Nothing happens when you click Run as administrator?
- From time to time, you need to Run a program as administrator in order to be able to use it properly or because it needs to do some operations that require elevated access.
- If nothing happens when you click Run as administrator, it’s likely that a third-party application is causing the problem, so be sure to remove it and check if that helps.
- Our administrator account section has many useful guides on dealing with cases when things don't work as they should.
- Be sure to visit and bookmark the complete Windows 10 Error Troubleshooting Hub from our website, filled with many fixes on common issues.
Sometimes issues while trying to run certain applications can appear, and speaking of issues, many users reported that nothing happens when they click on Run as administrator option. This can be a problem, and in today’s article, we’ll show you how to fix this issue.
Running applications with administrative privileges is crucial for some users, but sometimes nothing happens when you click Run as administrator. This can be a problem, and speaking of problems, here are some similar issues that users reported:
- Right click Run as administrator not working Windows 10 – This problem usually appears due to third-party applications. To fix the problem, you need to find and remove those applications from your PC.
- Can’t run as administrator Windows 10 – You can sometimes encounter this issue if your user profile is damaged. To fix the problem, create a new user profile and check if that solves the issue.
- Unable to run anything as administrator Windows 10 – Sometimes your antivirus can interfere with certain applications. To fix the problem temporarily disable or uninstall your antivirus.
- Run as administrator does nothing – Sometimes your installation can get damaged causing this issue to appear. To fix the issue, perform both SFC and DISM scan and check if that helps.
What can I do if nothing happens when I click Run as administrator?
- Check your antivirus
- Remove the problematic applications
- Perform a Clean boot
- Perform an SFC and DISM scan
- Boot to Safe Mode
- Create a new user account
Solution 1 – Check your antivirus
The first thing that you need to do if you encounter this problem is to check your antivirus. Your antivirus can interfere with certain applications, and that can lead to this and many other problems. To fix the problem, it’s advised to check your antivirus settings and temporarily disable certain antivirus features.
Bear in mind that this method doesn’t always work, so if the problem is still there, you might want to try disabling your antivirus altogether. If that doesn’t work, you can try removing your antivirus and check if that helps. If removing the antivirus solves the problem, perhaps you should consider switching to a different antivirus solution.
There are many great antivirus tools on the market, and if you’re looking for a new antivirus, perhaps you might want to consider Bitdefender. After switching to a new antivirus, the problem should be gone.
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Solution 2 – Remove the problematic applications
According to users, sometimes nothing happens when you click Run as administrator due to third-party applications. Several users reported that some application added their own options to the context menu in Windows.
It seems that these options caused the problem and prevented users from running applications with administrative privileges. To fix this problem, you might want to try disabling third-party options from the context menu. This is relatively simple to do, and in order to do it, you’ll need a freeware third-party tool called ShellExView. By using this tool you should be able to disable any option from the context menu in Windows with ease.
Another way to fix this problem is to simply find and remove the problematic application. Apparently, applications such as QuickSFV can cause this problem, so if you have this application installed, be sure to remove it. Bear in mind that other applications can also cause this problem, so try removing old or suspicious applications that you don’t remember installing.
We have to mention that there are several methods you can use to remove an application, but the most effective one is uninstaller software. In case you don’t know what uninstaller software is, it’s a special application that can remove all files and registry entries related to the application you’re trying to remove. By using an uninstaller software, you’ll ensure that the application you want to remove is completely removed from your PC.
If you’re looking for a good uninstaller software, you might want to try Revo Uninstaller. Once you remove the problematic application, the issue should be resolved.
- Get now Revo Uninstaller Pro version
Solution 3 – Perform a Clean boot
If nothing happens when you click Run as administrator, it’s possible that a third-party application is causing the problem. Sometimes it can be hard to find the application that is causing the problem, and in order to pinpoint the cause, it’s advised to perform a Clean boot. This is fairly simple, and you can do it by following these steps:
- Use Windows Key + R shortcut to open the Run dialog. Now type msconfig, and click OK or press Enter.
- When System Configuration window appears, navigate to the Services tab and check Hide all Microsoft services check box. Now click the Disable all button to disable all services on the list.
- Head over to the Startup tab and select Open Task Manager.
- Task Manager will appear, and you’ll see a list of all startup applications. Right-click the first application on the list and select Disable. Do this step for all startup applications.
- After you disable all applications in Task Manager, head back to the System Configuration window. Now click Apply and OK to save changes and restart your PC.
After doing that, all third-party services and applications will be disabled. Now check if the problem still appears. If the problem is gone, it’s certain that one of the disabled applications or services was causing the issue.
To pinpoint the cause of the problem, you need to enable all disabled applications and services one by one until you manage to recreate the problem. Bear in mind that you’ll need to restart your PC after enabling a set of services or applications in order to apply changes.
Once you find the problematic application, you can disable it or remove it from your PC and the issue will be permanently resolved.
Solution 4 – Perform an SFC and DISM scan
According to users, if nothing happens when you click Run as administrator, it’s possible that the problem is caused by damaged files. To fix the issue, it’s advised to perform an SFC scan and check if that solves the problem.
To do that, follow these steps:
- Open Command Prompt as administrator. The fastest way to do that is to press Windows Key + X and select Command Prompt (Admin) from the list. Alternatively, you can use PowerShell (Admin) if you like.
- Once the Command Prompt starts, enter sfc /scannow and press Enter to run it.
- The SFC scan will now begin. Bear in mind that scan can take about 10-15 minutes, so don’t interrupt it or interfere with it.
After the SFC scan is completed, check if the problem is still there. If for some reason you couldn’t run an SFC scan or if the scan didn’t fix the problem, you need to perform a DISM scan by doing the following:
- Start Command Prompt as an administrator.
- Enter DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth and press Enter to run it.
- The DISM scan will now start. Keep in mind that this scan can take about 20 minutes, sometimes more, so don’t interfere with it.
After the scan is finished, check if the problem is resolved. If you weren’t able to run SFC scan before, try running it after DISM scan and check if that helps.
Solution 5 – Boot to Safe Mode
If nothing happens when you click Run as administrator, it’s possible that the problem is related to your settings or your user account. To troubleshoot this issue, users are recommending to enter Safe Mode and check if the issue appears there. To enter Safe Mode, you need to do the following:
- Open the Settings app and navigate to the Update & Security section. If you need to open Settings app quickly, you can use Windows Key + I shortcut.
- From the menu on the left pick Recovery. In the right pane, click the Restart now button.
- Navigate to the Troubleshoot > Advanced options > Startup Settings and click the Restart button.
- After your PC reboots, you should see a list of options. Select the Safe Mode with Networking option by pressing the corresponding keyboard key.
After doing that, you should boot to the Safe Mode. Once you enter Safe Mode, check if the problem is still there. If the issue doesn’t appear in Safe Mode, it’s possible that your account or your settings are causing the issue.
Solution 6 – Create a new user account
If the problem still appears, perhaps the issue is caused by your account. Your account can get damaged, and that will lead to this and many other problems. To fix the issue, it’s advised to create a new user account. This is actually quite simple to do, and you can do it by following these steps:
- Open the Settings app and head over to the Accounts section.
- Select Family & other people in the left pane. In the right pane choose Add someone else to this PC.
- Now select I don’t have this person’s sign-in information > Add a user without a Microsoft account.
- Now you just need to enter the username that you want to use for the new account and click Next.
After creating a new user account, it’s a good idea to upgrade your new account to the administrative account. To do that, follow these steps:
- Open the Settings app and navigate to Accounts > Family & other people.
- Select the newly created account and choose Change account type.
- Set the Account type to Administrator and click OK.
After doing that, sign in to the new account and check if the problem appears. If not, you need to move all your personal files to the new account and start using it instead of your old one.
As you can see, this can be a big problem, but if nothing happens when you click Run as administrator, it’s rather likely that a third-party application is causing the problem, so be sure to remove it and check if that helps.
FAQ: Learn more about Run as administrator
- How do I run as administrator without a mouse?
Simultaneously press Ctrl + Shift + Enter when the program is selected, will run it as administrator. Not working? See our guide if nothing happens when you Run as administrator.
- How do I always run a program as administrator?
Find the shortcut for the program and right-click to select Properties. Select the Shortcut tab, click Advanced, and check Run as administrator box. Save changes.
- Why do I have to run as administrator when I am an administrator?
This is because that program needs to perform some operations that require Administrator privileges. Be careful what software asks for these privileges as malware can easily infiltrate after confirming. Use a good antivirus.
Editor’s Note: This post was originally published in February 2019 and has been since revamped and updated in April 2020 for freshness, accuracy, and comprehensiveness.
