How to Enable or Disable the sudo Command in Windows 11

What Are the Different Ways sudo Can Work?

• In a new window: This opens a new window to run the command with administrator rights.
• With input disabled: The command runs in the same window but doesn’t accept input while running.
• Inline: The command runs in the same window and accepts input, like on Linux or Mac.

Windows 11 sudo offers three different operational modes that control how administrator commands run. You can configure sudo to open commands in a new window, run them in the current window with input disabled, or run them inline so you can still type responses. Choosing the right sudo mode depends on your workflow and how you want to interact with your administrator prompts.

How to Enable sudo Using Windows Settings

You can enable sudo in Windows 11 using the Settings ⚙️ app by going to the developer options menu. This is the quickest method to turn on sudo without needing to use command-line tools or make registry changes. Once you flip the switch in Settings, your PC is ready to run administrator commands directly from the console.

1. Open the Settings app ⚙️. You can do this by:

   • Clicking the Start button ⊞ and then Settings, or
   • Pressing Win+I on your keyboard.
2. In Settings, click on System on the left side.
   
   

   

   
   
3. On the right side, find and click For Developers.
   
   

   

   
   
4. Find the option for Enable sudo and turn the switch to On to enable it.
   

   

   You can also pick how you want sudo to work by selecting one of the three modes from the dropdown:

   • In a new window
   • With input disabled
   • Inline
5. To turn off sudo, just switch the toggle to Off.

How to Enable or Disable sudo Using Windows Terminal (Command Prompt)

Windows Terminal lets you enable or disable sudo using command-line instructions. You can run specific commands to turn the feature on in your preferred mode or turn it completely off when you no longer need it. This method gives you direct control over your sudo settings without having to click through the graphical Settings menu.

Enable sudo in "In a new window" mode:

sudo config --enable forceNewWindow

Enable sudo in "With input disabled" mode:

sudo config --enable disableInput

Enable sudo in "Inline" mode:

sudo config --enable normal

Disable sudo command:

sudo config --enable disable

Enable or Disable sudo Using Windows Registry Editor

Windows Registry Editor lets you enable or disable sudo by modifying a specific registry key value. You can change the setting manually by navigating to the correct system folder and updating the data value to turn the feature on or off. This advanced method is useful if you manage multiple systems or prefer editing the registry directly.

1. Open the Registry Editor.
2. Go to this folder path:
   

   Computer\HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Sudo

3. Look for a value named Enabled on the right side. Double-click it to change its number.
4. Use these numbers to choose a mode:

   • 1 – "In a new window" mode
   • 2 – "With input disabled" mode
   • 3 – "Inline" mode
   • 0 – Disable sudo
5. If you don't see Enabled, right-click on a blank space, choose New › DWORD (32-bit) Value, name it Enabled, and set its value to one of the numbers above.
   

   

   
   

6. After making changes in Registry, restart your computer for them to take effect.

Summary

Turning on sudo in Windows 11 helps you run commands as admin easily from the command line. This makes your work faster and helps keep your computer safer by not needing to log in as an administrator all the time. For more details, you can visit the official Microsoft blog.