noob question RE: user profiles/administrative rights

[the cobbler]

"Caution: You do not have the administrator privilege to run this application".

Get this message when I try to run a program such as nTune or Sandra from a Limited account rather than an Administrative account. How can I run such programs from a Limited account?

Also, while I can only install programs logged on as Admin (or "run as.." Admin), which is what I would prefer, I keep running into the same issue when trying to run said programs from a Limited account. Example: after installing Battlefield 1942 using the "run as..." command, the installation is recognized by Windows while logged in under an Admin account, but not when logged in as a Limited User. i.e., when I insert the Battlefield CD logged under a Limited account, it will autostart and the installation interface comes up rather than the game menu interface. When I autostart the CD logged as an Admin, or use "run as...", the game interface comes up as it should.

What the heck is going on and how can I fix it?

 

[mechBgon]

If you have balky software, start by checking for updates from the manufacturer. There's a patch that fixes The Sims 2, for example.

More suggestions:

1) disable Simple File Sharing (or reboot into Safe Mode), find the program's folder within C:\Program Files, right-click it, and grant Full Control to the Users group. Some programs also have a folder within C:\Program Files\Common Files and/or C:\Documents And Settings\All Users\Application Data that may need the same adjustment.

2) if necessary, try temporarily changing the Limited account to an Admin account, run the problem software once, then revert the account to Limited. Sometimes once is all they need.


If you have super-stupid software like QuickBooks, here's another handy tip I picked up recently, which works with WinXP Pro but not WinXP Home:

1) right-click in the Desktop screen, choose New > Shortcut, and make a shortcut aiming at the program you want to run.

2) right-click your new shortcut, choose Properties, and edit the Target line like shown here: link to screenshot Notice how I've added /runas /user:administrator /savecred in front of the command line. The first time I run this, it'll ask for the password for the Administator account, and henceforth that shortcut will run the program as Administrator.

The side effect of this: when the program runs as Administrator, its My Documents, My Pictures, etc are the Administrator account's My Documents, My Pictures, etc, not your Limited account's My Documents, My Pictures, etc. So be aware of that if you use it for that type of program.

I used the /savecred trick at work just the other day to finally be able to bring one of my two QuickBooks users down to a Restricted-User (Limited) account while preserving her ability to use QuickBooks. My other QB user is on Win2000, but I'll give her one of our next XP Pro rigs so I can do that for her too.