Admin Tips
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  - Windows 2003
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      - Admin
        Admin Command Console

Section(s): Admin
Published on Jan 10, 2006.
Last Modified on Jan 10, 2006.
Last Modified by Mitch Tulloch.
Rated 3.8 out of 5 based on 8 votes.

I run my main workstation as an ordinary domain user, but I frequently need to perform administrator tasks with it too...

I run my main workstation as an ordinary domain user, but I frequently need to perform administrator tasks with it too. So here's what I do. I create a shortcut with the following target:

runas /user:domain\Administrator "cmd.exe /t:17 /k cd %systemroot%\system32"

Then I drag this shortcut to the All Programs | Startup folder on my Start menu. Then when I log on to my machine in the morning, a black and white command prompt window opens prompting me for my admin password, and once I enter it a new BLUE and white command prompt opens with \System32 as the current directory. I leave this command prompt running on my desktop so that any time I need to run an admin tool I simply type it into the command window, for example typing mmc compmgmt.msc opens Computer Management using admin credentials.

Of course, when I'm not at my admin workstation I lock the desktop!

About Mitch Tulloch

Mitch Tulloch is a widely recognized expert on Windows administration, networking, and security. He has been repeatedly awarded Most Valuable Professional (MVP) status by Microsoft for his outstanding contributions in supporting users who deploy and use Microsoft platforms, products and solutions. Mitch has published over two hundred articles on different IT websites and magazines, and he has written or contributed to almost two dozen books and is lead author for the Windows 7 Resource Kit from Microsoft Press. For more information, see www.mtit.com .