Running Horizon as Administrator: A Comprehensive Guide
Horizon is a powerful virtual desktop infrastructure (VDI) solution that enables users to access and manage virtual machines from a remote location. However, to take full advantage of Horizon's features, it's essential to run the application as an administrator. Running Horizon as administrator provides numerous benefits, including enhanced security, improved performance, and increased flexibility. In this article, we'll explore the importance of running Horizon as administrator and provide step-by-step instructions on how to do it.
Why Run Horizon as Administrator?
Running Horizon as administrator provides several benefits, including:
- Enhanced security: Running Horizon as administrator ensures that the application has the necessary permissions to access and manage virtual machines securely.
- Improved performance: Administrator privileges enable Horizon to access system resources more efficiently, resulting in improved performance and responsiveness.
- Increased flexibility: Running Horizon as administrator allows administrators to manage virtual machines, create new machines, and assign resources more effectively.
- Better troubleshooting: With administrator privileges, administrators can troubleshoot issues more effectively and resolve problems more quickly.
Pre-requisites for Running Horizon as Administrator
Before running Horizon as administrator, ensure that you meet the following pre-requisites:

1. You have administrative privileges on the computer where Horizon is installed.
2. You have a valid license for Horizon.
3. You have the latest version of Horizon installed on your computer.

Step-by-Step Instructions for Running Horizon as Administrator
Method 1: Running Horizon as Administrator using the Context Menu
To run Horizon as administrator using the context menu, follow these steps:
1. Right-click on the Horizon shortcut icon on your desktop or in the Start menu.
2. Select "Run as administrator" from the context menu.
3. Click "Yes" to confirm that you want to run Horizon as administrator.
Method 2: Running Horizon as Administrator from the Command Prompt
To run Horizon as administrator from the command prompt, follow these steps:
1. Open the Command Prompt as an administrator. To do this, right-click on the Command Prompt icon and select "Run as administrator."
2. Navigate to the directory where Horizon is installed using the cd command.
3. Type the command to run Horizon as administrator, followed by the path to the Horizon executable file. For example:
"C:\Program Files\VMware\VMware Horizon View\ HorizonView.exe"
4. Press Enter to run Horizon as administrator.
Method 3: Running Horizon as Administrator using a Script
To run Horizon as administrator using a script, follow these steps:
1. Create a new script file using a text editor, such as Notepad.
2. Add the following line of code to the script file to run Horizon as administrator:
start "C:\Program Files\VMware\VMware Horizon View\ HorizonView.exe" /admin
3. Save the script file with a.bat extension, such as run_horizon_as_admin.bat.
4. Run the script file to launch Horizon as administrator.
Conclusion
Running Horizon as administrator provides numerous benefits, including enhanced security, improved performance, and increased flexibility. By following the step-by-step instructions outlined in this article, you can easily run Horizon as administrator using the context menu, command prompt, or a script. Whether you're an IT administrator or a Horizon user, running the application as administrator is essential to get the most out of its features.