Well, Windows 11 has done it again. Where Did Run as go? Never mind the wonky AI or the complete invasion of privacy. They can’t even get the basics of day-to-day Desktop administration right.

Lets not even talk about what they are doing to some of their flagship software…

I will give you an anecdote. I received a request from a user to install a piece of software that required administration privileges. When the machine was Windows 10 it was as easy as right clicking on the EXE file, selecting “Run As” and go about my merry way installing the software. But the machine is now running Windows 11…..

Why Did Windows 11 Remove Run as

They claim, “Windows 11 did not remove “Run as”. Instead, recent updates changed how the “Run as” command is accessed, often by removing it from the default context menu and sometimes by hiding the “Run as different user” option. Microsoft’s focus on security, especially with the new Administrator protection feature and the introduction of the Sudo command, is likely the driving force behind these changes, as they aim to enforce least privilege and reduce attack vectors. “

If it is not removed, it is hidden. As if an IT professional doesn’t have enough work. We need to spend more time doing something that took no time at all before. That was sarcasm.

Where Did Run as Go and How to get it Back

So, I guess I should say Windows 11 has “hidden” the “Run as Command”. To get it back, you need to go to Settings / System /For Developers and turn Developer Mode on:

Then you must go to Settings / System /For Developers / File Explorer and turn on “Show Option to run as Different User in Start”:

Then, hold the shift key as you are right clicking on the EXE file you wish to run as a different user and the Run As option will reappear:

Run the program and voila! You got you functionality back.

Something that used to take 15 seconds now takes 5-10 minutes to complete. Way to go Windows…