Batch script: how to check for admin rights

Question

How do I check if the current batch script has admin rights?

I know how to make it call itself with runas but not how to check for admin rights. The only solutions I've seen are crude hack jobs.

Solution 1

You could always do something like this

mkdir "%windir%\system32\test" 2>nul
if "%errorlevel%" == "0" (rmdir "%windir%\system32\test" & echo Is admin) else (echo Not an Admin)

Not the best of ways but works for me all the time.

Solution 2

After some research (mostly on SO^[1]), I found that net is not always a good solution, it can show false negative results. But there is fsutil available for WinXP to Win10. It's worth reading the whole insightful answer "More issues" to the question Batch script: how to check for admin rights there.

Here's the short answer for hurried users:

fsutil dirty query %systemdrive% >nul
if %errorlevel% == 0 (
    echo Running with admin rights.
) else (
    echo Running without
)

---

^[1] my actual problem was elevation, but non-invasive checking is part of it:

• command line - How to request Administrator access inside a batch file

• windows - How can I auto-elevate my batch file, so that it requests from UAC administrator rights if required?

• windows - How to detect if CMD is running as Administrator/has elevated privileges?

• windows - Batch script: how to check for admin rights

Comments

[Naidim]

@Bobby: That was asking how to do it in bash though.

[Jjames]

@Jason404: Wtf?! How the hack did I misread Batch for Bash? oO' @Tilka: My sincere apologies.

[solvease]

That doesn't work when you are in a domain. And when I tried "net user %username% /domain" the Local Group Membership section didn't contain any groups although I have local admin rights. Strange...

[solvease]

Plus the output is localized.

[utapyngo]

Besides, one can run a batch file without administrator rights from an account who is in Administrators group (this especially relates Vista/7).

[Pacerier]

This is a hack job which the OP is trying to avoid.............

[Wolf]

Well, also net sometimes fails

[Wolf]

@Pacerier I think that's a joke! there are less invasive options like net and fsutil

[DavidPostill]

This doesn't work. It causes an infinite number of cmd shells to be opened.

[Acid]

really like it as it doesnt rely on any networking service - needed something 100% and this does it - btw knowing your drive isnt dirty is good aswell :o)