How to Fix “System Error 5 Has Occurred. Access Is Denied.” Command Prompt Error

The Command Prompt, also known as cmd, is a Windows tool that can execute over 280 commands on a simple command-line interface. It manages the same commands users usually perform using the Graphical Windows Interface (GUI), as well as performs advanced administrative tasks.

To use the Command Prompt, all you need to do is to enter a valid command and press Enter. However, as with any other software tool, you might run into errors that prevent you from finishing your tasks. One such issue is the "System error 5 has occurred. Access is denied." error message, which pops up when you don't have the required privileges to execute a command.

The "System error 5 has occurred. Access is denied." error usually occurs when you are trying to execute a command that requires the Command Prompt to run with administrative privileges. Bear in mind that starting the Command Prompt from an admin account doesn't grant the app administrative privileges. You can check if the Command prompt is running with elevated access by looking at the title of the Command Prompt's window. If the title says "Command Prompt," you are running a non-administrative version of the tool. If the title says "Administrator: Command Prompt," the tool is running with elevated privileges.

The "System error 5 has occurred. Access is denied." error may appear as a problematic issue, but it is quite easy to fix. Follow these easy steps to start your Command Prompt with administrative privileges.

How to start the Command Prompt with administrative privileges? 

1. Open the Start menu and type "cmd".
2. Right-click on the Command Prompt app and select "Run as administrator" from the drop-down menu.
3. A pop-up will ask you whether you allow this app to make changes to your device. Click Yes.

The Command Prompt will now start with elevated privileges. You can now execute commands without encountering the annoying "System error 5 has occurred" error.