PowerToys.Run does not launch apps through the user account that has started PowerToys

[ZenoArrow]

Microsoft PowerToys version

0.56.2

Running as admin

• Yes

Area(s) with issue?

PowerToys Run

Steps to reproduce

Ensure PowerToys is not running. Find PowerToys.exe, shift+rightclick, run as different user. After PowerToys started, Alt+Space to launch PowerToys.Run, start cmd. In cmd, enter whoami. The user shown is not the "different user" that was used to start PowerToys.

✔️ Expected Behavior

PowerToys.Run should use the same user that was used to start PowerToys. To show expected behaviour, run cmd (without using PowerToys.Run) as a different user, and in cmd run whoami, the name of the different user should then be shown.

❌ Actual Behavior

PowerToys.Run ignores the user that was used to start PowerToys.

Other Software

cmd (from Microsoft Windows [Version 10.0.19044.1586])

[jaimecbernardo]

It does. I think this is the case of using the shell as a way to start PowerToys Run as not administrator. We use the shell for it and this looks like a side effect from it. Many users scenarios are not well supported by PowerToys.

[ZenoArrow]

To add some details the "different user" that I'm running as has admin rights. Hopefully this can be a feature that can be added. Ideally I would like to run as both a different user and as an admin (in this scenario, I would hope to be prompted for a username and password at startup, but not be prompted afterwards).

[htcfreek]

@jaimecbernardo
Should we mark this as duplicate of #1605. This allows to run apps and commands as different user.

[jaimecbernardo]

I think @ZenoArrow wants something different here. I think he wants to be prompted once when PowerToys Run starts, but I imagine #1605 is likely what's going to happen.

[htcfreek]

As I imagine in the past we keept the permission/context that runner has. But because then everything is open with admin permission if runner has it, we changed behavior to start pt run always in non elevated context.

[ZenoArrow]

As I imagine in the past we keept the permission/context that runner has. But because then everything is open with admin permission if runner has it, we changed behavior to start pt run always in non elevated context.

What I'm asking for is the option to override this default behaviour. I'd like to be able to start PowerToys, enter my alternate user credentials once, using a user that has admin rights, and not be prompted for UAC again any time I use PowerToys.Run until I close and reopen PowerToys.

I realise that what I've described will never be the default behaviour, as it'll not be seen as following "best practices" for managing user rights, but I would like for PowerToys to give me the option to do this. Believe it or not, the request is being made as it would on-balance permit greater user restrictions elsewhere in IT systems I work with, thereby improving security overall without negatively impacting on user workflows (I wouldn't want to go into the exact specifics for security reasons, I just wanted to highlight that this request will enable better workflows in some cases).