Programs installed in one user not available under other

  • Thread starter Thread starter ZH
  • Start date Start date
Z

ZH

I set up our desktop with separate user IDs so that each
can customize their session. But certain programs
installed while I am logged in will not run properly when
my daughter logs in, i.e. Palm Desktop, internet
connection via the wireless adapter. What do I need to
change to take care of this problem?
 
ZH said:
I set up our desktop with separate user IDs so that each
can customize their session. But certain programs
installed while I am logged in will not run properly when
my daughter logs in, i.e. Palm Desktop, internet
connection via the wireless adapter. What do I need to
change to take care of this problem?
Click to expand...

You have ran into the "Welcome to the World of System Administration"
problem that a lot of home users are getting into with Windows XP and NTFS
(file and folder permissions.)

Essentially, using your situation in the example, your daughter is likely a
limited user per your setup. This limited user status is more than just a
name, it tells the computer what things she can access. In other words, her
user/group (Limited Users) may not be able to get into certain files/folders
on the computer that are needed to run many of the applications that you
install. Also, she has a completely seperate profile (start men, desktop,
look & feel) than every other user that logs into the machine. There is a
"All Users" profile that you can put icons and such into to start programs
(C:\Documents and Settings\All Users) on the desktop or in the start menu
for EVERYONE to use. However, just because you put the icon to run
something there does not mean that user has the rights needed to access the
stuff.. It just means they now know its there.

All of this means administering your home pc is more difficult BUT gives you
much more power - such as making sure she cannot go to certain web pages or
see certain files while other users can do the things you block her from.
It means you *will* have to learn some computer administrator basics,
especially in file and folder permissions, profile/user management and the
likes - or you will have to redo the PC with FAT32 instead of NTFS (complete
erasure of all files) and leave it wide open to the world.

Some help in some of this can be found at the following web sites:

HOW TO: Create and Configure User Accounts in Windows XP
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;279783&Product=winxp

HOW TO: Set, View, Change, or Remove Special Permissions for Files and
Folders in Windows XP
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;308419&Product=winxp

Doug's Windows XP Security Console
http://www.dougknox.com/xp/utils/xp_securityconsole.htm
 
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."

Palm software, in particular, has always (well, at least since the
WinNT days) been problematical in this respect. For some obscure
reason, it seems like it has never been properly designed to operate
in a secure business environment and synchronize with a secure,
multi-user OS. To give your Palm software the functionality you need:

1) Log in as Administrator.
2) Add the normal user account(s) to the workstation's local
administrators group.

For each account that must use the Palm software:

3) Log out and log in using the normal user account.
4) Install and configure the Palm software.

When all account(s) have been configured:

5) Log out and log in as Administrator.
6) Remove the normal user account(s) from the workstation's local
administrators group.
7) Log out and log in using the normal user account(s).
8) Use the Palm software as desired.


Bruce Chambers

--
Help us help you:



You can have peace. Or you can have freedom. Don't ever count on
having both at once. -- RAH
 
Yep, I had the same problem and my step-brother just emailed me the
solution. Intuit products such as Quicken and QuickBooks have the same
problem. The newsreader Agent as well. They all need administrative rights
to run. I've copied here...hope it helps!

If you are using XP Pro, you can have the credentials saved and you would
only have to type them in the first time. The first time it runs it will
prompt for the password and then remember it from then forward. For XP
Home, however, I don't think you can do that. You can create a batch file
and the create a shortcut to the batch file to execute the command line
version of "run as". You can also type "runas /?" at a DOS command prompt
to see the options for using this command. The command string is as
follows:

runas /savecred /user:computername\administrator notepad.exe

The "runas" is the command itself
The "savecred" is the save credentials switch
The "user:computername\administrator" is the user you want to run the app
as. In this case, the user "administrator" on the computer named
"computername" (or is in the "whs" domain).
The "notepad.exe" is the application that you want to run.

NOTE: If the file name that you want to run is in a folder with spaces in
the name such as the Program Files folder, you must include the file path
and file name in quotes. You'll also probably want to include "echo off"
and "exit" as well in the batch file. Here is an example:

@echo off
runas /savecred /user:computername\administrator "C:\Program
Files\Intuit\QuickBooks\QB.exe"
exit

Have a great week!

Ken
 
Yep, I had the same problem and a friend of mine just emailed me the
solution. Intuit products such as Quicken and QuickBooks have the same
problem. The newsreader Agent as well. They all need administrative rights
to run. I've copied here...hope it helps!

If you are using XP Pro, you can have the credentials saved and you would
only have to type them in the first time. The first time it runs it will
prompt for the password and then remember it from then forward. For XP
Home, however, I don't think you can do that. You can create a batch file
and the create a shortcut to the batch file to execute the command line
version of "run as". You can also type "runas /?" at a DOS command prompt
to see the options for using this command. The command string is as
follows:

runas /savecred /user:computername\administrator notepad.exe

The "runas" is the command itself
The "savecred" is the save credentials switch
The "user:computername\administrator" is the user you want to run the app
as. In this case, the user "administrator" on the computer named
"computername" (or is in the "whs" domain).
The "notepad.exe" is the application that you want to run.

NOTE: If the file name that you want to run is in a folder with spaces in
the name such as the Program Files folder, you must include the file path
and file name in quotes. Here is a batch file example:

@echo off
runas /savecred /user:computername\administrator "C:\Program
Files\Intuit\QuickBooks\QB.exe"
exit

Have a great week!

Ken
 
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