David said:
I have XP/HOME on one PC & XP/PRO on my workstation.
I installed a game on the XP/HOME pc that required admin privledges to
install. When I copied the desktop icon to a Limited (user) account,
the program would not run even though the icon was accessible in the
user account.
I have had a similar problem in my XP/PRO workstation. The solution
is generally that a user account does not have the needed privledges
to run a program installed by an administrator.
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
improperly 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
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."
In XP/PRO, if I right click on an icon or an entry in Windows Explorer
& select properties, I get a window with 4 tabs - General, Sharing,
Security, & Compatibility. The Security tab gives me the ability to
adjust permissions so my user can run a program installed by the
administrator.
That's one work-around, but it's not necessarily the best solution,
security-wise. It's be best to use this method only as a last resort.
The ideal solution, of course, would be to use only programs/games that
were specifically and correctly designed to work on WinXP, but this
isn't always possible.
The problem I am having with XP/HOME is that the security tab is
missing. Is this a feature not in XP/HOME or have I done something
wrong?
It's not a feature that's available in WinXP Home via Windows Explorer.
You'd have to use the CACLS solution above to achieve that sort of
granular security control on WinXP Home.
--
Bruce Chambers
Help us help you:
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx/kb/555375
They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary
safety deserve neither liberty nor safety. ~Benjamin Franklin
Many people would rather die than think; in fact, most do. ~Bertrand Russell
The philosopher has never killed any priests, whereas the priest has
killed a great many philosophers.
~ Denis Diderot
