Can you force Visual Studio to always run as an Administrator in Windows 8?

In Windows 8, Windows 10, and Windows 11, you have to right-click devenv.exe and select “Troubleshoot compatibility”.

  1. Select “Troubleshoot program”
  2. Check “The program requires additional permissions”
  3. Click “Next”
  4. Click “Test the program…”
  5. Wait for the program to launch
  6. Click “Next”
  7. Select “Yes, save these settings for this program”
  8. Click “Close”

If, when you open Visual Studio it asks to save changes to devenv.sln, see this answer to disable it:

Disable Visual Studio devenv solution save dialog


If you change your mind and wish to undo the “Run As Administrator” Compatibility setting, see the answer here: How to Fix Unrecognized Guid format in Visual Studio 2015

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