Last Updated on December 26, 2022 by Mathew Diekhake
File Explorer, previously known as Windows Explorer in earlier editions of Windows, is a file manager and central hub of the operating system.
When you download and save files to your computer, they automatically save to drives and folders in File Explorer. If you’re using Microsoft Office, your saved documents will also end up in File Explorer.
In Windows 10, File Explorer is easily accessed from the taskbar and by clicking on the Documents icon from the Start menu which will open up the Documents folder directly. Navigating through other parts of File Explorer is done from File Explorer’s navigation pane that runs down the left side of the File Explorer window.
The following tutorial demonstrates how to run files in File Explorer with administrator rights.
How to Run Files in File Explorer as Administrator
You can run files from File Explorer as an administrator from the file’s context menus in File Explorer. There is no way to run File Explorer as an administrator in itself, but you can run the files (when there is a chance to run a file as an administrator) from the context menu of the individual files. Here is how to do that:
1. Navigate to the file you want to run as an administrator and then right-click on the file and select Run as administrator from the context menu.
2. If the file’s context menu doesn’t show the Run as administrator option, then you can’t run that particular file as an administrator/there is no need to run that file as an administrator. (click to enlarge screenshot below)
You can now close the File Explorer window and continue using your computer if you like.
That’s all.
March 23, 2019 @ 06:31
I am not able to delete files in the Windows folder because I don’t have the necessary permissions.
I’m logged in as an administrator and can’t modify anything in the Windows folder at all. I can’t delete anything from it and I can’t put files into the Windows folder either.
Right-clicking on File Explorer doesn’t give me any options to run the whole thing as an administrator and right-clicking on the Documents icon from Start menu doesn’t give me anything either.
I think there is a way to open File Explorer Properties but I can’t figure out how. Clicking on File Explorer window doesn’t offer any Properties from the context menu.
March 23, 2019 @ 08:15
The files in the Windows folder are best left alone or else you can create problems with the operating system.
With all the complaints Microsoft gets I wouldn’t be surprised if what you say is true and you can’t make changes to anything in the Windows folder.
If you can’t make changes to it then it’s probably telling you something: maybe it is best to leave that folder alone.
As far as adding things to the Windows folder goes, I’m not sure why you would need to do that. If you do feel something needs to be added to the folder, you can use the Feedback app to get in touch with Microsoft employees and alert them to what you think should be possible to put into the Windows folder and then they’ll take a look at the suggestion.
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