On a sys running XP Pro with accounts set to Limited level (for the kids) an
older Sims game meant for Win 9x will install but only runs if the account
that starts it is an Administrator.
To run the game while logged on as in a limited account I've tried using the
the RunAs on the game.exe which will work, but only if you type the admin
account and password at the the time you start the app (game.exe).

What's broken is that the RunAs credentials do not seem to be getting saved
with the game.exe shortcut/link.

What part of the system is responsible for remembering the RunAs setting
across sessions (login's, each run of game.exe) - is it up to the game or
should different settings in XP cause it to be stored?

Or is there something else I need to change to keep the RunAs settings?
I'm willing to provide more specifics on request if it will help.

Thanks,
Jeff

"Jeff_the_IT_guy" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in
message news:295E7487-0429-4BAE-8F98-(E-Mail Removed)...

> To run the game while logged on as in a limited account I've tried using
> the
> the RunAs on the game.exe which will work, but only if you type the
> admin
> account and password at the the time you start the app (game.exe).

From the keyboard of Jimmy S:

How to Create a Secure Admin Account for use with the Run As... Command
???????????????????????????????????????????????????????????
1. Click Start / Control Panel / User Accounts / Create a New Account /
Name the Account: "able2play" (without quotes) / Next Pick: "Computer-
Administrator" & Click "Create Account";

2. Click on your new able2play account and Create a Password for it;

3. When your limited user wants to play a game that requires Administrator
privileges they can Right-Click the shortcut to that game / Click Run
As... /
"The Following User": able2play and enter the password.

Steps 4 and 5 are optional, and are to prevent a user from logging on to the
computer as an administrator using the able2play account and password:

4. Remove "able2play" from the Welcome screen: Save and run my reg patch
which will add able2play to the hidden user list in your Windows XP
registry:
http://www3.sympatico.ca/nibblesnbits/able2play.reg (Save and then
Open).
or
* To avoid the above patch, run regedt32, browse to [HKLM\SOFTWARE\
Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Winlogon\SpecialAccounts\UserList]
Click Edit / New / Dword value / ValueName: able2play / Value Data: 0
(hex)

5. This step will force the able2play account to logoff if anyone logs on
with it.
What I do is add a shortcut to the windows logoff routine into the RUN
key
of the able2play registry. Again, I made a reg patch to simplify this
process:

5a. <ONLY RUN THIS PATCH USING THE ABLE2PLAY ACCOUNT>
Click and Save this patch to the Local Disk (C Drive DO NOT OPEN IT
http://www3.sympatico.ca/nibblesnbit...layAccount.reg

5b. Click Start / Log off / Click a blank area on the right side of the
Welcome
screen, and then press CTRL+ALT+DELETE to logon the able2play accnt.
Now, doubleclick the patch from step 5a, install it, delete it, and then
Logoff.
or
* To avoid using the reg patch, click Start / Run / regedt32 / browse
to:
[HKCU\SOFTWARE\ Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run] and
Click Edit / New / String value / ValueName: logoff / Value data: logoff
REMEMBER: Only create this auto logoff while logged on as able2play!

--
Paul Smith,
Yeovil, UK.
http://windows.dasmirnov.net/ Windows XP Resource Site.
http://www.halflifeportal.com/ All things Half-Life.
http://www.doom3portal.com/ A Doom 3 fansite.

*Replace nospam with smirnov to reply by e-mail*

Paul,
Thanks for the suggestion. I had already thought of 90% of what you
suggested, less the dis-able of the 'able2play' acct from the Welcome screen.

I'm not at the system with the problem at this moment, but I believe better
than 95% that your solution will not fix the problem I was seeing. I was able
to run RunAs and set the game.exe to know to seek to use RunAs, using the
credentials for an Admin.

The problem was that after running game.exe once using the entered acct name
and password for the Admin acct are no longer stored with the game.exe file.

So by your solution I'd only alter the game.exe to using an different Admin
level account, but not figure out why the game.exe does not retain the
properties for RunAs more than one execution. So I'm expecting to still be
promtped for 'able2play' credentials if I implement your solution.

Do you agree?

Does anyone else know of a solution more like what I am seeking - to save
state for RunAs for a game that runs a 'game.exe' off the hard drive that
then calls 'more.exe' off the CD (which I suspect is related to lack of state
being saved)?

Thanks (so far),
Jeff

"Paul Smith" wrote:

> "Jeff_the_IT_guy" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in
> message news:295E7487-0429-4BAE-8F98-(E-Mail Removed)...
>
> > To run the game while logged on as in a limited account I've tried using
> > the
> > the RunAs on the game.exe which will work, but only if you type the
> > admin
> > account and password at the the time you start the app (game.exe).
>
> From the keyboard of Jimmy S:
>
> How to Create a Secure Admin Account for use with the Run As... Command
> ???????????????????????????????????????????????????????????
> 1. Click Start / Control Panel / User Accounts / Create a New Account /
> Name the Account: "able2play" (without quotes) / Next Pick: "Computer-
> Administrator" & Click "Create Account";
>
> 2. Click on your new able2play account and Create a Password for it;
>
> 3. When your limited user wants to play a game that requires Administrator
> privileges they can Right-Click the shortcut to that game / Click Run
> As... /
> "The Following User": able2play and enter the password.
>
> Steps 4 and 5 are optional, and are to prevent a user from logging on to the
> computer as an administrator using the able2play account and password:
>
> 4. Remove "able2play" from the Welcome screen: Save and run my reg patch
> which will add able2play to the hidden user list in your Windows XP
> registry:
> http://www3.sympatico.ca/nibblesnbits/able2play.reg (Save and then
> Open).
> or
> * To avoid the above patch, run regedt32, browse to [HKLM\SOFTWARE\
> Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Winlogon\SpecialAccounts\UserList]
> Click Edit / New / Dword value / ValueName: able2play / Value Data: 0
> (hex)
>
> 5. This step will force the able2play account to logoff if anyone logs on
> with it.
> What I do is add a shortcut to the windows logoff routine into the RUN
> key
> of the able2play registry. Again, I made a reg patch to simplify this
> process:
>
> 5a. <ONLY RUN THIS PATCH USING THE ABLE2PLAY ACCOUNT>
> Click and Save this patch to the Local Disk (C Drive DO NOT OPEN IT
> http://www3.sympatico.ca/nibblesnbit...layAccount.reg
>
> 5b. Click Start / Log off / Click a blank area on the right side of the
> Welcome
> screen, and then press CTRL+ALT+DELETE to logon the able2play accnt.
> Now, doubleclick the patch from step 5a, install it, delete it, and then
> Logoff.
> or
> * To avoid using the reg patch, click Start / Run / regedt32 / browse
> to:
> [HKCU\SOFTWARE\ Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run] and
> Click Edit / New / String value / ValueName: logoff / Value data: logoff
> REMEMBER: Only create this auto logoff while logged on as able2play!
>
> --
> Paul Smith,
> Yeovil, UK.
> http://windows.dasmirnov.net/ Windows XP Resource Site.
> http://www.halflifeportal.com/ All things Half-Life.
> http://www.doom3portal.com/ A Doom 3 fansite.
>
> *Replace nospam with smirnov to reply by e-mail*
>
>
>
>

"Jeff_the_IT_guy" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:29BB47A2-E724-459A-8862-(E-Mail Removed)...

> Does anyone else know of a solution more like what I am seeking - to save
> state for RunAs for a game that runs a 'game.exe' off the hard drive that
> then calls 'more.exe' off the CD (which I suspect is related to lack of
> state
> being saved)?

I'm not aware of a solution the way I posted is a work around, ie you can
give them the password for that account, but they won't actually be able to
logon to it because it will auto logoff.

--
Paul Smith,
Yeovil, UK.
http://windows.dasmirnov.net/ Windows XP Resource Site.
http://www.halflifeportal.com/ All things Half-Life.
http://www.doom3portal.com/ A Doom 3 fansite.

*Replace nospam with smirnov to reply by e-mail*