Technical Reference

Running PSCAD With Elevated Privileges

By Lawrence Arendt

This document describes how to launch PSCAD with elevated privileges.

Affected Platforms
This error can occur on the following Windows platforms:
 Windows Vista, and
 Windows 7

Evidence
If PSCAD is not run with elevated privileges, then
 You will not be able to install or use lockless trial licenses,
 You will not be able to use PSCAD to install SUL (or MUL) licenses via the Edit | Workspace
Settings | License | Enter Single User License feature.
 You will not be able to run the example cases installed into the Programs Files\Pscadxxx or
Program Files (x86)\PSCADxxx directory.
 You may not be able to use the Fortran compiler to compile PSCAD cases.

Actions Which will not Resolve this Error

 Compiling other cases, or
 Reinstalling PSCAD or your FORTRAN compiler.

Solutions
1. Start PSCAD each time specifying Administrator privileges. To do so, refer to the section titled
Starting PSCAD with Administrator Privileges.
2. Configure PSCAD to always run with Administrator privileges. To do so, refer to the section
titled Configuring PSCAD to Always Start with Administrator Privileges.

1
Starting PSCAD with Administrator Privileges

On Windows XP, to start PSCAD with administrator privileges, always go

Start | All Programs | PSCAD | PSCAD 4.2.1, right click, Run as...

You then need to specify an account with Power User or Administrator privileges in the following
dialog.

2
On Windows Vista, to start PSCAD with administrator privileges, always go

Start | All Programs | PSCAD | PSCAD 4.2.1, right click, Run as administrator

3
Configuring PSCAD to Always Start with Administrator Privileges

On Windows XP,
Start | All Programs | PSCAD | right click on PSCAD 4.2.1| select Properties
Select the Compatibility tab

Ensure that Allow non-administrators to run this program is selected.

On Windows Vista, to configure the PSCAD.exe to always run with Administrative privileges,

Start | All Programs | PSCAD | right click on PSCAD 4.2.1| select Properties
Select the Compatibility tab

4
On Windows Vista, to configure a particular PSCAD shortcut to always launch PSCAD with
Administrative privileges,

Start | All Programs | PSCAD | right click on PSCAD 4.2.1| select Properties
Select the Shortcut tab

Select Advanced

Select Run as administrator

Last update: Sept 29, 2009