Create a shortcut using the runas command

Applies To: Windows Server 2003, Windows Server 2003 R2, Windows Server 2003 with SP1, Windows Server 2003 with SP2

To create a shortcut using the runas command

  1. Right-click the desktop, point to New, and then click Shortcut.

  2. In Type the location of the item, type runas and the command parameters you want to use. In the following table, see examples for creating shortcuts.

  3. Click Next, type a name for the shortcut, and then click Finish.

Examples

To create a shortcut to Type

A command prompt with administrative credentials

runas /user:ComputerName\administrator cmd

Computer Management with administrative credentials

runas /user:ComputerName\administrator "mmc %windir%\system32\compmgmt.msc"

Active Directory Users and Computers with domain administrative credentials

runas /user:DomainName\administrator "mmc %windir%\system32\dsa.msc"

Active Directory Users and Computers in another forest.

runas /netonly /user:DomainName\UserName"mmc %windir%\system32\dsa.msc"

Notes

  • Performing this task does not require you to have administrative credentials. Therefore, as a security best practice, consider performing this task as a user without administrative credentials.

  • Use this procedure if you want to perform administrative tasks when you are logged on as a member of another group. The use of the runas command is not limited to administrator accounts.

  • Microsoft Management Consoles (MMC) will not display the credentials under which it is running. Be aware of this when you are using the runas command.

  • Some programs do not support the runas command.

  • If you try to start a program, such as Microsoft Management Console (MMC) or a Control Panel item, from a network location using the runas command, it could fail if the credentials used to connect to the shared resource are different from the credentials used to start the program. The credentials used to run the program might not be able to gain access to the same shared resource. For more information about troubleshooting the runas command, see Related Topics.

  • If the runas command fails, the Secondary Logon service may not be running. For more information about how to start a service, see Related Topics.

Information about functional differences

  • Your server might function differently based on the version and edition of the operating system that is installed, your account permissions, and your menu settings. For more information, see Viewing Help on the Web.

See Also

Concepts

Troubleshooting Local Users and Groups
Why you should not run your computer as an administrator
Why you should not run your computer as an administrator
Differences in default security settings
Default security settings for groups
Runas
Using Run as
Start, stop, pause, resume, or restart a service