Windows Server 2012: How to run everything as Administrator

I’ve recently ported a few servers from Windows 2008 to Windows 2012 and learned a few things here and there – especially regarding the security model of Windows 2012

Most of you know about User Access Control (disclaimer: I have a hard time being emotionally detached towards UAC) a.k.a “Let’s figure out a way to make people grind their teeth and then we’ll enter the business of dentistry and get filthy rich” (no pun intended). This so-called “feature” has been facelifted once more in Windows 2012 which means that it is almost impossible to make Windows 2012 accept your administrative rights as… well, administrative rights. Why did you guys have to invent TWO kinds of administrators – one which can do almost everything and the “Run as administrator” administrator… ??

Anyway… terms and limitations which one does not have the influence to alter or change one must either work around (and rant whenever possible) or walk away (while ranting). The third and – while not pretty – is to simply slap the server hard until it stops whining and accepts it’s place as second in command. The best way to achieve your natural position as Leader of the Pack (a.k.a Server aAministrator) is by using Powershell. UAC can in fact be turned off so that every time you fire up any program you’ll run with elevated privileges – for the sake of the sanity of my fellow programming colleagues around the world here’s how to do it  (I got to make Gist work one of these days…)

I won’t take credit for writing the lines myself – I just put it all together in a Gist.

Regards K.

P.S. – There might be side-effects – the blogpost above mentions that the Metro Store might not be available when UAC is disabled