Re: Why New Installs Not Accessible for *All* Users?

On Fri, 16 Jun 2006 19:05:05 -0600, Bruce Chambers <bchambers@xxxxxxxxxxxx>
wrote:

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."

Thank you, Bruce. I continue to be amazed at your, (and all the other
folks' in this NG as well), depth of understanding of all this stuff. It
pushes my "philosophy button" -- and probably deserves a new thread.

It seems like every new O/S problem that I encounter spawns a whole
heirarchy of new issues and subproblems. And each has its own new
heirarchy of issues and subproblems. I am not disputing whether the issues
and problems are solvable, (which you and the others have so aptly done);
I am simply wondering where this is all going. IOW, how can the average
Joe, with a 9-to-5 and 2.5 kids, keep up with it all? How can he remember
all the details, the changes that were made, how to do it again next time
-- and how to undo it if he has to?

One of the regulars here has suggested, (to paraphrase), "if it overwhelms
you, then don't feel bad, take your machine in to your local expert." And
that of course should usually fix the problem -- but there are *so many* of
these "little" problems. Think of the time and disruption involved to
unbuckle one's system and take it in each time.

So, instead, I spend my time, (and your time), trying to take care of these
things myself -- and get one or two hours less sleep this night.

(As just another example, I just spent over a month, with the kind folks in
the Win98 NG, trying to solve an O/S problem on my 98 machines.)

Where is this all going?

Thanks and best regards,
David
.