How to Run an app as Administrator without the prompt?

Question

When I start SQL Server Management Studio 2008, I get an error that's been around forever and is documented here. One of the suggestions to fix it that actually worked was to start SSMS with Run as Administrator.

So I modified the properties of the shortcut to always run it as the administrator. The only annoyance is that I get a prompt every single time asking whether I really want to do it.

Is there a way to tell just this one program (SSMS) to not pop up the prompt, while keeping this behavior for other apps?

Solution 1

Read the following forum post: How to disable the User Account Control Prompt for certain application

It tells you basically, that you have to download Microsoft Application Compatibility Toolkit 5.6 and create a custom App fix database where you assign the 'RunAsAdmin' fix to the exe. I tried it and it worked for me I thought it worked.

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Another way

... is described in How to Create a Elevated Program Shortcut without a UAC Prompt

This solution requires you to create a 'scheduled' task for the application and running the app means triggering the task. (For a detailed description with screenshots see the link):

• Run the Task Scheduler via taskschd.msc and Create Task...

  1. Tab General: Give the name [Name] to the new task, check Run with highest privileges and choose "Windows 7, Windows Server 2008 R2" from the dropdown list Configure for
  2. Tab Actions: Add New... Action Start a program with Program/script = %windir%\System32\cmd.exe and Add arguments = /c start "[Name]" "C:\Program Files\Sample\Program.exe". Substitute [Name] with the name of the task (step 1) and the fill in the path to the program which should run elevated.
  3. Tab Conditions: Uncheck Stop if the computer switches to battery power first, and then uncheck Start the task only if the computer is on AC power

• Create a new shortcut oh the desktop or wherever with the following target location

  schtasks /run /tn "[Name]"
  

  Once again, [Name] is the name of the task (step 1)! Run as Minimized if you don't want the command window to flash up.

• This shortcut and task can only be created and work while logged in as an administrator account. It'll not work in a standard user account.

Solution 2

Solution WITHOUT creating shortcuts:

You can download the Microsoft Application Compatibility Toolkit (just download it from www.microsoft.com).

Once the toolkit is installed, the rest of the instructions are more complex, but they are very well detailed and explained in the link http://meridian.ws/wordpress/?p=306

This solution is good for skipping the prompt when opening files that are associated to your application.

Solution 3

I doubt it. If such a thing were possible, every piece of malware would set that option, which would defeat the whole purpose.

Comments

[Joshua Drake]

Also see the following answer on Arcade.se gaming.stackexchange.com/q/42747/11789

[DRAX]

f3lix's answer (2nd part) works for me. I believe this should be accepted answer.

[DRAX]

It is possible. Take a look f3lix's answer.

[Joel Coehoorn]

Note that this is distinct from the other suggestion to use a scheduled task because it doesn't require routing through cmd.exe, but does require the user account that will run task to create it originally.

[Ian Boyd]

@DRAX It still does require the administrator prompt; it just requires it at a different time. I.e. you have to be an administrator to create the scheduled task. If you're an administrator, then save yourself some time and just run the application directly as an administrator. The correct solution is to have the program's author fix it so that it doesn't require being an administrator (because there'a very little chance that it actually needs administrative access).

[DRAX]

@Ian OP asked for a workaround while he had administrator access. If you have different issue (like not being administrator) you should search other questions or open new one. BTW, I am pretty sure that most applications require administrator access for a reason.

[fohrums]

This is not working. What Windows Edition & it's Version are you using?

[fohrums]

I was able to open an application without UAC Prompt using Microsoft Application Compatibility Toolkit 5.6. However, I can't seem to create a shortcut to the added database. What this means is I have to launch the application within the "MS-Toolkit" via Run and I don't see how that helps.