Is there any particular reason you're trying to do this from the command-line as opposed to built-in features available in the UI? Also, might there be a system policy that's preventing you from performing these operations?

Here's a suggestion using the UI:

  1. Open the Start Menu
  2. In the Search Bar, type appwiz.cpl.
  3. Wait for appwiz.cpl to appear in the search results. There should be only one entry at the top, under "Programs". It should have a document icon with some gears on it, and should be automatically highlighted.
  4. With appwiz.cpl highlighted in the search results, press CTRL+SHIFT+ENTER. This will force Windows to attempt executing appwiz.cpl with Administrator privileges.
  5. Respond to any UAC prompts as appropriate.

If the above does not work, there may be an issue with your system's Security Policy. Do the following to check:

  1. Log into the system under an account that has Administrator permissions.
  2. Press Win+R.
  3. Type secpol.msc and hit ENTER.
  4. Respond to any UAC prompts as appropriate.
  5. In the left pane, navigate the tree to the following location:

    Security Settings\Local Policies\Security Options

  6. Find the "User Account Control" options, near the bottom of the list.
  7. Check the setting User Account Control: Behavior of the elevation prompt for standard users
    • If it is set to Automatically deny elevation requests, you will not be able to use Administrator permissions while running under a standard user account.
    • If this is set to any of the Prompt for credentials... settings, and the above process for running appwiz.cpl elevated still does not work for you, then you may have a different problem.
Answer from Iszi on Stack Exchange
Top answer
1 of 2
8

Is there any particular reason you're trying to do this from the command-line as opposed to built-in features available in the UI? Also, might there be a system policy that's preventing you from performing these operations?

Here's a suggestion using the UI:

  1. Open the Start Menu
  2. In the Search Bar, type appwiz.cpl.
  3. Wait for appwiz.cpl to appear in the search results. There should be only one entry at the top, under "Programs". It should have a document icon with some gears on it, and should be automatically highlighted.
  4. With appwiz.cpl highlighted in the search results, press CTRL+SHIFT+ENTER. This will force Windows to attempt executing appwiz.cpl with Administrator privileges.
  5. Respond to any UAC prompts as appropriate.

If the above does not work, there may be an issue with your system's Security Policy. Do the following to check:

  1. Log into the system under an account that has Administrator permissions.
  2. Press Win+R.
  3. Type secpol.msc and hit ENTER.
  4. Respond to any UAC prompts as appropriate.
  5. In the left pane, navigate the tree to the following location:

    Security Settings\Local Policies\Security Options

  6. Find the "User Account Control" options, near the bottom of the list.
  7. Check the setting User Account Control: Behavior of the elevation prompt for standard users
    • If it is set to Automatically deny elevation requests, you will not be able to use Administrator permissions while running under a standard user account.
    • If this is set to any of the Prompt for credentials... settings, and the above process for running appwiz.cpl elevated still does not work for you, then you may have a different problem.
2 of 2
5

For whatever reason, the control panel applets inherit the privileges of the running Desktop shell (which is the Windows equivalent of a window manager). To escalate permissions in the control panel, you have to escalate permissions in this shell, via these steps:

  1. Open a command prompt as an administrative user
  2. Kill the running explorer process
    1. Ctl+Shift+Esc Open task manager, and navigate to the processes tab
    2. Find the explorer.exe process(es), and kill all of them. (Right-click, choose End Process) Your taskbar, desktop, and explorer windows will all disappear, but your command prompt will remain
  3. From that admin command prompt, run explorer.exe
  4. Now, you should be able to open appwiz.cpl, or any other control panel applet with administrative privileges.
  5. When you're done, kill the running explorer process(es), and run explorer.exe as the logged-in user.

Caveat: This can lose certain settings, or break your normal desktop environment. For instance, any network paths which have been mounted to a drive will be lost.

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Reddit
reddit.com › r/sysadmin › running programs and features as admin / windows 10
r/sysadmin on Reddit: Running programs and features as admin / windows 10
June 18, 2020 -

Hey,

Seeing as non-administrators aren't allowed to uninstall programs, how would you 'run as' the programs & features applet?

Running appwiz.cpl from an elevated cmd prompt doesn't work. The only method that seemingly does it killing explorer.exe and running it again as an admin user, this breaks network drive mappings and causes other undesirable effects.

I could simply log the user off and log in with an admin account to uninstall the program, but this just seems so long winded.

Are there any other, easier solutions?

Thank You

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BleepingComputer
bleepingcomputer.com › bleepingcomputer forums › microsoft windows support › windows 7
Opening "Programs and Features" as Admin from command line - Windows 7
1 month ago - Here are the commands I have tried: runas /user:%computername%\administrator cmd.exe then in the new cmd window running: control appwiz.cpl runas /user:%companydomain%\%domainadminacct% cmd.exe then in the new cmd window running: control appwiz.cpl ...
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iSumsoft
isumsoft.com › windows-tips › 6-methods-to-open-programs-and-features-in-windows-10.html
6 Ways to Access Programs and Features in Windows 10
May 8, 2025 - Step 1: Run PowerShell as administrator. Step 2: Type appwiz.cpl and press Enter to open Programs and Features. Step 1: Open Control Panel. Step 2: If your View by is set to Category, click the Programs link. Step 3: Then, click the Programs and Features link.
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Winsides.com
winsides.com › home › windows 11 › how to?
Run Appwiz.cpl as Administrator on Windows 11 - Winsides.com
1 week ago - Finally, appwiz.cpl will now open as Administrator. Open Run Command using the shortcut Win Key + R. Type the command appwiz.cpl and press CTRL + SHIFT + ENTER. The system will open Programs and Features as Administrator.
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MiniTool
minitool.com › home › news › ways to open windows programs and features
Complete Methods to Open Windows Programs and Features
November 29, 2024 - Step 4: You can find the shortcut icon of Programs and Features on the computer desktop, and then you can directly click this icon to open Windows Programs and Features. How to Create a Shortcut for a Specific Windows Settings Page · Learn how to create a desktop shortcut to open a specific settings page in Windows 10/11 Settings app. ... For users who are very proficient in computer use, you can also use CMD to enter Programs and Features.
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iSunshare
isunshare.com › windows-10 › 5-ways-to-open-programs-and-features-in-windows-10.html
5 Ways to Open Programs and Features in Windows 10
Step 2: Select Programs and click Programs and Features. Use Windows+R to display Run, input appwiz.cpl and tap OK. Step 1: Launch Command Prompt. Step 2: Type appwiz.cpl and press Enter. Step 1: Get into Start Menu and start Windows PowerShell. Step 2: Input appwiz.cpl and hit Enter. Step 1: Open File Explorer.
Find elsewhere
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Windows Central
windowscentral.com › microsoft › windows help
How to run apps as administrator on Windows 10 | Windows Central
March 26, 2024 - Search for Command Prompt and click the top result to open the console. Type the following command to run an app with administrator privileges and press Enter: runas /user:"COMPUTER-NAME\ADMIN-USER" "C:\PATH\TO\PROGRAM.EXE"
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MakeUseOf
makeuseof.com › home › windows › 3 ways to open the windows programs and features tool
3 Ways to Open the Windows Programs and Features Tool
January 2, 2025 - Another method to open Programs and Features is through the Command Prompt, PowerShell, or Windows Terminal. This is handy if you like working on the command line instead of the Windows graphical interface. To open the Command Prompt, type cmd in the Windows search bar and press Enter. You can also press Win + X to open the Power User Menu and choose Terminal, Command Prompt, or PowerShell (depending on what you've selected as ...
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NinjaOne
ninjaone.com › home › blog › it ops › what is appwiz.cpl: everything you need to know
What Is appwiz.cpl: Everything You Need to Know | NinjaOne
July 10, 2025 - There are several ways to access the Programs and Features utility through appwiz.cpl.Each method offers the same result but caters to different workflows. The command prompt allows you to launch appwiz.cpl without navigating through menus or search functions. This approach works well for system administrators who frequently access this utility or need to incorporate it into scripts. ... Press Win+R to open the Run dialog. Type “cmd” and press Enter to launch the Command Prompt.
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Spiceworks
community.spiceworks.com › software & applications
Open control panel object using Run As Different User - Software & Applications - Spiceworks Community
July 7, 2011 - In Windows 7, logged on as a limited user, I can no longer open Add/Remove Programs by right clicking and selecting “Run as a different user” as I use to do in XP. Any ideas how to perform this task in Windows 7? Thanks, CJC
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Windows 10 Forums
tenforums.com › tutorials › 67058-win-x-programs-features-control-panel-settings-windows-10-a.html
Open Apps and Features from Win+X to Control Panel or Settings - Windows 10 Help Forums
October 15, 2016 - Open Apps and Features from Win+X Menu to Control Panel or Settings in Windows 10 The Win+X Quick Link menu is a pop-up menu from the Start button that includes shortcuts of common management, configuration, and other power user Windows tools. Starting with Windows 10 build 14942, Programs and Features in the Win+X menu opens to Settings by default now instead of the Control Panel.
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Winsides.com
winsides.com › home › windows features
Open Windows Features in Windows 11 - Different ways
4 days ago - Open Command Prompt or PowerShell as an administrator. ... Type optionalfeatures and press Enter. The Windows Features dialog will open now. That is it. Click on the Start Menu and open the Control Panel.
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Itarian
itarian.com › blog › how-to-run-cmd-as-administrator
How to Run CMD as Administrator Easily
Type cmd or Command Prompt in the search bar. Right-click on Command Prompt and select Run as administrator. Confirm the User Account Control (UAC) prompt by clicking Yes. Pro Tip: You can pin Command Prompt to your Start Menu for quicker access ...
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10Scopes
10scopes.com › home › tutorials › windows › open programs and features in windows 10 [the fastest way]
Open Programs and Features in Windows 10 [The Fastest Way]
May 16, 2023 - To open programs and features in Command Prompt, Write “appwiz.cpl” in the command line and hit Enter. You can launch the Programs and Features tool using Quick Access, Run, Windows search, Task Manager, CMD, or System Settings.
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Studytonight
studytonight.com › windows › 08-best-ways-to-open-the-windows-programs-and-features-tool
08 Best Ways to Open the Windows Programs and Features Tool - Studytonight
September 16, 2022 - When you want to use the Command Prompt or PowerShell to open The Windows Programs and Features tool, there are a few steps that you need to take. 1) Open Command Prompt or PowerShell (Command Prompt is recommended as it has a more user-friendly interface)