Runas

In computing, runas is a command in the Microsoft Windows line of operating systems that allows a user to run specific tools and programs under a different username to the one that was used to logon to a computer interactively. It is similar to the Unix commands sudo and su, but the Unix commands generally require prior configuration by the system administrator to work for a particular user and/or command.

The runas command was introduced with the Windows 2000 operating system. Any application can use this API to create a process with alternate credentials, for example, Windows Explorer in Windows 7 allows an application to be started under a different account if the shift key is held while right-clicking its icon. The program has the ability to cache verified credentials so that the user only ever has to enter them once.

This section is paraphrased from the runas /? command.

Note: Only type in the user's password, when the system asks for it.

Note: The /profile switch is not compatible with the /netonly switch.

Note: The /savecred and the /smartcard switches may not be used together.

The command is also included in the Inferno operating system.

runas writes the user to /dev/user and invokes cmd with the given arguments.

Note: The command is only invoked if setting of the user name succeeds.

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