13

If I want to open Notepad and edit the hosts file, I have to invoke the Start menu, find the Notepad shortcut, right click and run as administrator, then open the hosts file in Notepad in order to edit.

Is there a way to use the command line to open Notepad as administrator? Something like press win + R and enter notepad /admin. Is this possible?

Improve this question

3 Answers 3

Reset to default
10

You can do it a little bit faster by pressing Win, type in Search notepad and press Ctrl + Shift + Enter.

Or you can keep a command-prompt window open with higher privileges all the time and if some program needs to be opened with elevated privileges just start it from there with for instance: start notepad.

Improve this answer
1
  • Appreciated! It's strange that runas /env /user:DOMAIN\ADMINNAME "notepad hosts" asks for the admin password, but when saving it still does not have enough permissions. Your Ctrl+Shift+Enter solution seems to give the right access: it worked for me :)
    – Armfoot
    Commented Sep 9, 2015 at 11:17
3

Take a look at runas /? in command prompt.

Improve this answer
2
  • This is not much of an answer. Can you elaborate?
    – Peter Mortensen
    Commented Jul 21, 2015 at 10:33
  • @PeterMortensen When you run that help command (runas /?) they provide this example: runas /env /user:DOMAIN\ADMINNAME "notepad hosts" which opens the hosts file, but it still fails to grant write permissions...
    – Armfoot
    Commented Sep 9, 2015 at 11:20
1
  • Press Win + R to open the run command line
  • Type notepad C:\WINDOWS\system32\drivers\etc\hosts

I believe this should open your hosts file in Notepad as an adminstrative user. It does for me anyway.

Improve this answer
1
  • 4
    That's not correct, the notepad is not run as administrator.
    – Viktor Sec
    Commented Nov 28, 2017 at 13:48

You must log in to answer this question.

Not the answer you're looking for? Browse other questions tagged .