Administrator vs. Elevated

[ChrisGreaves]

My system is Windows10 Pro; 10.0.19044Build 19044 on an ACER Travelmate P2510-G2-M laptop. I am the only user.
Two years ago when I set up this machine I called the machine ACER075 and the only user is named Chris075 (because this is the 75th installation since about Win95 days).

I recall (2 years ago) being confused with setting up the Chris075 account. Something about needing a second account "Chris075a" in order to create the Chris075 account. I use and act as Chris075 daily, but see Chris075a from time to time; it is lurking somewhere.

Since no one else has access to the system, I like to sign on and run as Administrator. I am in effect the IT manager of this one-man installation and ought to be trusted to know what I am doing on a daily basis. I download and run 3rd-party programs, but 95% of the time only on recommendations from my supeeriors[sic].

Question 1: Is the phrase "Run as administrator" synonymous with the term "Elevated"?
That is, in my current system, am I always running every program as an administrator? And if so, am I always running every program in elevated mode?

Question 2: If the answer to Question 1 is "no", might you please give an example where the difference is likely to impact someone like me?

i have other questions on this issue but first want to get my terminology correct.
Thanks, Chris

[HansV]

Running an application in elevated mode is the same as running it as administrator.

Even if your user Chris075 has admin permissions, that does not mean that he runs all applications as administrator automatically.
You can set specific applications to run as administrator automatically - see for example How to set apps to always run as an administrator on Windows 10.

It is theoretically possible to make Windows run all Windows applications (but not Windows Store apps) in elevated mode, but I would strongly recommend against that, even though you are the only user. If you visit a website that manages to place malware on your computer, it could wreak havoc.

[ChrisGreaves]

Running an application in elevated mode is the same as running it as administrator.

Thanks Hans. It seems then that there is a term "administrator" that is applied to a user account and a term "elevated" that applies to a process running at a specific time.
That is, Chris075 is an administrator 24 hours a day, but when Chris075 runs a command prompt, that command prompt can be running elevated today and not elevated tomorrow.
It follows then that although the two terms are related, I ought to use "elevated" when I am talking about a process or application, and "administrator" when I am talking about a user privilege.

Even if your user Chris075 has admin permissions, that does not mean that he runs all applications as administrator automatically.
You can set specific applications to run as administrator automatically - see for example How to set apps to always run as an administrator on Windows 10.

Thanks too for this; this suggests that "elevated tasks" need the existence of an "administrator account" for those tasks to be available. Were I a multi-user system, Chris75-administrator could designate a task as "elevated" for the non-administrator user Hans075, but the same task could be designated non-elevated for some other non-administrator user Charles075. is that close to the truth?

My tendency leans more towards designating every application (I have slyly changed terminology), initiated by me to run elevated mode by default (but see below), rather than cherry-picking applications.

It is theoretically possible to make Windows run all Windows applications (but not Windows Store apps) in elevated mode, but I would strongly recommend against that, even though you are the only user. If you visit a website that manages to place malware on your computer, it could wreak havoc.

Quite so.
This would satisfy me right now, and here I sign the traditional disclaimer that "I understand that doing so may render my system vulnerable to destruction etc. etc."

For a short period (typically ten minutes) when I am debugging an application I might choose to risk intrusion or block intrusion totally to see the impact of [non-]elevated tasks across the system.

Thanks again, Chris

[JoeP]

I can't remember the release (maybe Windows 7) but some time ago now Microsoft changed the security model. When a user account is assigned to the administrator group the account can do more than a regular user account. This does NOT mean that the account has the same permissions as the built-in Administrator account.

[ChrisGreaves]

I can't remember the release (maybe Windows 7) but some time ago now Microsoft changed the security model. When a user account is assigned to the administrator group the account can do more than a regular user account. This does NOT mean that the account has the same permissions as the built-in Administrator account.

Hello Joe.
This statement suggests to me that there are three levels.
(1) the regular user, non-administrator level, at which the user can run programs, but finds hurdles when they try to install new applications.
(2) the administrator level, as I have thought of it up until now, a user who can install new programs, create accounts and other "owner of the installation" activities
(3) the built-in administrator, which sounds like a very primitive but very powerful relative of Microsoft, who hangs around long enough for me to set up a user at the (2) administrator level, and then the (3) steps aside; essentially handing over the keys of the house from (3) to (2). leaving (2) to finish unpacking the truck, assigning bedrooms and so on.

If this is so, then the (3) exists, is of use, only for a short period of perhaps thirty minutes.
Thanks, Chris

[DaveA]

There are some actions that even the number 2 level cannot do and requires Level 3 to accomplice.
This when one's system will ask if you want Level 3 to make the changes, the user is logged in as a Level 2.

It has been this way since at least Windows 7