Switching between Administrator and Power User accounts

[Mark]

I created a new Power User account in Vista. The only other account
that exists in Vista is the default Administrator account. After I
created the Power User account, I logged out of the Administrator
account, logged in to the Power User account and the profile created. I
then logged out of the Power User account and back in to the
Administrator account. Everything is fine at this point.

I decided to try out Vista's Switch User feature. While I was logged in
to Vista using the default Administrator account, I clicked on the
Windows Orb, clicked on the right arrow and selected Switch User that is
on top of the content menu. I logged in to the Power User account.
When I switched back to the default Administrator account, the
Administrator profile acted like it created a new desktop / profile.
The previous shortcuts on the desktop, wallpaper, etc. were back at the
default settings. After seeing this unexpected behavior in Vista and
worried about loosing my Administrator profile settings, I switched back
to the Power User account, log off out of the account, and logged back
in to the default Administrator account. When I logged in to the
default Administrator account, all my shortcuts and settings returned.

I have no idea why at this time why all of my Administrator settings
were lost when switching users.

I logged off and back in to each account, the Power User and default
Administrator account, to verify the accounts were still intact. Now
when I switch between these two accounts, all settings retain.

Anyone else experience this strange problem. I frequently use multiple
profile in Windows, mostly for support and testing scenarios including
learning more about the operating system, and never experienced this
type of problem in Windows XP.


Thanks.
Mark, MCP

 

[Scott]

I created a new Power User account in Vista. The only other account
that exists in Vista is the default Administrator account. After I
created the Power User account, I logged out of the Administrator
account, logged in to the Power User account and the profile created. I
then logged out of the Power User account and back in to the
Administrator account. Everything is fine at this point.......

I recently read somewhere that MS decided to do away with Power User
accounts in Vista. I'm surprised the option is still around.

This may (or may not) have something to do with your problem.

 

[Mark]

I recently read somewhere that MS decided to do away with Power User
accounts in Vista. I'm surprised the option is still around.

This may (or may not) have something to do with your problem.

The Power User may not be available in all Vista version, I have no idea.

However, Vista's Help and Support has the Power Users documented and its
available. You have to run MMC and add the Local Users and Groups
snap-in to set an account to Power Users. The User Accounts in Control
Panel only show Administrator and Standard users.

 

[Scott]

The Power User may not be available in all Vista version, I have no idea.

However, Vista's Help and Support has the Power Users documented and its
available. You have to run MMC and add the Local Users and Groups
snap-in to set an account to Power Users. The User Accounts in Control
Panel only show Administrator and Standard users.

Yup I just took a look at it. I used to be a Power User myself in XP.

 

[Frankster]

The Power User may not be available in all Vista version, I have no idea.

However, Vista's Help and Support has the Power Users documented and its
available. You have to run MMC and add the Local Users and Groups snap-in
to set an account to Power Users. The User Accounts in Control Panel only
show Administrator and Standard users.

Wow... those sneaky B*st**ds! LOL. And after all that "no more power user"
hype! Shame.

-Frank

 

[Scott]

Wow... those sneaky B*st**ds! LOL. And after all that "no more power user"
hype! Shame.

Cool. I wasn't the only one who'd read that.

 

[Alexander Suhovey]

As a side note, there's no real difference between Power Users and
Administrators security-wise. See links below:

A member of the Power Users group may be able to gain administrator rights
and permissions in Windows Server 2003, Windows 2000, or Windows XP
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/825069

The Power in Power Users
http://web.archive.org/web/20060511...ls.com/blog/2006/05/power-in-power-users.html

Proof that LUA makes you safer
http://silverstr.ufies.org/blog/archives/000913.html

As for me, in the last several years I was running either as standard user
(at home) or as an administrator with restricted token (much like UAC
behavior in Vista) using RunAsAdmin program which allowed quick and easy
elevation:
http://sourceforge.net/projects/runasadmin

In Vista I'm running as standard user.