Member Avatar for iqlas

Hi,

I am not able to "run as different user" in my windows 7 (domain login) machine.

For example if i'm trying to start iexplore (run as diff user) It returns the error :

"The system cannot find the file specified".

Please help me. thanks in advance.

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  • Latest Post Latest Post by Ed E

Dani AI

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Short primer tied to the existing replies: and are right that account privileges matter, but the specific error "The system cannot find the file specified" usually means the shell can’t resolve the actual executable or the helper service for credential switching is disabled. The following checks are ordered from quickest to deeper fixes and are targeted at the IE example mentioned by .

  • Confirm what is being right‑clicked. Pinned taskbar icons and some Start Menu shortcuts can point to a wrapper or a URL rather than the real exe. Locate the actual executable (common locations):

    • C:\Program Files\Internet Explorer\iexplore.exe
    • C:\Program Files (x86)\Internet Explorer\iexplore.exe
      Shift+Right‑click that .exe and use "Run as different user" to test.

  • Test with runas from an elevated command prompt to isolate shell/shortcut problems:

    runas /user:DOMAIN\OtherUser "C:\Program Files\Internet Explorer\iexplore.exe"
runas /netonly /user:DOMAIN\OtherUser "C:\Program Files\Internet Explorer\iexplore.exe"

    Use /netonly when only network credentials (not a separate local profile) are required.

  • Check the Secondary Logon service (seclogon). If it’s disabled, RunAs will fail. From an elevated prompt:

    sc config seclogon start= auto
sc start seclogon

  • If running the exe still fails, inspect the .exe association in the registry at HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\exefile\shell\open\command — the default value should be:

    "%1" %*

    Back up the registry before changing anything.

  • If none of the above helps, review Event Viewer for errors at the exact failure time and check with domain/group policy owners. Domain policies can remove or block RunAs behavior even when local settings look correct.

These steps narrow the usual causes (shortcut/wrapper, service disabled, bad registry association, or GPO restrictions) and give actionable ways to confirm which is at fault.

Recommended Answers

All 2 Replies

Member Avatar for hithirdwavedust

Does the other user have the appropriate permissions to do so? Does your account have sufficient privilege to change other user's settings?

Member Avatar for Ed E

Check if you are running as a standard user or as an administrator in the Control Panel. Standard user can't run other user's programs.

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