Run as TrustedInstaller

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Recommendation

Situational

Do not enable for a regular user.

Such a launch can modify protected Windows components and amplifies the consequences of a mistake or a malicious file.

Main effect: Run as TrustedInstaller
FPS and memory: See the research

What changes

The setting adds a “Run as TrustedInstaller” item to the file context menu. According to the BoosterX description, it is available for .exe, .ps1, .bat and .reg files and helps launch programs and scripts that need access to protected data.

The visible difference from the “Take ownership” setting: launching with elevated rights does not change the file owner and leaves no permanent changes — after a reboot the system returns to the original rights. “Take ownership” changes the owner permanently.

Exceptions and differences

The TrustedInstaller right is higher than administrative: it is intended for rare maintenance tasks. For a one-off task it is safer to open Trusted Run deliberately, check the file and prepare recovery. Do not run unknown scripts. The setting is not hidden in either Windows 10 or Windows 11.

How to verify the result

Right-click a .exe file: the “Run as TrustedInstaller” item has appeared in the context menu.

How to change and revert

Open Optimization → Customization → Context menu → Run as TrustedInstaller and enable the setting. Click “Apply” at the bottom of the page; if “Instant apply” is enabled, a separate button is not required. To revert, disable the setting — the item will disappear from the context menu.

Confirmation

Comparison with a permanent owner change: “Take ownership”.
A tool for rare tasks: Trusted Run.
Research on BoosterX shell settings.
The behavior of a one-off launch with TrustedInstaller rights is described according to the visible BoosterX description; no public Microsoft documentation about rights being restored after a reboot was found as of the verification date, so the claim remains without an external source.

Last verified: 2026-09-19.