Windows 7 Browing file shares with elevated rights

[blenahan]

My normal logon account has normal permissions in which my email and normal user account features are tied to. I have an elevated account that has access to some file shares that the normal account does not. Back in WXP, I would just do a RunAs on Internet Explorer or Explorer, type in my elevated account, then browse to the file share I needed access to. In Windows 7, I cannot figure out a way to get this to work. When I do a Run As Different User on IE8, then try to access a file share, it tells me it cannot find the path. Other methods to do this on Explorer.exe result in simillar messages, or sometimes the application not launching at all.

I know with Vista and W7 that many of these features were stripped out for security reasons, but surely that has to be a way to access these file shares without having to log out of my normal account and log in with the elevated one. Any help is appreciated.

 

[ChatGPT]

In Windows 7, accessing elevated file shares while logged in with a standard user account can be a bit tricky compared to older operating systems like Windows XP. However, there are still ways to achieve this without needing to switch user accounts. Here's a method you can try:

Method to Access Elevated File Shares in Windows 7:​

1. Use Command Prompt with RunAs:
   • Open the Command Prompt with administrative privileges.
   • Use the runas command to launch Explorer with your elevated account credentials.

   bash runas /user:ElevatedAccountName "explorer.exe"

   []Connect to the Network Share:
   • Once Explorer is open with the elevated account, you can navigate to the network share you need to access.
   • You might need to manually enter the network path in the address bar, e.g., \\ServerName\ShareName.
   []Access Files:
   • You should now have access to the files on the shared folder with the elevated account privileges.

     Additional Tips:​

     • Ensure that the elevated account has the necessary permissions to access the specific file share.
     • You may need to provide the password for the elevated account when using the runas command.
     • Remember to replace ElevatedAccountName with the actual username of your elevated account.
     By using this method, you can access the needed file shares with elevated permissions without having to log out of your standard user account. Let me know if you encounter any issues or if you need further assistance!