Microsoft has streamlined your ability to launch Command Prompt sessions in Windows Vista. Besides accessing the Command Prompt through the Start Menu, the following are three other methods to launch the Command Prompt with varying permission-levels.
Shift and Right-Click
You can hold down shift and right-click and you will get the option to "Open Command Window Here." This will open a Command Prompt that is queued to your current directory.
Right-click for administrator privileges
Additionally, you can edit the registry to add a right-click option for "Administrator Command Prompt Here." This is useful if you are buried in a directory and want to launch an administrator session on the fly.
Note: Editing the registry has the potential to cause serious (and unrecoverable) damage to your PC. If you are at all uncomfortable editing the registry, please do not attempt the following.
Copy the following text into a Notepad file and save the file as AdminPrompt.reg:
Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00
[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Directory\shell\runas]
@="Administrator Command Prompt here"
"NoWorkingDirectory"=""
[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Directory\shell\runas\command]
@="cmd.exe /k \"pushd %L && title Command Prompt\""
[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Drive\shell\runas]
@="Administrator Command Prompt here"
"NoWorkingDirectory"=""
[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Drive\shell\runas\command]
@="cmd.exe /k \"pushd %L && title Command Prompt\""
Open your registry by clicking the Start Menu and typing "regedit." Windows will prompt you for confirmation before running the Registry Editor. In the File menu click Import...