Windows/Use Runas with Control Panel Tools

Runas is a nifty option to not have windows run its users with Administration privileges. Unlike on MacOS or Linux where the user is being prompted if hightened privileges are required a Windows Admin has to proactively tell the OS it to run as another user. The procedures below have been tested on Windows XP. Newer versions of Windows may or may not work.

GUI

In the Windows Control Panel most of the tools listed can be used with runas but simply right-clicking on the icon to bring up the context menu will not work. To show the "Run As" option in the context menu press the [Shift] key while right-clickin on the icon. This works for most of the tools but not all of them. The Network Connections for example does not work.

Printers

The Printers and Faxes is one of the tools not directly working with by [Shift] and right-clicking. However there is another way around it.

From the Control Panel first double-click on Printers and Faxes to open. Within the Printers and Faxes window [Shift] & right-clicking into the white space will bring up the "Run As" in the fly-out menu from which to choose the subtasks.

The same holds true for managing printers with elevated privileges. [Shift] & right-clicking on a printer will produce the "Run As" fly-out menu with actions to choose from.

References

• http://www.conetrix.com/Blog/post/Run-As-for-Adding-Printers-in-Windows-XP.aspx
• http://www.microsoft.com/resources/documentation/windows/xp/all/proddocs/en-us/runas.mspx?mfr=true
• http://vlaurie.com/computers2/Articles/control.htm