This post shows students and new users steps to open and run File Explorer as administrator in Windows 11. File Explorer, alternatively referred to as Windows Explorer or Explorer is a file and folder browser found in every version of Windows. It is used to browse hard drives (internal or external), folders, and files on your PC.
By default, when you open the File Explorer in Windows, it opens with normal or standard privileges. If you sign in to Windows as an administrator, then File Explorer will open with administrative privileges. But in a typical environment, no one ever logs in as administrator.
If you’re not signed in as administrator but want to open the File Explorer with administrator’s privileges, the steps below will show you how to do that.
To run programs or services as administrator, your account must be a member of the administrators group. By default, the first account created when you installed Windows is automatically added to the administrator group.
How to open the File Explorer in Windows as administrator
As mentioned above, users can open the File Explorer with administrative privileges. Since File Explorer opens with standard privileges, use the steps below will open it as administrator.
To do that, first open File Explorer from the Taskbar or press the Windows + E keys on your keyboard.
Then browse to the C:\Windows folder, locate the explorer app, then right-click and select Run as administrator.
A new File Explorer window will be open with administrator privileges.
Another way to run the File Explorer as administrator is open the Task Manager in Windows and run File Explorer as a task from there.
First, open the Task Manager in Windows 11.
Then select More details if presented. Next, click File ==> Run a new task as highlighted below.
On the pop up window that opens, check the box that reads “Create this task with administrative privileges” then type the commands below inside the box and press the ENTER key.
explorer.exe
When you press the ENTER key, a new File Explorer window will open with administrator privileges.
That should do it!
Conclusion:
This post showed you how to run the File Explorer in Windows 11 as administrator. If you find any error above or have something to add, please use the comment form below.
