Fix: The Requested Operation requires Elevation

Many times Windows users are blocked to open any file, document, or folder with an error message box, “The requested operation requires elevation” when they try to access them from an external hard disk. 

Encountering such a problem can be really frustrating, especially for the non-technical users, because there is no clear information about what this error message is and how it occurs.

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If you are also experiencing the same issue, then you don’t need to worry anymore.

In this guide, we would discuss what “The requested operation requires elevation” problem is and the most common fixes to it.

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What is “The requested operation requires elevation” error message?

As the error message indicates, users require the elevation for accessing the required files, that is, higher-level permission. By higher-level permission, we mean that the user needs to be the local administrator to gain ownership of the hard disk and access its files. To fix the problem, you need to change the hard disk ownership or if you encounter the error while running an application, try launching that app with the administrator rights.

Fix “The requested operation requires elevation” error

Here are the top solutions to get rid of this error message.

Take Ownership of the Hard Drive

The error can be easily solved by taking ownership of the hard disk. Here is how you can do that.

  1. Log in to your system with your Administrator account.

  2. Open File Explorer and look for your Hard Disk, right-click on it and choose Properties.
    hard drive properties

  3. Under the Security tab, click on Advanced
    Security Advanced settings

  4. Click on Change beside Owner to change it.
    Change Owner

  5. Write “*Your PC Name*\User” and select OK.
    write Users

  6. Click Apply and OK, to apply and save settings.


Run the App as an Administrator

As already mentioned, the error can occur while running an app from the hard disk. Running the app with admin rights can solve the issue. Continue with these steps:

  1. Right-click on the shortcut of the program and choose Properties.app properties
  2. Under the Compatibility tab, check the box next to Run this program as an administrator.check run this program as admin
  3. Lastly, click Apply and OK to confirm the changes.
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Disable User Account Control

Sometimes the User Account Control can also cause that error message. Try disabling it and check whether the issue is resolved.

  1. From the windows search box, search for Control Panel and open it.Open Control Panel
  2. Select System and Security from the next window.System and Security
  3. Next, choose Security and Maintenance.Security-and-Maintenance
  4. In the next window, from the left pane, select Change User Account Control settings.Change UAC settings
  5. Drag the slider to Never Notify to disable the UAC prompts. Click OK and exit.Never Notify UAC
  6. Restart your system

Change Folder Permission

Changing the folder permission can also fix the elevated permission problem. To do that, follow these steps.

  1. Right-click on the folder you need to open and choose Properties.Folder properties
  2. Under the Security tab, select the Advanced option.Choose Advanced option
  3. Check the box next to Replace all child object permission entries with inheritable permission entries from this object.Child object permission
  4. Click Apply and OK.
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Select Elevate Without Prompting in GPEDIT

The final solution to fix the issue is using GPEDIT that is Group Policy Editor. However, this solution does not apply to Windows 10 Home users.

  1. Search GPEDIT in the windows search box and open it.gpedit
  2. Navigate to this path Computer Configuration > Windows Settings > Security Settings > Local Policies > Security Options
  3. On the right pane, search for User Account Control: Behavior of the elevation prompt for administrators in Admin Approval Mode. Right-click on it and choose Properties.Select Properties
  4. From the drop-down menu and select Elevate without prompting.Choose elevate without prompting
  5. Click Apply and OK to save the settings.

Bottom Line

These are the top solutions to Fix the “The requested operation requires elevation” error. As you can see, the solutions are straightforward and do not require much technical knowledge, so the person with no in-depth knowledge can also fix the issue quickly. Comment down if the problem persists even after trying all the fixes.

1. What is Error 740?

Error 740 is the code to the windows error prompt- “The requested operation requires elevation.” Apply the fixes explained in this guide to solve this issue.

2. What does “Run as Administrator” do?

Suppose you execute the application with the “Run as Administrator” command. In that case, you are notifying the system that your application is safe and doing something that requires the administrator privileges, with your permission.

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