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  • #2212828

    Windows Explorer will not run as a different user?

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    by summores ·

    I have both an admin account and user account on a domain. This is a freshly imaged computer, from an old image that all the other IT users are using. We are running Windows XP 32bit, sp3, all Microsoft updates.

    When signed into my user account I cannot use the cmd prompt to run explorer.exe as admin. The same is still happening in the and vice versa. When signed into my admin account I cannot run explorer.exe as user. I don’t really see a reason in the latter, but I just tried it to test it out.

    Any ideas why I cannot run explorer.exe as admin? I’m not trying to run the explorer GUI, but more so Windows Explorer to navigate through system files.

    I have also tried running Internet Explorer as admin and am getting an error of :

    C:\Program Files\Internet Explorer\iexplorer.exe

    The directory name is invalid.

    Other programs in the windows directory is still runnable as admin. Notepad, calculator, I can even run the cmd as admin. Looks to be an explorer issue as far as I can tell.

    I have also tried my credentials from another computer and still run into the same issue. So it may not be a local issue, possibly within the permissions of my admin or user accounts?

    Any assistance would be helpful, thanks!

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    • #2877415

      Clarifications

      by summores ·

      In reply to Windows Explorer will not run as a different user?

      Clarifications

    • #2877410

      When you try to run explorer

      by robo_dev ·

      In reply to Windows Explorer will not run as a different user?

      does it give an error, or just do nothing?

      Of course, that sounds very much like a malware issue, but if you just re-imaged it….

      I would clear out any BHO items in IE. Browser objects can and do control the behavior of Windows Explorer (although technically they are not supposed to).

      Do you use any explorer (shell) extensions? Some oddball utility programs like WinZip and Adobe Acrobat add shell extensions to Windows Explorer itself.

      If you have any extra choices when you right-click on an object, then you have some shell extensions.

      I would try removing/reinstalling any apps that add shell extensions.

      http://www.mydigitallife.info/2006/09/26/disable-or-remove-shell-extensions-and-slow-right-click-context-menu-shortcut-menu-handlers-or-items-with-shellexview/

      • #2877408

        I’ve cleared out the BHOs and the only

        by summores ·

        In reply to When you try to run explorer

        shell extension I have is our anti virus software. Outside of that, it’s still not working. Now I was able to get IE to run as admin by changing the start in directory to %windir%, but even if I type in c: in the IE browser it will open up windows explorer, but not as the admin. All I’m really trying to accomplish is running Windows Explorer as admin.

        What permissions within a user/admin profile might block this from opening? Since it’s happening across the network for me, I don’t believe it’s my system. Possible when they create my profile, they overlooked something.

    • #2877407

      explorer.exe is the shell . . .

      by who am i really ·

      In reply to Windows Explorer will not run as a different user?

      and therefore cannot be run as another user

      • #2877402

        I think I’m confusing the word

        by summores ·

        In reply to explorer.exe is the shell . . .

        shell and GUI. I’m not trying to run the shell, I’m trying to run explorer as a window to use as an admin. Running a window as admin will allow me to access folders that we have secured from normal users, set security options for other folders, run programs as admin without having to always “right click>run as”, basically allows me to do a lot of my work without having to have the user sign out of his session.

        • #2877400

          Maybe this will help

          by ic-it ·

          In reply to I think I’m confusing the word

          I may not be clear on how you want to trigger the action, but this may help.

          Create a shortcut.
          When asked for the location use
          explorer %1
          name it as you like, deny local users security permissions.
          Then do a Runas when you need it.

          The %1 simply opens a new window.

        • #2877396

          Sorry, still didn’t work.

          by summores ·

          In reply to Maybe this will help

          After I type in my credentials nothing comes up. No errors, no blank windows, nothing. The same happens when I right click>run as from the start menu>all programs>accessories>windows explorer.

          Additional info:

          When running the cmd prompt as a user, I just type in explorer and a blank explorer pops up. If I run cmd as an admin, no pop ups or errors.

          If I run cmd as a user using the command:Runas /user:domain\adminaccount explorer. An addtional lines comes up prompting for password. Then a line of “Attempting to start explorer as user “domain\adminaccount”… Then nothing. Of course domain and adminaccount was replaced with correct credentials.

        • #2877391

          problem is that there can only be one instance of Explorer.exe

          by who am i really ·

          In reply to Sorry, still didn’t work.

          if you open task manager and then open 500000 explorer windows there will still only be one Explorer.exe running

          you can however use:
          Run As:
          > Administrator
          with Internet Explorer to browse local Disks and network drives

          just be sure to set the default homepage as about:blank first
          then you can type C:\ in the address bar
          and access files that normal users are restricted from

          after all windows is internet explorer especially in win2K / XP

          Edit: Pic, additional info about IE,
          – more IE info

          http://i832.photobucket.com/albums/zz249/WhatNameShoudIUse/IEBrowse.png?t=1294348707

          if you use the path
          C:\Program Files\Internet Explorer\iexplorer.exe
          from the command prompt you must enclose it in quotes
          C:\”Program Files\Internet Explorer\iexplorer.exe”

          as the command prompt still chokes on spaces

          IE7 and IE8 are for vista / Win7 and the XP “versions” are backports to XP which are not fully compatible with XP
          only IE6 works in this fashion
          as IE7 and IE8 take another step away from total OS integration

          I don’t recommend anyone install IE7 or IE8 on XP but rather use another browser to surf and keep IE6 for XP

        • #2877385

          The sounds like it should work. When ran

          by summores ·

          In reply to problem is that there can only be one instance of Explorer.exe

          as a normal user, as soon as I type in c:\ and hit enter it opens up windows explorer in a new windows as expected. When ran through my admin account, no action is taken and I sit still at a blank screen.

          I am on IE8 though as you mentioned it may not work properly. All workstations here at the office are on IE8, and I don’t think we’re going to downgrade 500+ computers just so I can get my admin privileges. I think I might have to disable/delete my admin account and start a new one from scratch and see if that works.

        • #2877374

          IE7 & IE8 are supposed to do that

          by who am i really ·

          In reply to The sounds like it should work. When ran

          and it goes the other way also

          if you enter a URL in the address bar of Windows Explorer on a system with IE6 it will not open IE rather it will navigate to the web

          one of the complaints of IT to MS was that this was a security hole allowing users to bypass security restrictions placed by IT admins
          thus with IE7 & up entering a URL in windows explorer will open the default browser

          and entering a local drive letter and path in the IE address bar will open Windows Exploder

        • #2876992

          Separate Windows Not Separate Processes

          by dogknees ·

          In reply to The sounds like it should work. When ran

          Although you see several windows, generally there is only one explorer process running. This is why when Explorer crashes, the Start bar disappears.

          By starting Explorer(for browsing files), you don’t get a new process, just another window. One Process = One Account.

    • #2877383

      First, make a shortcut to explorer.exe

      by slayer_ ·

      In reply to Windows Explorer will not run as a different user?

      Then, append to the target, the folder you want.

      When you want to run it, right click, choose Run As, select your admin user and type your password. Your admin account needs a password for this to work or it will not be accessible.

      • #2877345

        “Launch folder windows in a separate process”

        by seanferd ·

        In reply to First, make a shortcut to explorer.exe

        In folder options.

        I’m wondering if this setting is required so that explorer (file manager) can open a new instance (optionally as another user), since you cannot re-open the entire shell as a new user this way.

        [Posted here as it seems a good a place as any.]

        • #2877344

          Of course

          by boxfiddler ·

          In reply to “Launch folder windows in a separate process”

          it is.

        • #2877710

          Sorry guys, still not working.

          by summores ·

          In reply to Of course

          I’m still leaning towards a permissions issue. Only reason is because I’m running into the same problem on my computer and any other computer in the office.

          Anyone know of any policies that would not allow windows explorer to not come up?

        • #2877692

          hmm

          by nexs ·

          In reply to Sorry guys, still not working.

          If you right click on iexplore.exe can you runas from there?

        • #2877292

          Yah if I shift right click iexplorer.exe I can run as

          by summores ·

          In reply to hmm

          and run internet explorer as admin. But as soon as I type in c: in the address bar, it tries to open up windows explorer and it hangs up and won’t execute.

        • #2877282

          That sounds like something is just hanging.

          by seanferd ·

          In reply to Yah if I shift right click iexplorer.exe I can run as

          If you are accessing the workstations remotely, maybe authentication is taking too long, or there is a latency problem which only occurs when trying to display the drive contents.

        • #2877157

          Perhaps then

          by nexs ·

          In reply to Yah if I shift right click iexplorer.exe I can run as

          It’s a problem with iexplore.

          Have you uninstalled and reinstalled it?
          Have you tried another browser (ie: Mozilla firefox)?

        • #2877296

          A permissions issue should inform you it is a permissions issue.

          by seanferd ·

          In reply to Sorry guys, still not working.

          Are you sitting at the workstation and doing Runas as a local admin, or a domain admin?

          If you think it is a permissions problem, I’d have a look through Group Policy (Local and Domain) to see what is in place which might prevent this. Or run RSOP and look that way.

          Maybe look under User Rights Assignment (Computer config, Win, local).

        • #2877291

          I’m running as a domain admin.

          by summores ·

          In reply to A permissions issue should inform you it is a permissions issue.

          I’ll check out the group policies again tomorrow morning and double check everything.

        • #2877283

          Remotely?

          by seanferd ·

          In reply to I’m running as a domain admin.

          Or at the workstation itself?

          Dunno, maybe this info might be of use to domain admin types answering your question.

        • #2877003

          Looks like this was the actually

          by summores ·

          In reply to “Launch folder windows in a separate process”

          culprit. Not a permissions issues, but more so my idiocy. I changed the setting to “Launch folder windows in separate process”, but I did it under the user account. After making the change while physically signed into the admin account it fixed the problem.

          Thanks for all the help guys.

        • #2878312

          Working, then?

          by seanferd ·

          In reply to Looks like this was the actually

          Fantastic!

          Hopefully, you can now proceed with whatever it is you had originally intended. 🙂

        • #2878218

          Yea, glad I got it taken care of.

          by summores ·

          In reply to Working, then?

          Thanks all!

    • #2810560

      Run as separate process

      by mobaugh ·

      In reply to Windows Explorer will not run as a different user?

      Have you tried the following: runas /u:domain\username “explorer /separate”
      That works well with XP SP3 (not so much with Windows 7).

    • #2432140

      mobaugh saved the day.

      by bytor54 ·

      In reply to Windows Explorer will not run as a different user?

      Couldn’t get it to let me post a reply, but the solution posted by mobaugh saved the day. I don’t see why this is required, but it works perfectly!

      At the windows “Run” dialog, I type exactly as shown below (including the quotes).

      runas /user:Admin “explorer /separate”

      Thanks for the solution!!!

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