christopherlaw DOT com

So how do you get a batch file to run as an elevated user? For example, I have a batch file that will copy the contents of an XP user’s profile to a Windows 7 user’s profile. The only catch is that the Windows 7 user profile structure is different, and the batch file must be run elevated in order to read the junctions so as to not fail the copying. So how do you do this without having the user right click and “Run as Administrator”? Elevation PowerToys for Windows Vista 7. This file contains a ton of useful scripts for the admin, or even the average power user. I can’t believe this has been out since June 2008 and i’m only finding it now! Great tool without having to use the runas command, or play with a Power Shell script. This will most certainly be deployed on all my future Windows 7 machines! The two key files in this package are:

1. elevate.cmd (+)(-)
   MS DOS

   :: //*************************************************************************** :: // ***** Script Header ***** :: // ======================================================= :: // Elevation PowerToys for Windows Vista v1.1 (04/29/2008) :: // ======================================================= :: // :: // File: Elevate.cmd :: // :: // Additional files required: Elevate.vbs :: // :: // Purpose: To provide a command line method of launching applications that :: // prompt for elevation (Run as Administrator) on Windows Vista. :: // :: // Usage: elevate.cmd application :: // :: // Version: 1.0.0 :: // Date : 01/02/2007 :: // :: // History: :: // 1.0.0 01/02/2007 Created initial version. :: // :: // ***** End Header ***** :: //*************************************************************************** @setlocal @echo off :: Pass raw command line arguments and first argument to Elevate.vbs :: through environment variables. set ELEVATE_CMDLINE=%* set ELEVATE_APP=%1 start wscript //nologo "%~dpn0.vbs" %*

   1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30

   :: //*************************************************************************** :: // ***** Script Header ***** :: // ======================================================= :: // Elevation PowerToys for Windows Vista v1.1 (04/29/2008) :: // ======================================================= :: // :: // File:      Elevate.cmd :: // :: // Additional files required:  Elevate.vbs :: // :: // Purpose:   To provide a command line method of launching applications that :: //            prompt for elevation (Run as Administrator) on Windows Vista. :: // :: // Usage:     elevate.cmd application :: // :: // Version:   1.0.0 :: // Date :     01/02/2007 :: // :: // History: :: // 1.0.0   01/02/2007  Created initial version. :: // :: // ***** End Header ***** :: //*************************************************************************** @setlocal @echo off :: Pass raw command line arguments and first argument to Elevate.vbs :: through environment variables. set ELEVATE_CMDLINE=%* set ELEVATE_APP=%1 start wscript //nologo "%~dpn0.vbs" %*

2. elevate.vbs (+)(-)
   Visual Basic

   ' //*************************************************************************** ' // ***** Script Header ***** ' // ======================================================= ' // Elevation PowerToys for Windows Vista v1.1 (04/29/2008) ' // ======================================================= ' // ' // File: Elevate.vbs ' // ' // Additional files required: Elevate.cmd ' // ' // Purpose: To provide a command line method of launching applications that ' // prompt for elevation (Run as Administrator) on Windows Vista. ' // ' // Usage: (Not used directly. Launched from Elevate.cmd.) ' // ' // Version: 1.0.1 ' // Date : 01/03/2007 ' // ' // History: ' // 1.0.0 01/02/2007 Created initial version. ' // 1.0.1 01/03/2007 Added detailed usage output. ' // ' // ***** End Header ***** ' //*************************************************************************** Set objShell = CreateObject("Shell.Application") Set objWshShell = WScript.CreateObject("WScript.Shell") Set objWshProcessEnv = objWshShell.Environment("PROCESS") ' Get raw command line agruments and first argument from Elevate.cmd passed ' in through environment variables. strCommandLine = objWshProcessEnv("ELEVATE_CMDLINE") strApplication = objWshProcessEnv("ELEVATE_APP") strArguments = Right(strCommandLine, (Len(strCommandLine) - Len(strApplication))) If (WScript.Arguments.Count >= 1) Then strFlag = WScript.Arguments(0) If (strFlag = "") OR (strFlag="help") OR (strFlag="/h") OR (strFlag="h") OR (strFlag="-h") _ OR (strFlag = "?") OR (strFlag = "/?") OR (strFlag = "-?") OR (strFlag="h") _ OR (strFlag = "?") Then DisplayUsage WScript.Quit Else objShell.ShellExecute strApplication, strArguments, "", "runas" End If Else DisplayUsage WScript.Quit End If Sub DisplayUsage WScript.Echo "Elevate - Elevation Command Line Tool for Windows Vista" & vbCrLf & _ "" & vbCrLf & _ "Purpose:" & vbCrLf & _ "--------" & vbCrLf & _ "To launch applications that prompt for elevation (i.e. Run as Administrator)" & vbCrLf & _http://christopherlaw.com/wp-admin/options-general.php?page=crayon_settings "from the command line, a script, or the Run box." & vbCrLf & _ "" & vbCrLf & _ "Usage: " & vbCrLf & _ "" & vbCrLf & _ " elevate application <arguments>" & vbCrLf & _ "" & vbCrLf & _ "" & vbCrLf & _ "Sample usage:" & vbCrLf & _ "" & vbCrLf & _ " elevate notepad ""C:Windowswin.ini""" & vbCrLf & _ "" & vbCrLf & _ " elevate cmd /k cd ""C:Program Files""" & vbCrLf & _ "" & vbCrLf & _ " elevate powershell -NoExit -Command Set-Location 'C:Windows'" & vbCrLf & _ "" & vbCrLf & _ "" & vbCrLf & _ "Usage with scripts: When using the elevate command with scripts such as" & vbCrLf & _ "Windows Script Host or Windows PowerShell scripts, you should specify" & vbCrLf & _ "the script host executable (i.e., wscript, cscript, powershell) as the " & vbCrLf & _ "application." & vbCrLf & _ "" & vbCrLf & _ "Sample usage with scripts:" & vbCrLf & _ "" & vbCrLf & _ " elevate wscript ""C:windowssystem32slmgr.vbs"" –dli" & vbCrLf & _ "" & vbCrLf & _ " elevate powershell -NoExit -Command & 'C:TempTest.ps1'" & vbCrLf & _ "" & vbCrLf & _ "" & vbCrLf & _ "The elevate command consists of the following files:" & vbCrLf & _ "" & vbCrLf & _ " elevate.cmd" & vbCrLf & _ " elevate.vbs" & vbCrLf End Sub </arguments>

   1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51 52 53 54 55 56 57 58 59 60 61 62 63 64 65 66 67 68 69 70 71 72 73 74 75 76 77 78 79 80 81 82 83 84 85 86

   ' //*************************************************************************** ' // ***** Script Header ***** ' // ======================================================= ' // Elevation PowerToys for Windows Vista v1.1 (04/29/2008) ' // ======================================================= ' // ' // File:      Elevate.vbs ' // ' // Additional files required:  Elevate.cmd ' // ' // Purpose:   To provide a command line method of launching applications that ' //            prompt for elevation (Run as Administrator) on Windows Vista. ' // ' // Usage:     (Not used directly.  Launched from Elevate.cmd.) ' // ' // Version:   1.0.1 ' // Date :     01/03/2007 ' // ' // History: ' // 1.0.0   01/02/2007  Created initial version. ' // 1.0.1   01/03/2007  Added detailed usage output. ' // ' // ***** End Header ***** ' //*************************************************************************** Set objShell = CreateObject("Shell.Application") Set objWshShell = WScript.CreateObject("WScript.Shell") Set objWshProcessEnv = objWshShell.Environment("PROCESS") ' Get raw command line agruments and first argument from Elevate.cmd passed ' in through environment variables. strCommandLine = objWshProcessEnv("ELEVATE_CMDLINE") strApplication = objWshProcessEnv("ELEVATE_APP") strArguments = Right(strCommandLine, (Len(strCommandLine) - Len(strApplication))) If (WScript.Arguments.Count >= 1) Then strFlag = WScript.Arguments(0) If (strFlag = "") OR (strFlag="help") OR (strFlag="/h") OR (strFlag="h") OR (strFlag="-h") _ OR (strFlag = "?") OR (strFlag = "/?") OR (strFlag = "-?") OR (strFlag="h") _ OR (strFlag = "?") Then DisplayUsage WScript.Quit Else objShell.ShellExecute strApplication, strArguments, "", "runas" End If Else DisplayUsage WScript.Quit End If Sub DisplayUsage WScript.Echo "Elevate - Elevation Command Line Tool for Windows Vista" & vbCrLf & _ "" & vbCrLf & _ "Purpose:" & vbCrLf & _ "--------" & vbCrLf & _ "To launch applications that prompt for elevation (i.e. Run as Administrator)" & vbCrLf & _http://christopherlaw.com/wp-admin/options-general.php?page=crayon_settings "from the command line, a script, or the Run box." & vbCrLf & _ "" & vbCrLf & _ "Usage:   " & vbCrLf & _ "" & vbCrLf & _ "    elevate application <arguments>" & vbCrLf & _ "" & vbCrLf & _ "" & vbCrLf & _ "Sample usage:" & vbCrLf & _ "" & vbCrLf & _ "    elevate notepad ""C:Windowswin.ini""" & vbCrLf & _ "" & vbCrLf & _ "    elevate cmd /k cd ""C:Program Files""" & vbCrLf & _ "" & vbCrLf & _ "    elevate powershell -NoExit -Command Set-Location 'C:Windows'" & vbCrLf & _ "" & vbCrLf & _ "" & vbCrLf & _ "Usage with scripts: When using the elevate command with scripts such as" & vbCrLf & _ "Windows Script Host or Windows PowerShell scripts, you should specify" & vbCrLf & _ "the script host executable (i.e., wscript, cscript, powershell) as the " & vbCrLf & _ "application." & vbCrLf & _ "" & vbCrLf & _ "Sample usage with scripts:" & vbCrLf & _ "" & vbCrLf & _ "    elevate wscript ""C:windowssystem32slmgr.vbs"" –dli" & vbCrLf & _ "" & vbCrLf & _ "    elevate powershell -NoExit -Command & 'C:TempTest.ps1'" & vbCrLf & _ "" & vbCrLf & _ "" & vbCrLf & _ "The elevate command consists of the following files:" & vbCrLf & _ "" & vbCrLf & _ "    elevate.cmd" & vbCrLf & _ "    elevate.vbs" & vbCrLf End Sub </arguments>

The CMD is a simple batch file that will pass arguments into the VBS file. The VBS file will prompt the end user with the typical UAC prompt to allow or cancel, or display a usage box if no arguments are specified. I only made one slight modification, since I would always be launching this from a Run or Command window. I changed the last line in the batch file to read: I dumped these two files in my C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM32 directory, and renamed them to SUDO.CMD and SUDO.VBS. I no longer need the Start++ application for the sudo command!
sudo for Windows 7