How to resolve OFFCAT “must be installed with elevated permissions on Windows Server” error

During a recent Office 365 troubleshooting scenario I needed to install the Microsoft Office Configuration Analyzer Tool (OFFCAT), but noticed that OFFCAT cannot be installed on Windows Server 2012 R2 using the default installation process.

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In this case OFFCAT throws the following error:

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The cause of issue is User Account Control that does not grant the user administrative privileges in the default logon session. Refer to User Account Control for further description.

In order to install OFFCAT properly, first move the OffCAT.msi file away from the default download folder under the user profile and to a common folder, like C:\Temp.

Then open an elevated Command Prompt.

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Run the OffCAT.msi from the elevated command prompt

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The OFFCAT should now start a standard installation without any issue.

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