Re: Why New Installs Not Accessible for *All* Users?
- From: Bruce Chambers <bchambers@xxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Fri, 16 Jun 2006 19:05:05 -0600
David wrote:
I was under the impression that all installs of new applications would be
available to all users. But for some reason, on my system, they aren't.
They would be if every application were properly designed to be installed on WinXP, but a great many just aren't.
I am the administrator, and I perform all new application installs under my
own user logon. However, only about half of the new applications provide
shortcut icons on the desktops for the other users. (But the shortcuts
always appear on my desktop.) Am I doing something wrong when I install?
Thank you very much for any insights.
You may experience some problems if the software was designed for Win9x/Me, or if it was 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. (Games are particularly likely to follow this horrible practice.)
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."
--
Bruce Chambers
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