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Thread ID: 59447 2005-07-03 03:02:00 Aministrator Question slayer8338 (8449) Press F1
Post ID Timestamp Content User
368788 2005-07-03 03:02:00 I'm running windows xp home edition and i have two usser acounts and in one of them when i try to use or install certain programs it tells me that i need administrator privileges.I was wandering how do i get those privileges? slayer8338 (8449)
368789 2005-07-03 03:12:00 Hi slayer... Click on Start, Help and Support and Search=Administrator. All you ever needed to know. :cool: Scouse (83)
368790 2005-07-03 03:16:00 One of those two is probably the "Owner" account. That is the "Administrator" account for XP Home.

It's safest to use a non-privileged account for most work, and all work on the Internet. The less damage you can do by accident the less any nasty person (or programme) from outside can do maliciously. ;)
Graham L (2)
368791 2005-07-04 01:32:00 Thank You :thumbs: slayer8338 (8449)
368792 2005-07-04 04:42:00 It's safest to use a non-privileged account for most work, and all work on the Internet.
Why? The only active account on my XP Pro (sp1) machine has full admin and is used by more than one user, and never been compromised.

Considering this machine is online 18/24 per day and has been for several years, I can't see the revelance in that statement.
Greg (193)
368793 2005-07-04 05:12:00 Due to the nasties out there on the internet, if you come across an autoinstalling piece of malware while using the Admin account, it has full access to the system files/registry and you make the job easy for it. Using a limited account helps to prevent installation of some malware.

This rule of thumb is widely used in the Linux world. It would be rare to find a Linux user using an root account for everyday use, and this includes the most geeky hardcore Linux nuts. :p

However saying that, I always used a Admin account routinely when I used to run XP at home, but then I was aware of how to protect my system and lowered all the risks I could eg, using a non-IE browser, firewalls etc.
Jen (38)
368794 2005-07-04 08:21:00 This rule of thumb is widely used in the Linux world. It would be rare to find a Linux user using an root account for everyday use, and this includes the most geeky hardcore Linux nuts. :p
Doesn't help that Microsoft's method of implementing the ability to run a program under a different user is completely and utterly crap. It's good most of the time, but you can't run explorer.exe under the credentials of another use, so it's rather annoying if you want to change some folder permissions on something.

Login, logout, login again, adjust permission, log out, log in.
Jeremy (1197)
368795 2005-07-04 21:39:00 Doesn't help that Microsoft's method of implementing the ability to run a program under a different user is completely and utterly crap. It's good most of the time, but you can't run explorer.exe under the credentials of another use, so it's rather annoying if you want to change some folder permissions on something.

Login, logout, login again, adjust permission, log out, log in.Oh I second that the security setup on Windows sucks.

Nothing more fun than finding a program that screws up file security, and needs you to alter permisions to run on a non-privilaged account. then having to login and logout 15 times to alter permisions, then test, then alter, then test.

However. There is an answer. It is a crude hack, but it does work.

1)Get yourself a command prompt running with admin prilvilages.

Start->Run->"runas /user:DOMAINNAME\administrator cmd"->OK
note: this step is not necessary, however I prefer it to typing out the complete IE path.

2)from the command prompt open internet explorer

start iexplore
3)Change the URL (web address) to a file path (eg c:\) and viola, you have a window with all the functions of explorer.exe with admin privilages.

I have not tried this on a computer that is not on a domain, however if your PCs are using local authentication you should be able to substitute your computername for a domainname

Hope this helps, it made my life a lot easier when I discovered it.

-Qyiet
qyiet (6730)
368796 2005-07-05 00:47:00 Due to the nasties out there on the internet, if you come across an autoinstalling piece of malware while using the Admin account, it has full access to the system files/registry and you make the job easy for it. Using a limited account helps to prevent installation of some malware.

Yeah thx Jen - I kinda thought that immediately after I posted. But like you, I'm also fully protected and aware, so it's never been an issue.
Greg (193)
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