How to request Administrator access inside a batch file

This script does the trick! Just paste it into the top of your bat file. If you want to review the output of your script, add a "pause" command at the bottom of your batch file.

UPDATE: This script is now slightly edited to support command line arguments and a 64 bit OS.

Thank you Eneerge @ https://sites.google.com/site/eneerge/scripts/batchgotadmin

@echo off

:: BatchGotAdmin
:-------------------------------------
REM  --> Check for permissions
    IF "%PROCESSOR_ARCHITECTURE%" EQU "amd64" (
>nul 2>&1 "%SYSTEMROOT%\SysWOW64\cacls.exe" "%SYSTEMROOT%\SysWOW64\config\system"
) ELSE (
>nul 2>&1 "%SYSTEMROOT%\system32\cacls.exe" "%SYSTEMROOT%\system32\config\system"
)

REM --> If error flag set, we do not have admin.
if '%errorlevel%' NEQ '0' (
    echo Requesting administrative privileges...
    goto UACPrompt
) else ( goto gotAdmin )

:UACPrompt
    echo Set UAC = CreateObject^("Shell.Application"^) > "%temp%\getadmin.vbs"
    set params= %*
    echo UAC.ShellExecute "cmd.exe", "/c ""%~s0"" %params:"=""%", "", "runas", 1 >> "%temp%\getadmin.vbs"

    "%temp%\getadmin.vbs"
    del "%temp%\getadmin.vbs"
    exit /B

:gotAdmin
    pushd "%CD%"
    CD /D "%~dp0"
:--------------------------------------    
    <YOUR BATCH SCRIPT HERE>

Another PowerShell Solution...

This is not about running a batch script as admin per, but rather how to elevate another program from batch...

I have a batch file "wrapper" for an exe. They have the same "root file name", but alternate extensions. I am able to launch the exe as admin, and set the working directory to the one containing the script, with the following one line powershell invocation:

@powershell "Start-Process -FilePath '%~n0.exe' -WorkingDirectory '%~dp0' -Verb RunAs"

More info

There are a whole slew of additional Start-Process options as well that you can apply! Check out: https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/powershell/module/microsoft.powershell.management/start-process?view=powershell-6

Note that I use the @ prefix. That's equivalent to @echo off for the one line. I use %~n0 here to get the "root name" of the batch script, then I concatenate the .exe to point it the adjancent binary. The use of %~dp0 provides the full path to the directory which the batch resides. And, of course, the -Verb RunAs parameter provides the elevation.

@echo off 
Net session >nul 2>&1 || (PowerShell start -verb runas '%~0' &exit /b)
Echo Administrative privileges have been got. & pause

The above works on my Windows 10 Version 1903

@echo off and title can come before this code:

net session>nul 2>&1
if %errorlevel%==0 goto main
echo CreateObject("Shell.Application").ShellExecute "%~f0", "", "", "runas">"%temp%/elevate.vbs"
"%temp%/elevate.vbs"
del "%temp%/elevate.vbs"
exit

:main
    <code goes here>
exit

A lot of the other answers are overkill if you don't need to worry about the following:

• Parameters
• Working Directory (cd %~dp0 will change to the directory containing the batch file)

There's also the FSUTIL query from this post which is also linked at ss64.com that has the following code:

@Echo Off
Setlocal
:: First check if we are running As Admin/Elevated
FSUTIL dirty query %SystemDrive% >nul
if %errorlevel% EQU 0 goto START

::Create and run a temporary VBScript to elevate this batch file
   Set _batchFile=%~f0
   Set _Args=%*
   :: double up any quotes
   Set _batchFile=""%_batchFile:"=%""
   Set _Args=%_Args:"=""%

   Echo Set UAC = CreateObject^("Shell.Application"^) > "%temp%\~ElevateMe.vbs"
   Echo UAC.ShellExecute "cmd", "/c ""%_batchFile% %_Args%""", "", "runas", 1 >> "%temp%\~ElevateMe.vbs"

   cscript "%temp%\~ElevateMe.vbs" 
   Exit /B

:START
:: set the current directory to the batch file location
cd /d %~dp0
:: Place the code which requires Admin/elevation below
Echo We are now running as admin [%1] [%2]
pause

As long as FSUTIL is around, it's a reliable alternative.

Based on post by toster-cx and other interesting posts on this page, I got insight on how to configure and solve my problem. I had similar issue where I wished that Disk Cleanup utility runs every week twice on Monday and Thursday during lunch hours (say 2 pm). However, this required elevated rights.

Sharing batch file which might help other beginners like me -

@echo off
echo  Welcome to scheduling 'PC Maintenance Activity'
ping localhost -n 3 >nul
echo -- Step - 1 of 3 : Please give 'Admin' rights on next screen
ping localhost -n 5 >nul
if not "%1"=="am_admin" (powershell start -verb runas '%0' am_admin & exit)
cls
echo -- Step - 2 of 3 : In next screen, select temp areas for cleaning 
during routine scheduled activity
ping localhost -n 3 >nul
C:\Windows\System32\cleanmgr.exe /sageset:112
cls
echo    Now scheduling maintenance activity...
SchTasks /Create /SC WEEKLY /D MON,THU /TN PC_Cleanup /TR 
"C:\Windows\System32\cleanmgr.exe "/sagerun:112 /ST 14:00

cls

echo                         -- Thanks for your co-operation --
echo                    -- Maintenance activity is scheduled for --
echo                       -- Every Monday and Thursday at 2 pm --

ping localhost -n 10 >nul

Thanks a lot for this forum and Rems POST here [https://www.petri.com/forums/forum/windows-scripting/general-scripting/32313-schtasks-exe-need-to-pass-parameters-to-script][1]

His post helped for configuring optional argument while scheduling the task.

Use mshta to prompt for admin rights:

@echo off
net session >nul 2>&1 && goto :admintasks
MSHTA "javascript: var shell = new ActiveXObject('shell.application'); shell.ShellExecute('%~nx0', '', '', 'runas', 1);close();"
exit /b
:admintasks
rem ADMIN TASKS HERE

Or, using powershell:

powershell -c Start-Process "%~nx0" -Verb runas

You can't request admin rights from a batch file, but you could write a windows scripting host script in %temp% and run that (and that in turn executes your batch as admin) You want to call the ShellExecute method in the Shell.Application object with "runas" as the verb

I used multiple examples to patch this working one liner together.

This will open your batch script as an ADMIN + Maximized Window

Just add one of the following codes to the top of your batch script. Both ways work, just different ways to code it.

I believe the first example responds the quickest due to /d switch disabling my doskey commands that I have enabled..

EXAMPLE ONE

@ECHO OFF
IF NOT "%1"=="MAX" (powershell -WindowStyle Hidden -NoProfile -Command {Start-Process CMD -ArgumentList '/D,/C' -Verb RunAs} & START /MAX CMD /D /C %0 MAX & EXIT /B)
:--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

:: Your original batch code here:

:--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

EXAMPLE TWO

@ECHO OFF
IF NOT "%1"=="MAX" (powershell -WindowStyle Hidden -NoProfile -Command "Start-Process CMD -ArgumentList '/C' -Verb RunAs" & START /MAX CMD /C "%0" MAX & EXIT /B)
:--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

:: Your original batch code here:

:--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

See below for recommendations when using your original batch code

Place the original batch code in it's entirety

Just because the first line of code at the very top has @ECHO OFF doesn't mean you should not include it again if your original script has it as well.

This ensures that when the script get's restarted in a new window now running in admin mode that you don't lose your intended script parameters/attributes... Such as the current working directory, your local variables, and so on

You could beginning with the following commands to avoid some of these issues

:: Make sure to use @ECHO OFF if your original code had it
@ECHO OFF
:: Avoid clashing with other active windows variables with SETLOCAL
SETLOCAL
:: Nice color to work with using 0A
COLOR 0A
:: Give your script a name
TITLE NAME IT!

:: Ensure your working directory is set where you want it to be
:: the following code sets the working directory to the script directory folder
PUSHD "%~dp0"

THE REST OF YOUR SCRIPT HERE...

:: Signal the script is finished in the title bar
ECHO.
TITLE Done! NAME IT!
PAUSE
EXIT

use the runas command. But, I don't think you can email a .bat file easily.