Re: SORRY... But I seem to be an IDIOT
From: Bruce Chambers (bruce_a_chambers_at_h0tmail.com)
Date: 12/07/04
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Date: Mon, 06 Dec 2004 19:59:01 -0700
sharkhax wrote:
> I'm still fiddling with new User accounts and all that. I intend to create
> one admin and the rest will be limited accounts. But what I want to do is
> download programs like .... trillian or Shareaza on the admin account and
> then have those programs, once installed also apply to the limited accounts.
> I just don't see how to do that.
>
> Also trying to download and install these things on limited accounts doesnt
> work.
>
>
> thanks in advance for the help / critisizm / riddiculing / hacking / etc....
This is quite common if the software was designed for Win9x/Me, or
if it was purportedly intended for WinNT/2K/XP, but was very poorly
coded. 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. 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.
For some obscure reason, game developers in particular seem to not
understand WinXP's file security paradigm, and require even limited
users to have unnecessarily high privileges to protected systems
folders. For example, saved games are often stored in a sub-folder
under the game's folder within C:\Program Files - a place where no
inexperienced or limited user should have write permissions.
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."
Ultimately, though, you may need to go back to the applications'
vendor and ask for a patch to make the program compatible with a more
secure OS. If the vendor refuses, take your business elsewhere.
-- Bruce Chambers Help us help you: http://dts-l.org/goodpost.htm http://www.catb.org/~esr/faqs/smart-questions.html You can have peace. Or you can have freedom. Don't ever count on having both at once. - RAH
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