Re: Admin privileges, no !

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From: Bruce Chambers (bchambers_at_nospamcableone.net)
Date: 06/16/04


Date: Wed, 16 Jun 2004 07:09:25 -0600

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 or protected OS
files/folders. 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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"Derrick" <anonymous@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
news:1ce3d01c45395$a32bb680$a601280a@phx.gbl...
> Hi
>
> My kids play games on my machine running Windows Xp pro.
> The only way I found that they can do that is with Admin
> privileges.  If I leave them on their own, they will
> change something which may damage the system.  I thought
> that there must a way to restrict their rights to only
> games.
>
> Can anyone help ?
>
> Thanks


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