Problem with user accounts.

[Simon]

I running windows xp home. I have set myself up with an account with Admin
privileges and have set up two other accounts for my kids with limited user
privileges. Problem is when my kids want to play their computer games on
their accounts the puter asks them to either reinstall the software or asks
for the game disk then says that they can't install the game because of the
limited account.
I want my kids to be able to play and install their games but at the same
time don't want them to be able to mess with the registry...is there a way
around this problem?
Thanks Simon

 

[Rob Schneider]

I running windows xp home. I have set myself up with an account with Admin
privileges and have set up two other accounts for my kids with limited user
privileges. Problem is when my kids want to play their computer games on
their accounts the puter asks them to either reinstall the software or asks
for the game disk then says that they can't install the game because of the
limited account.
I want my kids to be able to play and install their games but at the same
time don't want them to be able to mess with the registry...is there a way
around this problem?
Thanks Simon

Usually not. Many games were not developed with XP's security model in
mind. I've had trouble getting some games (even one with Microsoft's
logo on it) to even run on XP.

Don't mess with the registry.

You'll probably have to add the kid's ID's to the Administrator group.
Instruct them to not "mess" with the computer, because if they do it
will break and they won't be play their games. This approach works fine
with my kids and they are respective of the machine. They've even
learned to by PS/2 games rather than PC games simply because they notice
how much more reliable PS/2 is for playing games. We also have an older
Win 98 machine which his home for some of the game playing.

To control access to any sensitive information in your private data file
areas, remove access to Administrators group for these folders.

 

[joust in jest]

Simon:

You will have to do a "mini" install of each program for each user
account.

Log in as a user. When you start the install, Windows install wizard
will tell you to "log in as administrator" in order to install the program.
Log in as Administrator from within the souftware installation routine;
follow the instructions of the Windows wizard.

If users still can not run the programs, promote them to "power users".

If users still can not run the program, you have a permissions issue.
IF so, go to Symantec, which has a step-by-step instructions [Documnet ID:
2001042514362006] for making necessary changes (substituting "your program"
when is says "Symantec". I had to make these changes for users so that NAV
automatic virus updates would work.

Note: Users trying to run Easy Creator 6 were getting an API error
message. Using the Symantec permissions fix cured the Easy Creator problem.

WHatever you do -- do NOT make your children Administrators of your
computer. You will regret it.

Good luck,

steve

 

[Guest]

I have the same problem. There are many applications installed so that all users can access them. Why can I not install an application for the 'default user' so that all accounts have access to it...limited or not?

 

[Bruce Chambers]

Greetings --

This is quite common if the software was designed for Win9x/Me, or
if it was intended for WinNT/2K/XP, but was improperly designed. Quite
simply, the installation routine for this application doesn't "know"
how to handle individual user profiles, or the application tries to
make changes to "off-limits" sections of the registry. Quite often,
you can make this software available to other users by _copying_ the
Start Menu folder and Desktop folder shortcuts from the user profile
from which the software was installed in the corresponding folders in
the user profile(s) in which you'd like the software to be accessible.
If the application is something that can/should be made available to
all current and future users, copying the shortcuts into the
corresponding locations of the All Users profile will do the trick.

NOTE: This may not work if the software requires access to parts
of the hard drive and/or registry that are not normally accessible to
regular users. (This won't occur if the application was properly
written.) If this does prove to be the case, however, you're left
with two options: Either grant the necessary users appropriate higher
access privileges (either as Power Users or local administrators), 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."


Bruce Chambers

--
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You can have peace. Or you can have freedom. Don't ever count on
having both at once. -- RAH

 

[Guest]

Thanks Bruce, using cacls worked. As it turned out, the application was trying to save bits of data to a file that was 'read' only. Changing the permission to 'change' was precisely what was called for. I have linked in the short cut and now the application is accessible to all. Thanks again.

Jav