How to Run a Program Without Admin Rights in Windows 10

Whenever you share a PC with someone else, and you are not the administrator, there are many drawbacks.

The first thing that comes to mind is that a lot of programs can be set up to only run while having administrator rights. This means that if you are logged in using a sub-account, you are pretty much limited in what you can do.

For example, a security program or program that manages Windows features that triggers a UAC prompt may not launch at all if you deny it.

How can I run an exe file without admin rights?

There is a free dedicated tool called RunWithRestrictedRights that you can use to run apps without admin rights.

RunWithRestrictedRights is essentially a command-line utility tool that uses the Windows Integrity Mechanism to restrict permissions for other applications. This makes it so that they don’t harm your computer.

The tool is a lightweight program that comes in a portable form and can run on Windows XP, but it can also be used on Windows Server 2003 and above.

What you need to do is download RunWithRestrictedRights, which takes very little disk space, and then use it via Command Prompt to launch whatever app you want to.

By following the below-mentioned steps, the application should open with limited rights and more importantly, without any UAC pop-ups.

1. 1. Download RunWithRestrictedRights from the official website to your PC. Be mindful of the location you choose, because you will need to know it when we get to a later step in the process.

2. 2. Press the Windows key or click on the Start button to open the search box.

3. 3. Type command prompt in it and right-click on the first result, then choose Run as Administrator.

   

4. 4. Type in the following command line: C:RunWithRestrictedRights.exe "application"

   The command itself is made out of two parts: the location of the tool’s exe file and the name of the application you want to run without admin rights.

   For the first part, you will need to specify the exact location where RunWithRestrictedRights.exe is located. Moreover, you need to enter the full location of the app under quotations, as shown above.

5. 5. Press Enter to run the command and thus launch the app.

What to do if this method did not work?

In case these steps alone did not do the trick, it means the tool needs more permissions from you in order to do its job. Basically, in order to use RunWithRestrictedRights, you need two things:

• Adjust memory quotas for a process
• Replace a process level token

You can manually allow these permissions yourself by following these steps:

1. Navigate to Control Panel > Administrative Tools > Local Security Policy > User Rights Assignment.
2. Here, you need to check whether the Groups box is checked and if not, manually do it yourself.
3. Add the Administrators group to policies.
4. Restart your PC to apply the changes and see if the tool works properly now.

Some extensive documentation on what permissions are and how do they function has been made available by Microsoft, and you can check it out.

Do you think bypassing UAC restrictions and giving more power to the common user is a good idea? Share your opinions in the comments section below.