Subprocess function skips input for password and exits program

Question

I'm calling subprocess.run to execute an external program outside. However the program requires administrative rights, I run the program using administrator but the python console prompts me for a password, but doesn't let me input the password and exits the program.

I've tried using subprocess.popen and subprocess.call , I've also tried running the program without administrative rights but pycharm will throw me a operation requires elevation error.

def runExecutables():
    directory = r"C:\Users\Billy\Desktop\SURVEY_PROGRAM_WINDOWS_ENGLISH.exe"
    #subprocess.Popen(directory)

    subprocess.run(['runas', '/user:Administrator', directory])
    #prog.stdin.write(b'password')
    #prog.communicate()

I should be expecting, either the executable to run, or a prompt that pops up asking for the password to be inputted, proving to me that the executable is indeed being run. I am just getting a python prompt to enter the pass for administrator and it does not wait for me to enter the password before finishing the process.

Answer 1

With Popen, you have to pipe in stdin and flush the input

import subprocess

p = subprocess.Popen(['runas', '/user:Administrator', 'calc.exe'], stdout=subprocess.PIPE, stdin=subprocess.PIPE)
p.stdin.write(b'YourPassword\n')
p.stdin.flush()
stdout, stderr = p.communicate()
print("-----------")
print(stdout)
print("-----------")
print(stderr)

Answer 2

I have avoided this problem by approaching it using command prompt rather than using subprocess.

def runExecutables():
     os.system(r"start C:\Users\Mastodon\Desktop\SURVEY_PROGRAM_WINDOWS_ENGLISH.exe")

Using command prompt alleviates some of the problems that subprocess would inflict. I am unclear as to what the advantages of using subprocess are.