How to open Device Manager as admin?

81,010

Solution 1

Found a satisfying solution. Just start up Device Manager normally (without admin rights), and then press "Change Settings" -button in the General tab:

This will open up the Properties window again but with Admin rights (at least, with the Defendpoint Auto-Elevation).

It is also possible to open the Device Manager with admin rights from a Powershell with admin rights with

start "C:\Windows\System32\devmgmt.msc"

Solution 2

Step 1: Run Command Prompt as administrator

Step 2: Type devmgmt.msc and press Enter

Solution 3

Old thread, but thought I'd give me two-pennies worth.

Right-click an empty space on the desktop
New > Shortcut
In the Create Shortcut Wizard, type "devmgmt.msc" > click "Next"
Name it "Device Manager" > click "Finish"
A shortcut will appear on your desktop
Right-click the shortcut and select "Run as Administrator"

Solution 4

Open Win+R, type devmgmt.msc

Now do not click OK, but use ctrl+shift+enter

This will start it as administrator.

Solution 5

Here's another solution:

You can start the Computer Management (compmgmt) as administrator the usual way. In there you have a node to open the device manager as pane inside the computer management window.

View more solutions

81,010

Author by

np8

Updated on September 18, 2022

Comments

np8 over 1 year
My company has made our Win10 users to be "standard users" (without admin rights). However, there is a possibility to run a program using admin rights with some "auto elevation" (Avecto Defendpoint?) system. What I would normally do is "right click" -> "Run as administrator", but that option is not available with Device Manager. I am able to run Powershell as admin, for example (with Right click -> Run as Administrator).

How would I open the Device Manager with Admin rights?

What have I tried and which does not work
- Right clicking "Device Manager" in start menu -> "Run as Administrator" (there is no such option)
- Running with Win+R -> devmgmt.msc. (It starts with standard user rights)
- 0xC0000022L almost 4 years
  
  Try SuRun and be done with it ;) ... typically when you want to run something as admin you need to prefix the command with runas. In case of the device manager you'd start the devmgmt.msc MMC snap-in and presumably via mmc.exe ... which in turn could be prefixed with runas.
- John almost 4 years
  
  There is not really a need to run Device Manager as Admin. The components inside (to update, change, install) need admin rights. Why do standard users need Device Manager? We do not see this at our clients.
- np8 almost 4 years
  
  @0xC0000022L Well that's an interesting option, actually. Only thing is that I would want to read the source and compile the software myself before using it, so if there is an option without 3rd party packages, it would be better.
- np8 almost 4 years
  
  @John Well there are certain situations I might need run Device Manager as Admin. Currently, I need to test a USB device with two different drivers, and for removing/reinstalling drivers I need admin rights. Maybe the question then is why I am a standard user, lol.
- John almost 4 years
  
  You need Admin credentials to do the installs you want. No way around that.
- Ramhound almost 4 years
  
  Why can’t you install the drivers normally with your Administrator account? Starting Device Manager won’t prevent the need for Administrator access. You will still receive a UAC prompt, even if you find a way, to elevate Device Manager.
- 0xC0000022L almost 4 years
  
  @np8 yep, the code is straightforward, but you need a good grasp of NT security concepts. Oh and it builds pretty much out of the box although I admittedly went ahead and built my own projects with premake4 as well as projects to build via the WDK.
- 0xC0000022L almost 4 years
  
  @Ramhound untrue. Please check out SuRun and you'll see that with a little help from a privileged helper (i.e. a Windows service) you can indeed achieve this. Besides, as Mark Russinovich pointed out UAC is not a security feature and never was meant to be, so no harm in cutting it out of all this.
- Ramhound almost 4 years
  
  I personally was already aware of that program. I also know elevation of a process doesn’t necessarily prevent a UAC prompt. It’s also unnecessary, to talk down to me, like I am not knowledgeable about Windows.
- Admin about 2 years
  
  Microsoft has become so ****** to remove the right click option and every pro feature. Each day they make switching to another OS more and more likely. This is pure PITA!
John almost 4 years

No problem to open Device Manager. The issue comes with driver install and uninstall
np8 almost 4 years

Why the downvote? This works as intended. Got my drivers uninstalled without any problems.
np8 almost 4 years

The Task manager -> "New task" does not seem to have an option to run anything with admin rights.
Ramhound almost 4 years

@np8 - This does not actually launch Device Manager with elevated rights.
np8 almost 4 years

It does. Note that I ran it from Powershell with admin rights. When launching Powershell with admin rights, I get a UAC prompt (or similar).
Admin almost 4 years

It's simpler to open an admin command line window and type "devmgt.msc" from there.
Douae Lhrx almost 4 years

@Didier yes you're right.. that's actually why i put it as the first option
Douae Lhrx almost 4 years

if you don't see that option in new task then try to just open the device manager as normal user, and when you try to edit something you'll be asked for admin password
Admin almost 4 years

Sorry, I must have missed it! That's usually how we do it when we remote assist users with driver issues and the like.
Admin about 2 years

Downvote because this Option was removed by Microsoft together with the Right-Mouseclick option. This does not work anymore.