running File explorer as Admin discussed in ElevenForum but it was certainly not possible in Windows 10 and I'd bet it isn't possible in Windows 11 either.
What are you trying to achieve? They'll be another way of doing it.

All the best,
Denis

Try3 · Aug 19, 2022

HDL said:
there is only 1 account, mine, on this computer

By the way, it can be useful to have a spare, local, password-protected Admin account for use in case your main user account becomes corrupted.
I have two spare ones - one that I use during fault-finding, one unused & hence impervious to user account corruption.
my ditty - Create two spare local, password-protected Admin accounts [post #2] - TenForums
I haven't re-written it for Windows 11 yet because its procedures are already valid for Windows 11.

All the best,
Denis

HDL · Aug 19, 2022

Try3 said:
I have not seen the specific example of running File explorer as Admin discussed in ElevenForum but it was certainly not possible in Windows 10 and I'd bet it isn't possible in Windows 11 either.
What are you trying to achieve? They'll be another way of doing it.

All the best,
Denis

Well I have another Post in this forum here Reinstalling Windows 11 This link may not take you to the exact post but it will, at least, get you to the correct thread. The reason you asked about is probably the last third, or so of the thread.

I have exhausted all other suggestions and any possibility I could come up with, especially with all the appreciated help I got in that linked thread. So, I thought with the File Explorer running with Administrator privileges I may be able to delete sys files that are keeping me from enabling Memory Integrity in Windows Defender. With the help of a person at another forum, I believe, he came up with a viable way to allow me to run File Explorer with admin privileges. However, I have been hesitant to delete sys files. I did want to see if there were any suggestions to correct that error in the attachment since he said he couldn't help me with that problem. I hope this explains my post.

Thanks very much for the information you gave me about me having an Admin account. I didn't know that.

Try3 · Aug 19, 2022

HDL,

HDL said:
I have been hesitant to delete sys files

I agree with you.

If I was trying to delete files that needed Admin permission then I'd use the command prompt / a PowerShell window / Terminal.
Do note that many system files need higher level permissions than Admin [such as System or TrustedInstaller] and you'd need to use special utilities to do that. Just to set this in some context, I have not needed such higher level permissions to fix a fault since 2013.

I'll study your other thread properly tomorrow.
- On first glance, it seems to be a question about running a Repair install but now seems to be jumping around between using AutoRuns to stop drivers loading & manually deleting driver files so I'll have to study it properly to have any valid opinion.
- Uninstalling drivers then installing new drivers ought to be able to achieve the replacement of all relevant files [merely with Admin permission] so I don't quite follow the thread's evolving story.

All the best,
Denis

HDL · Aug 19, 2022

Try3 said:
By the way, it can be useful to have a spare, local, password-protected Admin account for use in case your main user account becomes corrupted.
I have two spare ones - one that I use during fault-finding, one unused & hence impervious to user account corruption.
my ditty - Create two spare local, password-protected Admin accounts [post #2] - TenForums
I haven't re-written it for Windows 11 yet because its procedures are already valid for Windows 11.

All the best,
Denis

Thanks for this information. I didn't see this post before.

HDL · Aug 19, 2022

Try3 said:
I'll study your other thread properly tomorrow.
- On first glance, it seems to be a question about running a Repair install but now seems to be jumping around between using AutoRuns to stop drivers loading & manually deleting driver files so I'll have to study it properly to have any valid opinion.
- Uninstalling drivers then installing new drivers ought to be able to achieve the replacement of all relevant files [merely with Admin permission] so I don't quite follow the thread's evolving story.

All the best,
Denis

I have 2 Win 11 computers that eventually, it was discovered, had separate issues. The thread was started so I could learn how to safely reinstall Windows 11. That was accomplished.

Somewhere along the way I heard about Memory Integrity and it was discussed in the same thread after the successful re-installation and it was enabled.

I then checked my other computer that had run Windows 10 for 2 years and was recently updated to Win 11. When I checked for the option to enable Memory Integrity it was not even an option. I searched the WEB and with a UEFI tweak it was available but would not allow me to enable it because of 2 files, rbclan.sys and wdcsam64_prewin8.sys. According to those who replied in that thread, I should have been able to remove those files by using the Device Manager or Autoruns.exe. There was no reference to either file in either of those programs. So they remain on my computer and that is where that thread left off.

I don't want to have this thread jump around on different subjects but just wanted to give you a brief description of what that thread was all about.

Fabler2 · Aug 19, 2022

Ghot · Aug 19, 2022

@HDL

Have you tried right clicking C:\Windows\explorer.exe ...and choosing Run as Administrator?

HDL · Aug 19, 2022

Ghot said:
@HDL

Have you tried right clicking C:\Windows\explorer.exe ...and choosing Run as Administrator?

Yes that seems to work but I didn't delete those 2 files I mentioned. Thank you.

Ghot · Aug 19, 2022

HDL said:
Yes that seems to work but I didn't delete those 2 files I mentioned. Thank you.

Whenever I'm trying to run a Windows app as Admin, I always go straight to it's location.
Like C:\Windows or C:\Windows|System32

HDL · Aug 19, 2022

Fabler2 said:
View attachment 36876

That looks like a great suggestion. Thank you.

Once I create that task would it run every time the computer is restarted? Would I later be able to delete it if I wanted to?

Bree · Aug 19, 2022

HDL said:
....but would not allow me to enable it because of 2 files, rbclan.sys and wdcsam64_prewin8.sys....

For files like this that the system won't allow you to remove, often the easiest solution is to boot from something else so that your system is not running and protecting them. Boot to a Command Prompt with a windows install usb, for example. I had to do that on one of my machines to delete a driver file that was preventing Memory Integrity from being turned on.

Deleting the file is sufficient, no need to uninstall it or remove references from the registry. A registry entry that points to a file that does not exist just gets ignored.

HDL · Aug 19, 2022

Bree said:
For files like this that the system won't allow you to remove, often the easiest solution is to boot from something else so that your system is not running and protecting them. Boot to a Command Prompt with a windows install usb, for example. I had to do that on one of my machines to delete a driver file that was preventing Memory Integrity from being turned on.

Deleting the file is sufficient, no need to uninstall it or remove references from the registry. A registry entry that points to a file that does not exist just gets ignored.

Thank you for the suggestion. I don't have anything I could boot to but maybe the fellow who builds my computers would.

Fabler2 · Aug 20, 2022

HDL said:
That looks like a great suggestion. Thank you.

Once I create that task would it run every time the computer is restarted? Would I later be able to delete it if I wanted to?

It's a one off as it's basically 'Run' with the admin option. To keep the history just make sure that in settings - Privacy & security -General, that 'Let Windows improve Start and search results by tracking app launches' is turned on.

2022-08-20 06_01_42-Untitled_ ‎- Paint 3D.png

Try3 · Aug 20, 2022

HDL said:
I don't have anything I could boot to

Make yourself a Windows 11 installation USB to boot to.
Create Windows 11 Bootable USB Installation Media - ElevenForumTutorials
It is a versatile repair tool not just an installation tool.
my ditty - uses of an InstallUSB [post #26] - TenForums

And didn't you mention Macrium Reflect earlier on? Its boot disk also has useful repair functions.
Macrium Software Macrium Reflect Free
Backup and Restore with Macrium Reflect - TenForumsTutorials - This includes making their boot disk & optionally adding a Macrium reflect option to your boot menu.
Macrium Reflect KnowledgeBase - user guide [version-independent link]
In addition, Macrium reflect users have posted that its boot disk has better startup repair capabilities than Windows installation USBs.
Macrium Reflect Boot disk - Fix Boot Problems - MacriumReflectKB
Use Macrium Reflect Rescue Media to Fix Windows Boot Issues - TenForumsTutorials

All the best,
Denis

HDL · Aug 20, 2022

Try3 said:
Make yourself a Windows 11 installation USB to boot to.
Create Windows 11 Bootable USB Installation Media - ElevenForumTutorials
It is a versatile repair tool not just an installation tool.
my ditty - uses of an InstallUSB [post #26] - TenForums

And didn't you mention Macrium Reflect earlier on? Its boot disk also has useful repair functions.
Macrium Software Macrium Reflect Free
Backup and Restore with Macrium Reflect - TenForumsTutorials - This includes making their boot disk & optionally adding a Macrium reflect option to your boot menu.
Macrium Reflect KnowledgeBase - user guide [version-independent link]
In addition, Macrium reflect users have posted that its boot disk has better startup repair capabilities than Windows installation USBs.
Macrium Reflect Boot disk - Fix Boot Problems - MacriumReflectKB
Use Macrium Reflect Rescue Media to Fix Windows Boot Issues - TenForumsTutorials

All the best,
Denis

Thanks for all that information. I need to ask, because I seem to remember from quite a while ago, do I need to change any setting in the UEFI or BIOS to make the computer boot to the USB drive first instead of the installed hard drive? It runs in my mind that there used to be a boot sequence that had to be set.

As far as Macrium Reflect goes, I seem to remember from another thread someone suggesting that I should use that to backup my computer before updating it to Windows 11. I purchased another 2 TB external drive to do that. I didn't find it user friendly, although I think I created a backup. However it really screwed up the drive as far as making unwanted partitions on it when the drive it was backing up was only one partition. Once the update to Win 11 was successful that drive had to be reformatted. I'm sure it was me that messed it up but I didn't figure out what I did wrong. Luckily I didn't need the backup.

HDL · Aug 20, 2022

Fabler2 said:
It's a one off as it's basically 'Run' with the admin option. To keep the history just make sure that in settings - Privacy & security -General, that 'Let Windows improve Start and search results by tracking app launches' is turned on.

View attachment 36881

In trying to follow what you just told me, I don't understand why regedit is highlighted or why the other 2 choices are there, or why create a new task is even opened again. Once I created the task to run explorer.exe as the administrator and wanted it to run each time the computer restarted wouldn't I start with what you said here, "Privacy & security -General, that 'Let Windows improve Start and search results by tracking app launches' is turned on?" Sorry but I just didn't follow what you told me.

Fabler2 · Aug 20, 2022

That setting is for keeping the history of whatever 'run' commands you use. If it's off then you won't get the history in the drop down menu. File explorer won't run as admin until you tell it to. This is 'run' with that setting on, showing history on the drop down menu, (on a different laptop so explorer.exe not showing as not used it yet)

and 'create new task' in task manager is the same but with the option to run as admin which is hidden by the dropdown menu.

Edit, I opened the create new task. It doesn't open automatically.

HDL · Aug 20, 2022

Thank you.
Not sure why I hadn't thought of this before but it worked and I didn't need to run anything with Admin privileges. I used a program I already had installed called iObit Unlocker and deleted those 2 files.

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