New workstations and user rights to install software - plz help

[SBN]

Have a Active directory domain on a Windows 2003 server. Just upgraded
some workstations from windows 98 to XP. These were new computers.

Problem is users can not install programs, must be done as admin.
Previous computers this was not an issue.

Now 2 of the workstations were existing XP. All that was done is they
were switched to new users. But, the problem still exists where the new
user can not install software.

I was under the impression that Active directory would control user
rights to install software, but it appears that this is not the case, it
is the workstations themselves. What needs to be done so we can set
users to install their own software ?

All workstations are now upgraded to SP2. So it may be a factor, we do
not know. We did not attempt any software installs until after the upgrades.

 

[Danny Sanders]

In order to install software on XP you have to be a member of the
administrator group. Add the user's domain account to the local admin group.

You should be aware that this is not "best practice" to have users using
computers on a regular basis as admin.

Browsing the Internet while logged on as local admin is also not "best
practice" either.

Users as admin over their computers *usually* causes more problems and
security issues than it's worth.


hth
DDS W 2k MVP MCSE