Running applications with administrative privileges

[Guest]

If I install an application that accesses the hard drive or accesses the
registry, the appication does not function properly with a user that is
logged in that doesn't have administrative rights. How do you get around
this with out providing the user without and administrative account or using
and administrative account and passowrd to run the application.

 

[Lanwench [MVP - Exchange]]

If I install an application that accesses the hard drive or accesses
the registry, the appication does not function properly with a user
that is logged in that doesn't have administrative rights. How do
you get around this with out providing the user without and
administrative account or using and administrative account and
passowrd to run the application.

This is entirely up to the software developers/vendors. You generally need
to install software as an administrator, but it should allow
non-administrators to *run* it. Most good current-generation software is
written this way, but there are always stragglers. The first thing to do is
talk to/communicate with them. If they've written software that expects all
users to have admin rights, complain loudly to them.

You can make a lot of things run as a limited user when they aren't intended
to, by modifying the appropriate areas in the registry and file system, but
that isn't the first thing I'd do...

http://www.microsoft.com/technet/sysinternals/utilities/processmonitor.mspx
may help you if you find you have no alternative.

 

[Bruce Chambers]

If I install an application that accesses the hard drive or accesses the
registry, the appication does not function properly with a user that is
logged in that doesn't have administrative rights. How do you get around
this with out providing the user without and administrative account or
using
and administrative account and passowrd to run the application.

You may experience some problems if the software was designed for
Win9x/Me, or if it was purportedly intended for WinNT/2K/XP, but was
incorrectly 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

Another possibility is to use the "Runas" command, as suggested and
formatted here:

You receive 'Game requires Administrative rights to play' on Windows XP
Professional
http://www.jsifaq.com/SF/Tips/Tip.aspx?id=9070

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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