Never run your computer as Administrator`

[eddie]

Most MS OSs come with the default user as the administator(root). This is
asking for trouble. Unix and Linux users would never do such a thing.
Always create a "normal" user (without administrator permissions) for the
run-of-the-mill browsing, gaming, etc. Only log in as Administrator to
perform maintainance tasks or installing/uninstalling software, etc. This
way, most virii or trojans will not be able to install themselves on your
system.
A word to the wise ...

 

[Mike Kolitz]

Good advice...
but Lindows uses root as the standard account under which applications are
run, and that's Linux, right? Gee, I guess there's a Linux that does that
after all...

--
Mike Kolitz MCSE 2000
MS-MVP - Windows Setup and Deployment

Remember to check Windows Update often,
and apply the patches marked as Critical!
http://windowsupdate.microsoft.com

 

[Jim Macklin]

The problem is that some companies write their software to
require administrator access or they won't run. An example
is a HP scanner.


message | Good advice...
| but Lindows uses root as the standard account under which
applications are
| run, and that's Linux, right? Gee, I guess there's a
Linux that does that
| after all...
|
| --
| Mike Kolitz MCSE 2000
| MS-MVP - Windows Setup and Deployment
|
| Remember to check Windows Update often,
| and apply the patches marked as Critical!
| http://windowsupdate.microsoft.com
|
| | > Most MS OSs come with the default user as the
administator(root). This is
| > asking for trouble. Unix and Linux users would never do
such a thing.
| > Always create a "normal" user (without administrator
permissions) for the
| > run-of-the-mill browsing, gaming, etc. Only log in as
Administrator to
| > perform maintainance tasks or installing/uninstalling
software, etc. This
| > way, most virii or trojans will not be able to install
themselves on your
| > system.
| > A word to the wise ...
|
|

 

[eddie]

The problem is that some companies write their software to require
administrator access or they won't run. An example is a HP scanner.

snip

A program can be written to run itself as root or administrator without
the operator having to have root privileges. I can't picture a company
with networked XP boxes letting anyone with a scanner on their box also
have administrative privileges. That makes no sense at all.
The entire networking system in XP runs as root, no matter what
privileges the user has.
If one needs to run some administrative tasks, I recommend using the XP
fast switch and still only browsing the net as a limited user.
I have found XP machines in which the guest account was active and anyone
could log in. That's asking for trouble.

 

[DILIP]

Nonsense. There are certain programs and games that will run *only* in
administrator mode. Let you linux and unix users do whatever you want - the
fact is Windows the the platform where 95% of people can actually get their
work done.

 

[Rob Schneider]

Good advice...
but Lindows uses root as the standard account under which applications are
run, and that's Linux, right? Gee, I guess there's a Linux that does that
after all...

My understand is that Lindows did this simply to make it "easy" for
folks who migrate from Windows 98 where they expect wide open access.

Nothing in any of the Linux distributions (far as I know) *prevents* you
from running everything is root, but there is no compelling reason do
so, even if Lindows did it this way.

What Lindows did is not conventional nor wise. But like all risks,
depends on the what's *at risk".

 

[Rob Schneider]

Most MS OSs come with the default user as the administator(root). This is
asking for trouble. Unix and Linux users would never do such a thing.
Always create a "normal" user (without administrator permissions) for the
run-of-the-mill browsing, gaming, etc. Only log in as Administrator to
perform maintainance tasks or installing/uninstalling software, etc. This
way, most virii or trojans will not be able to install themselves on your
system.
A word to the wise ...

So? What's the point?

While it's good advice to never run as admininstrator, and that's what I
do and recommend .. fact is that some companies (not just Microsoft)
have developed and relesed applications for which you have to use an ID
that has admin privileges. This is because a) the applications
sometimes pre-date Windows NT/XP, or they simply can't be bothered to
write the application properly. I've noticed this especially for game
software. Some game software I find just doesn't run on XP, but run fine
on 98...so we run it there.

Windows is different than other OS's. That being said, other OS's are
different from each other also. That's life.

 

[Alex Nichol]

Most MS OSs come with the default user as the administator(root). This is
asking for trouble. Unix and Linux users would never do such a thing.
Always create a "normal" user (without administrator permissions) for the
run-of-the-mill browsing, gaming, etc. Only log in as Administrator to
perform maintainance tasks or installing/uninstalling software, etc.

With Windows I would strongly advise keeping the Account *called*
Administrator in reserve for emergencies. This is the one corresponding
to Unix 'root'. But you should make a regular user account with admin
status for day to day admin work - the Administrator one will then be
hidden at boot. Whether you go further and have a limited rights user
one for ordinary activities is much less critical - for myself, as sole
user, I don't bother. In a family situation, each should have his/her
own account

 

[Gatekeeper]

The Guest account under Windows XP does not have Administrator
privileges. It is exactly the same kind of account as the Guest account
under Windows 2000.

I have both "Computer Administrator" and "Limited User" accounts on my
computer. Some legacy software will not run under Limited User
accounts. Even changing the account type to "Power User" does not
help. I think this is because some older software needs the ability to
write changes to system files or settings, which is not permitted except
with Administrator privileges under Windows XP. I say, "system files or
settings" because even User accounts can make some kinds of changes to
the Registry (preference settings and the like), but the legacy programs
seem to need more access.

 

[Alexander Grigoriev]

I usually dump those programs, as they are written by people who've got no
clue. Though many have GOT clue eventually and updated their code to comply
with the development guidelines published WAY ago.

Most of the time, it's enough to just adjust permissions on a program
subfolder in Program Files, and a subkey in HKLM\Software.