How to Fix "The Requested Operation Requires Elevation" (2024)

  • Categories
  • Computers and Electronics
  • Operating Systems
  • Windows

Download Article

Learn how to fix this frustrating permissions error

Author Info

Last Updated: September 2, 2024

Download Article

  • Take Ownership of the Drive
  • |
  • Run the App as an Administrator
  • |
  • Run the App in Compatibility Mode
  • |
  • Temporarily Disable UAC
  • |
  • Temporarily Disable Your Antivirus
  • |
  • Run SFC Scan
  • |
  • Edit Security Options in the Group Policy Editor
  • |
  • Make a New Administrator Account

Are you getting a "The Requested Operation Requires Elevation" error when trying to open or use an app, file, or folder? This error means you don't have the correct permissions to do whatever you're trying to do. This is an incredibly frustrating issue, but there are a few things you can do to fix it. Keep reading to learn more.

Fixing "The Requested Operation Requires Elevation"

First, try changing the owner of your computer's drive. If that doesn't work, try running the app as an administrator or in compatibility mode. You can also try temporarily disabling UAC or Windows Security to see if either of these tools are interfering with your admin permissions.

Section 1 of 8:

Take Ownership of the Drive

Download Article

  1. 1

    Log into an administrator account, if you're not on one already. If your main account is an administrator account, you don't need to log out and log back in.

  2. 2

    Open File Explorer. You can do this by clicking the File Explorer icon in the taskbar, searching for "File Explorer" in the taskbar search bar, or by pressing Win+E.

    Advertisem*nt

  3. 3

    Navigate to your hard drive. If you have multiple drives, select the drive that holds the program that is throwing the error. You can also repeat these steps for all of your drives if you prefer.

    • To get to your hard drive, click This PC. Your hard drives are the lettered drives under the "Devices and drives" header.
  4. 4

    Right-click the hard drive and select Properties. It's the bottom menu option in the contextual menu.

  5. 5

    Navigate to Security > Advanced > Change. The Change button is next to the "Owner" tag and the specified owner of the drive.

  6. 6

    Select a new owner of the drive. Once you've picked a new owner, click OK.

  7. 7

    Finalize the change. Before you do anything else, check the box next to "Replace all child object permission entries with inheritable permission entries from this object." Then, click OK.[1]

  8. Advertisem*nt

Section 2 of 8:

Run the App as an Administrator

Download Article

  1. 1

    Log into an administrator account, if you're not on one already. If your main account is an administrator account, you don't need to log out and log back in.

  2. 2

    Right-click on the app that gives the error and select Properties. It's the bottom option in the contextual menu.

  3. 3

    Select the Compatibility tab. It's at the top of the pop-up Properties window.

  4. 4

    Check "Run this program as an administrator" and click OK. The app will now always run in administrator mode, which can make the error code go away.

    • You can also run a program as an administrator just for the next session by right-clicking on the app and selecting Run as administrator.
  5. Advertisem*nt

Section 3 of 8:

Run the App in Compatibility Mode

Download Article

  1. 1

    Log into an administrator account, if you're not on one already. If your main account is an administrator account, you don't need to log out and log back in.

  2. 2

    Right-click on the app that gives the error and select Properties. It's the bottom option in the contextual menu.

  3. 3

    Select the Compatibility tab. It's at the top of the pop-up Properties window.

  4. 4

    Check "Run this program in compatibility mode for:" and select a legacy OS. You can try any legacy OS, but for somewhat modern apps you should select Windows 7 or Windows 8.

  5. 5

    Click OK. The application will now always run in compatibility mode. To turn this off, simply go back to Properties > Compatibility and uncheck "Run this program in compatibility mode for:".

  6. Advertisem*nt

Section 4 of 8:

Temporarily Disable UAC

Download Article

  1. 1

    Log into an administrator account, if you're not on one already. If your main account is an administrator account, you don't need to log out and log back in.

  2. 2

    Search for UAC in the taskbar search bar. UAC (User Account Control) is what asks you for administrator permission when trying to do certain tasks, and it's a security measure to keep your computer safe. If you are disabling UAC, make sure you have active anti-malware protection and that you turn UAC back on once the issue has been resolved (or if UAC wasn't the culprit).

  3. 3

    Select "Change User Account Control settings." This will directly open your UAC settings.

  4. 4

    Drag the slider down to "Never Notify" and click OK. You will have to give administrator permission to change your UAC settings.

    • If you figure out the issue or UAC wasn't the cause behind the error, return to the UAC menu and turn UAC back on to your desired setting level.
  5. Advertisem*nt

Section 5 of 8:

Temporarily Disable Your Antivirus

Download Article

  1. 1

    Log into an administrator account, if you're not on one already. If your main account is an administrator account, you don't need to log out and log back in.

  2. 2

    Type Virus & threat protection in the taskbar search bar. Select the first System Settings option that comes up.

    • These steps will help you temporarily disable Windows Security, which is Windows's built-in antivirus software.
    • If you have any additional antivirus software, be sure to open their applications and temporarily disable them (methods vary depending on your antivirus software).
  3. 3

    Click Manage settings. It's under the "Virus & threat protection settings" heading.

  4. 4

    Toggle off Real-time protection. You will have to give administrator approval to turn off real-time protection.

    • Once you disable real-time protection, it will turn itself back on automatically after a short time period.
    • However, once you determine the cause of the error, you can return to your Virus & threat protection settings and manually enable real-time protection.
  5. Advertisem*nt

Section 6 of 8:

Run SFC Scan

Download Article

  1. 1

    Log into an administrator account, if you're not on one already. If your main account is an administrator account, you don't need to log out and log back in.

  2. 2

    Search cmd in the taskbar search bar. Running an SFC scan can help fix corrupted or damaged files in your system, which may help resolve this permissions error.

  3. 3

    Right-click Command Prompt and select Run as administrator. This will open the Command Prompt with administrator privileges.

  4. 4

    Type the command sfc /scannow and press Enter. The SFC scan will begin. It may take some time to complete, so don't close the Command Prompt window until it says the SFC scan is finished.[2]

    • Once the SFC scan is done, you can close the Command Prompt and check to see if the error is still popping up.
  5. Advertisem*nt

Section 7 of 8:

Edit Security Options in the Group Policy Editor

Download Article

  1. 1

    Log into an administrator account, if you're not on one already. If your main account is an administrator account, you don't need to log out and log back in.

  2. 2

    Press Win+R to open the Run dialog. You can use the Group Policy Editor to change the security settings that might be causing this error to pop up. However, be very careful when editing anything in the Group Policy Editor, and follow the instructions below exactly.

  3. 3

    Type gpedit.msc and press Enter. This will open the Group Policy Editor.

  4. 4

    Expand the following files in the left pane. Expand Computer Configuration, then Windows Settings, then Security Settings, then Local Policies.

  5. 5

    Select Security Options. A bunch of information will appear in the right pane.

  6. 6

    Locate a specific policy. Look for User Account Control: Behavior of the elevation prompt for administrators in Admin Approval Mode, then double-click it.

  7. 7

    Choose Elevate without prompting in the dropdown. The dropdown is in the Local Security Setting tab, which is the default tab for this window.

  8. 8

    Click OK. This will apply the policy change, and may fix the issue with the error.

  9. Advertisem*nt

Section 8 of 8:

Make a New Administrator Account

Download Article

  1. 1

    Log into an administrator account, if you're not on one already. If your main account is an administrator account, you don't need to log out and log back in.

  2. 2

    Press Win+I to open your Windows Settings. If nothing else works, you can try making a brand new administrator account to see if it can get around the error code.

  3. 3

    Click Accounts. It's the option with the icon of a person.

  4. 4

    Select Family & other users in the sidebar. The Family & other users button may also say Accounts or Other users. It's the second from the last option, and it has an icon of a person with a plus sign.

  5. 5

    Click Add someone else to this PC. It's the bottom option, under the "Other users" heading.

  6. 6

    Select I don't have this person's sign-in information. It's under the field to enter an email or phone number.

  7. 7

    Click Add a user without a Microsoft account. It's the bottom option, right above the buttons that say Back and Next.

  8. 8

    Enter a username and password, then click Next. You can use any username and password as long as it's not already in use on the computer.

    • Follow the on-screen instructions to finish up with the account creation pop-up.
  9. 9

    Press Win+I once again. Now that the new account is created, you must give it administrator privileges.

  10. 10

    Go to Accounts > Family & other users. The Family & other users button may also say Accounts or Other users.

  11. 11

    Click Change account type under your new account. It will be located under the "Other users" heading.

  12. 12

    Choose Administrator from the dropdown. Click OK to confirm your choice and finish creating your new administrator account.[3]

    • You can then switch to the new admin account and see if the error still occurs.
  13. Advertisem*nt

Expert Q&A

Ask a Question

200 characters left

Include your email address to get a message when this question is answered.

Submit

      Advertisem*nt

      Tips

      Submit a Tip

      All tip submissions are carefully reviewed before being published

      Name

      Please provide your name and last initial

      Submit

      Thanks for submitting a tip for review!

      You Might Also Like

      How to Take a Screenshot on a Windows PC: 8 Simple TricksHow toCheck Your Windows Version
      5 Quick Ways to Change Your Desktop Wallpaper on WindowsHow to Access the BIOS on Any PC: Guide + Troubleshooting4 Easy Ways to Access the Boot Options Menu in WindowsHow to Find Your Windows Product KeyEasily Download and Install FFmpeg on a Windows PCHow to Change the Windows Taskbar Position: 2 Easy MethodsHow toAutomatically Shut Down Your Computer at a Specified Time2 Ways to Turn Off S Mode on a Windows 11 PCInstalling Windows After Ubuntu: A Step-by-Step Guide2 Easy Ways to Activate a Windows Product Key2 Ways to Alter the Size of Your Windows Desktop Taskbar

      Advertisem*nt

      About This Article

      wikiHow is a “wiki,” similar to Wikipedia, which means that many of our articles are co-written by multiple authors. To create this article, volunteer authors worked to edit and improve it over time.

      How helpful is this?

      Co-authors: 3

      Updated: September 2, 2024

      Views:100

      Categories: Windows

      • Print
      • Send fan mail to authors

      Thanks to all authors for creating a page that has been read 100 times.

      Is this article up to date?

      Advertisem*nt

      How to Fix "The Requested Operation Requires Elevation" (2024)

      References

      Top Articles
      Pudhari ePaper Download PDF Today July 2024
      Dfr Office Near Me
      Faketoks Twitter
      Order Irs Tax Forms Online
      Sigma Aldrich Calculator
      Orange Craigslist Free Stuff
      Weldmotor Vehicle.com
      M&T Bank Atm Locations Near Me
      How Nora Fatehi Became A Dancing Sensation In Bollywood 
      Tacos Diego Hugoton Ks
      Gay Pnp Zoom Meetings
      Pip Calculator | Myfxbook
      Katmoie
      Sermon Collections, Sermons, Videos, PowerPoint Templates, Backgrounds
      8776725837
      Fisher-Cheney Funeral Home Obituaries
      Smith And Wesson Nra Instructor Discount
      Ultimate Guide to Visiting Dungeness, UK
      Power Outage Hales Corners
      Jinx Cap 17
      80 Maiden Lane Ny Ny 10038 Directions
      Chittenden County Family Court Schedule
      Scrap Metal Prices in Indiana, Pennsylvania Scrap Price Index,United States Scrap Yards
      Ayala Rv Storage
      Los Garroberros Menu
      Nbc Breaking News Nyc
      Walgreens On Nacogdoches And O'connor
      Why Zero Raised to the Zero Power is defined to be One « Mathematical Science & Technologies
      Aerospace Engineering | Graduate Degrees and Requirements
      Tulare Lake’s ghostly rebirth brings wonder — and hardship. Inside a community's resilience
      Adriana Zambrano | Goosehead Insurance Agent in Metairie, Louisiana
      Wjar Channel 10 Providence
      Late Bloomers Summary and Key Lessons | Rich Karlgaard
      9294027542
      Target Savannah Mall Evicted
      Sky Nails Albany Oregon
      Mula Pelada
      Craigslist In Visalia California
      Hourly Pay At Dick's Sporting Goods
      Drugst0Recowgirl Leaks
      Pulaski County Busted Newspaper
      Bridger Elementary Logan
      Shs Games 1V1 Lol
      Acbl Homeport
      600 Aviator Court Vandalia Oh 45377
      New York Rangers Hfboards
      Hershey Company Myhr
      Cetaphil Samples For Providers
      Csgo Xray Command
      Rush Copley Swim Lessons
      Privateplaygro1
      How to Screenshot on Cash App: A Complete Guide
      Latest Posts
      Article information

      Author: Lilliana Bartoletti

      Last Updated:

      Views: 5755

      Rating: 4.2 / 5 (73 voted)

      Reviews: 88% of readers found this page helpful

      Author information

      Name: Lilliana Bartoletti

      Birthday: 1999-11-18

      Address: 58866 Tricia Spurs, North Melvinberg, HI 91346-3774

      Phone: +50616620367928

      Job: Real-Estate Liaison

      Hobby: Graffiti, Astronomy, Handball, Magic, Origami, Fashion, Foreign language learning

      Introduction: My name is Lilliana Bartoletti, I am a adventurous, pleasant, shiny, beautiful, handsome, zealous, tasty person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.