Safe to update programs as a non-administrative user?

[delerious]

There are some programs that allow you to download and install updates,
such as anti-virus, anti-spyware, and firewall software. Would it be OK
to perform the download and installation of the updates with a
non-administrative user? Typically these users don't have permission to
write to program directories. But for certain programs, it *appears* to
work. Is it really safe to try to update a program as a
non-administrative user, or should that only be done as Administrator?

 

[Trevor]

There are some programs that allow you to download and install updates,
such as anti-virus, anti-spyware, and firewall software. Would it be OK
to perform the download and installation of the updates with a
non-administrative user? Typically these users don't have permission to
write to program directories. But for certain programs, it *appears* to
work. Is it really safe to try to update a program as a
non-administrative user, or should that only be done as Administrator?

Are you talking about within a domain? If so that is controlled by
group policy. Updates are generally allowed. But that depends on how
you configure the policies. For example...in a domain with AD users
that have only user rights can install a network printer that was
created as a print queue but would require admin rights to install it
otherwise.
In one example we have Symantec Antivirus Corporate and use the
"Managed" installation so that the users can not use "Live Update" but
the server updates them automatically. On another server we have we
allow live updates...ie for laptop users. Point being that there are
many ways to allow or disallow updates.

Respectfully,

Trev

 

[delerious]

Are you talking about within a domain? If so that is controlled by
group policy. Updates are generally allowed. But that depends on how
you configure the policies. For example...in a domain with AD users
that have only user rights can install a network printer that was
created as a print queue but would require admin rights to install it
otherwise.
In one example we have Symantec Antivirus Corporate and use the
"Managed" installation so that the users can not use "Live Update" but
the server updates them automatically. On another server we have we
allow live updates...ie for laptop users. Point being that there are
many ways to allow or disallow updates.

I'm not talking about within a domain. Just on my home computer, where I
use a non-administrative account for most purposes.

 

[Guest]

If I understand you correctly, you would like to know what is the preferable
method of deploying program updates (in regards to Computers users :
Administrators and Non-Administrator users).

In most situations it is safe to run updates as a user who doesnt has
Administrator rights.

As you are a home user, according to me (I may be wrong), It is advisable to
always create a normal user who can perform administrator rights with a
useful command called "run as".

Here is what I mean:
1.) Create a Limited User
2.) Whenever you want to perform a Administrator task you can use a option
which is called as "run as"
3.) When you click on "Run as" it asks you for a Username and Password of
the Administrator
4.) So even if you are not logged in as as Administrator, still you can
perform administrator's tasks

(Good security practice).

 

[Mark Lindner]

There are some programs that allow you to download and install updates,
such as anti-virus, anti-spyware, and firewall software. Would it be OK
to perform the download and installation of the updates with a
non-administrative user? Typically these users don't have permission to
write to program directories. But for certain programs, it *appears* to
work. Is it really safe to try to update a program as a
non-administrative user, or should that only be done as Administrator?

Hi,
you find a simple free solution for that problem on
http://www.robotronic.de/runasspcEn.html
With that tool runasspc you can give only one application adminrights.