Tuesday, February 8, 2005

How to Use "runas" in Windows 2000/XP/2003

You probably know that it’s best practice for an administrator to have two logon accounts: one used for day-to-day, routine tasks that don’t require administrative rights and permissions and one for administering the computer and/or the network.

The “runas” command was introduced in Microsoft Windows 2000 and is supported in Windows XP and Server 2003. “Runas” allows an administrator to run applications under a different user context than the currently logged on user. For example, suppose you’re logged on with your regular user account, but need to perform an administrative task. You can use the “runas” command to perform the task without having to log off from your regular account and log back on with your administrator account.

To use the “runas” command within the GUI, right-click on a .exe, .mmc, or a shortcut and choose Run as… You also use “runas” within command mode. To see syntax, type “runas” at a command prompt.

Learn more about “runas” and other administration and troubleshooting tools in our Windows XP and Windows Server 2003 seminars.

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