Administrative privelages question (W2K)

[TechnoPro]

A client was given a laptop from work running Windows 2000 to use at home.

I was to install a wireless router and PC card. The only login that the user had did not have administrative privilege, so the installation of the card failed.

The client had been told that it should work, so I must be doing something wrong. Not that I am second guessing something so fundamental, but last time I checked, without proper permissions or administrative privileges, one cannot install hardware or software, correct? There's no "back door"...

I told her to speak with an admin at work and to ask what the username and password of the local administrative account was. Any reason (security or procedure wise) why that would not be readily given out, now that the PC is to be used from home?

 

[spyordie007]

Not that I am second guessing something so fundamental, but last time I checked, without proper permissions or administrative privileges, one cannot install hardware or software, correct? There's no "back door"...

Not entirely correct. If the drivers are already installed than the user can use the hardware (this is why they can generally use USB flashcards w/o admin privilages). If the drivers are not present on the system than you need administrative privilages in order to install them.

Any reason (security or procedure wise) why that would not be readily given out, now that the PC is to be used from home?

It's not uncommon to have the same administrative password on a number of machines; for this reason alone it's hard to get in most organizations.

She will most likely need them to do the driver install.

 

[TechnoPro]

Originally posted by: spyordie007

Not that I am second guessing something so fundamental, but last time I checked, without proper permissions or administrative privileges, one cannot install hardware or software, correct? There's no "back door"...

Not entirely correct. If the drivers are already installed than the user can use the hardware (this is why they can generally use USB flashcards w/o admin privilages). If the drivers are not present on the system than you need administrative privilages in order to install them.

Any reason (security or procedure wise) why that would not be readily given out, now that the PC is to be used from home?

It's not uncommon to have the same administrative password on a number of machines; for this reason alone it's hard to get in most organizations.

She will most likely need them to do the driver install.

Thanks. In this case the drivers needed to be intalled so access was denied...

How wise is it to maintain the same password for a group of machines? Seems easy from the admin point of view, but high risk.