How to open Command Prompt in a specific folder as Administrator?

Question

I made a shortcut to cmd.exe and specified the folder that I want to start in. I then went to Advanced and ticked Run as administrator.

When I double-click on the shortcut, it always starts in C:\Windows\System32.

What I am missing? How can I get the command line to start in the folder specified?

Answer 1

In the target you should specify cmd /k cd c:\crp

Answer 2

If you want the reasoning behind it, the Start in is explicitly ignored when elevation is performed (only on binaries that are part of Windows itself) to protect against a potential security vulnerability.

The basic idea is that potentially-malicious DLLs located in the working directory might be controlled by a user other than the current admin, and can then be loaded with high privileges. To prevent this, UAC will reset the working directory. Because shortcuts' "Start in" is set before elevation occurs, this gets reset during elevation. In an ideal world, this protection would apply to all elevations, but it only applies to built-in Windows binaries because it breaks some third-party programs that expect the working directory to be preserved.

The other answers bypass this by telling the elevated cmd to change its working directory after elevation occurs, via the /k argument.

Answer 3

Inside Explorer, there is a Quick Access Toolbar (QAT) since the intruduction of the Ribbon in Windows 8. Click on File->open CMD prompt->Open CMD prompt as admin and make a rightclick and select to pin it to QAT.

Now you can click on this icon in every folder you like and the cmd now opens in this folder.

To run the cmd as admin faster from the QAT, press the ALT key and you see a number for the position in the QAT.

If you now press the number the tool at this position is started (in my case 4 runs the cmd as admin).

Answer 4

Barlop is correct. If you add /k cd "\path\to\folder" to the Target field (after cmd.exe), the resultant Command Prompt window will execute the cd command and then leave you with a prompt to do with as you please. If you need to change to a different drive, you'll need cd /d rather than just cd. If you need to change to a network drive, use pushd instead - it automatically mounts the target UNC path as a drive and changes to it.

The /k switch to cmd means "do this command and keep the prompt open." Everything after the /k is treated as a literal command, so you don't have to worry about escaping. You can use && to execute multiple commands: cd "\path\to\folder" && echo Hi! will produce a prompt in that directory with Hi! printed at the top.

The equivalent of /k that doesn't keep the prompt around is /c (for "execute this command").

Answer 5

This is actually not what you are asking for, but when I understand you right this will achieve what you try to work around. try to shift + rightclick on the specific folder and select open command window here. In case thats not your problem, just let me know and I'll remove this.

And (thanks to Bob; Didn't know this before aswell) it is even possible to do this elevated.

Source from Bob's comment.

[...]While we are here we can also add the required keys to open an elevated prompt of every drive letter attached to the system. This can easily be accomplished by adding an entry in the registry. So copy/paste the text below into a text file and give it a name of something like “admin.reg” and double-click it.

Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00    
[-HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Directory\shell\runas]       
[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Directory\shell\runas]  @="Open command window here as Administrator"  "HasLUAShield"=""    
[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Directory\shell\runas\command]  @="cmd.exe /s /k pushd \"%V\""    
[-HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Directory\Background\shell\runas]    
[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Directory\Background\shell\runas]  @="Open command window here as Administrator"  "HasLUAShield"="" 
[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Directory\Background\shell\runas\command]  @="cmd.exe /s /k pushd \"%V\""    
[-HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Drive\shell\runas]    
[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Drive\shell\runas]  @="Open command window here as Administrator"  "HasLUAShield"=""    
[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Drive\shell\runas\command]  @="cmd.exe /s /k pushd \"%V\""

Now if you shift-right click on any folder you will see both options.

Answer 6

For anyone, like myself, who stumbled upon this when trying to open cmd as admin in a separate drive ("E:" in my case), you may have experienced problems when trying to cd E:/somedir or the like. Doing this will not actually change directory to the new drive.

If this is your problem and you just need to use cmd as admin on a different drive, the cmd syntax is actually just E: (or whatever drive letter), with no cd command.

So you can just:

1. Windows Search > "cmd" > Right click > Run as Administrator
2. Simply type E: (or whatever drive letter you wish to switch to followed by a colon)

Answer 7

If you need to start up from a different drive (e.g. D:\something) than your system drive (i.e. C:\Windows\system32), you can put the following to your "Target" field:

cmd /k "cd /d D:\<your directory here>"

The key here is adding the /d option in front of your cd.

Answer 8

When you open command prompt as administrator and it is showing you "C:\Windows\System32" all you have to do is to enter "cd .." and it will take you up one directory which will be "C:\Windows". Repeat "cd .." again to go to "C:\" from where you can now "cd Users/name/folder"