User Account Types

[Mark L.]

Hi,

I recently installed Win XP Professional and have a question about User
accounts.

My computer is a standalone PC with 5 users. No network. I connect to
the internet using dialup.

I have a lot of older software, and games too, and I read see over and
over that you have to have administrator privileges to run them.

From messing around in Linux in the past, I know that it can be a bad
thing for everyone to be logged in on administrator accounts. Even the
XP help files say that you should only log in as administrator when you
absolutely have to. My problem is that the "Limited" account is too
limited, and the "Administrator" account is too open.

Is there some way of setting up somewhere in between? where I can
increase the settings of a limited account? or customise for each user?

There are 2 adults, 2 teens and a younger child.

I have seen something about "groups" and "power users" and "users" when
roaming round in the help files, but didn't know if this was what I was
after or how to implement these groups as it wasn't particularly clear
to me.

I hope this post makes sense! I know what I am trying to ask!

Mark L.

 

[Doug Knox MS-MVP]

Since you're running XP Pro, click Start, Run and enter LUSRMGR.MSC. Open the Users folder and double click the user account in question. Go to the Member of tab. You can add Power Users to the list of groups.

You can also use CONTROL USERPASSWORDS2 Highlight the user in question and click Properties. Then go to the Group Membership tab. The list of user groups is available in the drop down list.

 

[Mark L.]

Hi Doug,

Thanks for the pointers. After reading the descriptions of the types of
users, It looks like the power user option is definitely the one to
try. Time to change some settings. I'll know if it didn't work out if
the kids start moaning that their games don't work any more!

I went for XP Pro because I plan to do a small home network soon, this
multiple user stuff is new to me but I'm getting there slowly.

Thanks again.

Mark L.

 

[Doug Knox MS-MVP]

You're welcome, Mark. You may also want to do some homework on File and Folder permissions. As well as Registry permissions. Many programs that fail to install or run under less than an Administrator account, usually fail because they try to read or write to portions of the file system/Registry that a lower privileged user does not, by default, have the necessary permissions.

--
Doug Knox, MS-MVP Windows Media Center\Windows Powered Smart Display\Security
Win 95/98/Me/XP Tweaks and Fixes
http://www.dougknox.com
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Per user Group Policy Restrictions for XP Home and XP Pro
http://www.dougknox.com/xp/utils/xp_securityconsole.htm
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Hi Doug,

Thanks for the pointers. After reading the descriptions of the types of
users, It looks like the power user option is definitely the one to
try. Time to change some settings. I'll know if it didn't work out if
the kids start moaning that their games don't work any more!

I went for XP Pro because I plan to do a small home network soon, this
multiple user stuff is new to me but I'm getting there slowly.

Thanks again.

Mark L.