This article explains how to add or remove the “Run as different user” in the Start menu on Windows 11.
Windows lets you use the Run as command to start an application or open a file as a different user or administrator. This is usually the case if you want to perform administrative tasks when you are logged on as a member of another group, such as the Users or Power Users group.
In previous versions of Windows, the “Run as different user” was always an option on the context menu when you right-click an item on the Start menu or in File Explorer.
By default in Windows 11, the Run as different user has been removed from the context menu, and the steps below show you how to add it again. Unlike Run as administrator, the Run as different user does require you to enter the credentials of the user you want to run as.
Enable or disable Run as different user on the context menu in Windows 11
As described above, users can right-click on an item on the Start menu and select “Run as different user” on the context menu. This option has been removed in Windows 11.
Here’s how to add or remove it.
First, open the Windows Settings app.
You can do that by clicking on the Start menu and selecting Settings. Or press the keyboard shortcut (Windows key + I) to launch the Settings app.
When the Setting app opens, click the Time & Language button on the left.
Select the For developers tile on the right to expand it.
Next, select and expand the File Explorer tile. Then, toggle the button on the “Show option to run as different user in Start” tile to the On position to enable.
To disable it, toggle the button back to the Off position.
Close the Settings app when done.
Show or hide Run as different user on the context menu in Start via Registry
Another way users can hide or show “Run as different user” in Windows is to use the Windows Registry Editor.
First, open the Windows Registry, and navigate to the folder key path below.
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\Explorer
If you don’t see the Explorer folder key, right-click on the Windows key, then create the subkey (Explorer) folders.
Right-click the Explorer folder key’s right pane and select New -> DWORD (32-bit) Value. Next, type a new key named ShowRunasDifferentuserinStart.
Double-click the new key item name (ShowRunasDifferentuserinStart) and make sure the Base option is Decimal, and then update the Value data:
- Type 1 to show the “Run as different user” on the context menu.
- Type 0 to hide the “Run as different user” on the context menu.
Save your changes and restart your computer.
That should do it!
Conclusion:
This post showed you how to add or remove the “Run as different user” on the context menu in the Start menu on Windows 11. If you find any errors above or have something to add, please use the comments form below.
