Maximizing Windows: Restoring “Run As…” in Windows Vista

This article was originally published on July 21, 2008.

At work, we use Microsoft SQL Server 2005. The client software requires Windows authentication to connect to a database. However, the credentials are pulled from your logged in Windows account. If you’re not on Purdue’s domain, you can’t connect. While putting my workstation on the domain wasn’t an issue, I prefer using my local user account on my laptop.

Vista supports fast user switching on a domain (XP does not, unfortunately), so I could switch between local and domain to use the SQL client, but running two profiles simultaneously is a bit of a resource hog.

Windows XP has a handy “Run As…” feature. If you right-click on an executable or shortcut, you can click “Run As…” and enter different credentials to load an application. This is especially handy if an admin needs to run something like the Management Console without logging out the user first.

Vista, for some inexplicable reason, has removed this feature. Fortunately, SysInternals came up with a handy little application that brings back the “Run As…” menu. It registers in Explorer’s context menu, and it can be used at the command line to load an application – which means you can create shortcuts specifically to run something as a different user.

It’s small, easy to install, and works great!

Download ShellRunas

Articles in this section

Windows 10
- Hacks & Tips
  - Digital Camerasplugin-autotooltip__default plugin-autotooltip_bigDigital Cameras
    
    Photo Import Wizard
    
    The Problem
    
    Since Windows XP, a simple wizard for importing photos has been integrated with the OS. This was called the *Microsoft Scanner and Camera Wizard* in Windows XP. The interface was streamlined in Windows Vista, and that import wizard has been integrated into Windows through at least Windows 10. It's a really useful tool, as it makes it efficient and easy to import photos from a digital camera and name them
General Windows Tips
- Enabling Remote Desktop...Remotelyplugin-autotooltip__default plugin-autotooltip_bigEnabling Remote Desktop...Remotely
  
  I’ve been working on rebuilding my home Active Directory environment, as well as splitting our personal data from multimedia to separate file servers. After getting everything up and running in Windows Server 2016, I moved both servers into our server room (just a corner of the basement, but it sounds fancier).
- Fixing Microsoft System Center Configuration Manager when it saves a bad server nameplugin-autotooltip__default plugin-autotooltip_bigFixing Microsoft System Center Configuration Manager when it saves a bad server name
  
  I’m a big scary IT contractor now, working for a relatively small Texas-based company on a contract for the USDA. It’s pretty awesome, and I’ve learned all kinds of things since I started here. One of the cooler tools made available to us is Microsoft System Center, which allows for a single application to manage a huge variety of tasks, including pushing updates to users, working with virtual servers, and inst…
Windows 7plugin-autotooltip__default plugin-autotooltip_bigWindows 7

Windows 7 is officially unsupported by Microsoft. Use at your own risk.

That said, Microsoft Security Essentials still works, as well as PC Matic, which i haven't used, but has a lot of positive reviews.

Notes

Even though Microsoft no longer supports the OneDrive client for Windows 7, you can still connect to your OneDrive quite easily via
Maximizing Windows: Restoring “Run As…” in Windows Vistaplugin-autotooltip__default plugin-autotooltip_bigMaximizing Windows: Restoring “Run As…” in Windows Vista

At work, we use Microsoft SQL Server 2005. The client software requires Windows authentication to connect to a database. However, the credentials are pulled from your logged in Windows account. If you’re not on Purdue’s domain, you can’t connect. While putting my workstation on the domain wasn’t an issue, I prefer using my local user account on my laptop.windows index
Windows Management Instrumentationplugin-autotooltip__default plugin-autotooltip_bigWindows Management Instrumentation

The Future of WMI

Windows Management Instrumentation, also known as WMI, is a systems management abstraction layer that has been part of Windows since NT (SP4). You can read more about it over here. You might notice in Microsoft's KB article that windows index

User Tools

Site Tools

Maximizing Windows: Restoring “Run As…” in Windows Vista

Articles in this section

Page Tools