Admin & non Admin, NTFS vs FAT32

[Gregory L. Forster, E.A.]

I have WinXP Pro SP2. For the past several years,
I ran an admin account for software update and
installation. I had a non admin account for
general everyday operation and all the software
worked there. I had my WinXP Pro SP2 on a FAT32
40Gig hard drive.

Last month, my motherboard and hard drive were
failing. Earlier this month, I had a new
motherboard installed and a 400Gig SATA hard drive
installed. I was told that because of the huge
size of the hard drive, my Windows XP Pro SP2 was
installed as an NTFS, rather than a FAT 32.

All my software installed and works beautifully in
the admin account. However, creating a functional
non admin account does not seem possible. I was
told by the tech that did the work for me that it
was because of the NTFS structure I was unable to
create a useable non admin account.

So, now what do I do? I was on the Microsoft
website and it stated that I could partition part
of the hard drive for FAT 32, but won't that
destroy the data that's already there?

Greg

 

[Malke]

I have WinXP Pro SP2. For the past several years, I ran an admin
account for software update and installation. I had a non admin account
for general everyday operation and all the software worked there. I had
my WinXP Pro SP2 on a FAT32 40Gig hard drive.

Last month, my motherboard and hard drive were failing. Earlier this
month, I had a new motherboard installed and a 400Gig SATA hard drive
installed. I was told that because of the huge size of the hard drive,
my Windows XP Pro SP2 was installed as an NTFS, rather than a FAT 32.

All my software installed and works beautifully in the admin account.
However, creating a functional non admin account does not seem possible.
I was told by the tech that did the work for me that it was because of
the NTFS structure I was unable to create a useable non admin account.

So, now what do I do? I was on the Microsoft website and it stated that
I could partition part of the hard drive for FAT 32, but won't that
destroy the data that's already there?

That tech needs to find a job in a completely different line of work. It
is totally untrue that you can't create a standard user account in XP
Pro on an NTFS partition. As a matter of fact, in all the uncountable
times I've installed XP since it came out I've never installed on a
FAT32 partition.

So something else is wrong with your system. You need to give details;
just saying "creating a functional non admin account does not seem
possible" isn't enough. All you've told us is "it's broken".

Please post back with details about how you are creating the account and
what happens so we can help you. If you get error messages, quote them
exactly.


Malke

 

[mikeyhsd]

sounds like the "TECH" screwed something up when he rebuilt you system.

there should be no reason why you should not be able to create a USER account.

do you have the expertise to format the hard drive and reinstall the software.

might be an easy way to straighten out the mess he made of it.
or check to see if there is a computer club in your area that may have some users that would be willing to help.



(e-mail address removed)



I have WinXP Pro SP2. For the past several years,
I ran an admin account for software update and
installation. I had a non admin account for
general everyday operation and all the software
worked there. I had my WinXP Pro SP2 on a FAT32
40Gig hard drive.

Last month, my motherboard and hard drive were
failing. Earlier this month, I had a new
motherboard installed and a 400Gig SATA hard drive
installed. I was told that because of the huge
size of the hard drive, my Windows XP Pro SP2 was
installed as an NTFS, rather than a FAT 32.

All my software installed and works beautifully in
the admin account. However, creating a functional
non admin account does not seem possible. I was
told by the tech that did the work for me that it
was because of the NTFS structure I was unable to
create a useable non admin account.

So, now what do I do? I was on the Microsoft
website and it stated that I could partition part
of the hard drive for FAT 32, but won't that
destroy the data that's already there?

Greg

 

[Bruce Chambers]

I have WinXP Pro SP2. For the past several years, I ran an admin
account for software update and installation. I had a non admin account
for general everyday operation and all the software worked there. I had
my WinXP Pro SP2 on a FAT32 40Gig hard drive.

Last month, my motherboard and hard drive were failing. Earlier this
month, I had a new motherboard installed and a 400Gig SATA hard drive
installed. I was told that because of the huge size of the hard drive,
my Windows XP Pro SP2 was installed as an NTFS, rather than a FAT 32.

All my software installed and works beautifully in the admin account.
However, creating a functional non admin account does not seem possible.
I was told by the tech that did the work for me that it was because of
the NTFS structure I was unable to create a useable non admin account.

The "tech" you consulted seems to either have very limited knowledge,
or to have deliberately withheld pertinent information from you. In
either case, he is quite thoroughly wrong.

You may experience some problems if the software was designed for
Win9x/Me, or if it was intended for WinNT/2K/XP, but was improperly
designed. Quite simply, the application doesn't "know" how to handle
individual user profiles with differing security permissions levels, or
the application is designed to make to make changes to "off-limits"
sections of the Windows registry or protected Windows system folders.

For example, saved data are often stored in a sub-folder under the
application's folder within C:\Program Files - a place where no
inexperienced or limited user should ever have write permissions.

It may even be that the software requires "write" access to parts
of the registry or protected systems folders/files that are not normally
accessible to regular users. (This *won't* occur if the application is
properly written.) If this does prove to be the case, however, you're
often left with three options: Either grant the necessary users
appropriate higher access privileges (either as Power Users or local
administrators), explicitly grant normal users elevated privileges to
the affected folders and/or part(s) or the registry, or replace the
application with one that was properly designed specifically for
WinNT/2K/XP.

Some Programs Do Not Work If You Log On from Limited Account
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;EN-US;q307091

Additionally, here are a couple of tips suggested, in a reply to a
different post, by MS-MVP Kent W. England:

"If your game or application works with admin accounts, but not with
limited accounts, you can fix it to allow limited users to access the
program files folder with "change" capability rather than "read" which
is the default.

C:\>cacls "Program Files\appfolder" /e /t /p users:c

where "appfolder" is the folder where the application is installed.

If you wish to undo these changes, then run

C:\>cacls "Program Files\appfolder" /e /t /p users:r

If you still have a problem with running the program or saving settings
on limited accounts, you may need to change permissions on the registry
keys. Run regedit.exe and go to HKLM\Software\vendor\app, where
"vendor\app" is the key that the software vendor used for your specific
program. Change the permissions on this key to allow Users full control."

So, now what do I do?

As above.

I was on the Microsoft website and it stated that
I could partition part of the hard drive for FAT 32, but won't that
destroy the data that's already there?

Yes, but formatting the partition to FAT32 should be unnecessary, if
you follow the advice above.


--

Bruce Chambers

Help us help you:


They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary
safety deserve neither liberty nor safety. ~Benjamin Franklin

Many people would rather die than think; in fact, most do. ~Bertrand Russell

The philosopher has never killed any priests, whereas the priest has
killed a great many philosophers.
~ Denis Diderot

 

[Onsokumaru]

The OP said "creating a functional non admin account does not seem possible"...

He can create an account, but it sounds like some of his programs don't work under that account. There is a good chance the tech over simplified the explanation because he thought the user wouldn't understand a more detailed explanation. I'm sure many of us have had that experience.

There is a lot of software that won't work properly with a limited user account. So much so that I have stopped trying to run with a limited account.

I did share my computer for a time with a complete n00b who I would *never* give admin rights to, and I was forever having to tweak programs or find an alternative so he could do some task.

It may not be MS's fault that program aren't designed properly for multi user OSes, but the end result is still the same. A PITA to use.

My particular favorites that programs the would start then exit without and error, or even show a window, and it wasn't until you ran said program under an admin account it would work, still with no note in the setup notes you even needed an admin account.

sounds like the "TECH" screwed something up when he rebuilt you system.

there should be no reason why you should not be able to create a USER account.

do you have the expertise to format the hard drive and reinstall the software.

might be an easy way to straighten out the mess he made of it.
or check to see if there is a computer club in your area that may have some users that would be willing to help.



(e-mail address removed)



I have WinXP Pro SP2. For the past several years,
I ran an admin account for software update and
installation. I had a non admin account for
general everyday operation and all the software
worked there. I had my WinXP Pro SP2 on a FAT32
40Gig hard drive.

Last month, my motherboard and hard drive were
failing. Earlier this month, I had a new
motherboard installed and a 400Gig SATA hard drive
installed. I was told that because of the huge
size of the hard drive, my Windows XP Pro SP2 was
installed as an NTFS, rather than a FAT 32.

All my software installed and works beautifully in
the admin account. However, creating a functional
non admin account does not seem possible. I was
told by the tech that did the work for me that it
was because of the NTFS structure I was unable to
create a useable non admin account.

So, now what do I do? I was on the Microsoft
website and it stated that I could partition part
of the hard drive for FAT 32, but won't that
destroy the data that's already there?

Greg