XP Pro-Starting a program from a scheduled task as another user without a password

[BG4533]

I have a scheduled task that runs a batch file. The batch file does a number of things and needs to be invisible to the current user. I would like the batch file to start up a program if the program is not already running. The user has to be able to interact with the program so the program cannot be started as System. I can start the program using runas, but then it prompts for a password and this is not acceptable either. Does anyone have any idea how I can go about accomplishing this? Thanks.

 

[mechBgon]

This may or may not do the trick: go to Control Panel > Administrative Tools > Local Security Policy and start it. Drill down to Local Policies > Security Options and look at the third item, Accounts: Limit loca account use of blank passwords to console logon only. I dunno, it might work if you disable that.

 

[nweaver]

look at psexec (from the pstools kit) and that may work
psexec \\localhost -i -u username -p password batchfile.bat

 

[Rilex]

If you want to interact with the local user, you're going to have to have their password.

 

[nweaver]

Originally posted by: Rilex
If you want to interact with the local user, you're going to have to have their password.

I don't think so, not with psexec. You specify username and p/w with -u and -p, and -i makes it desktop interactive. Not sure, I'm always looking to get remote stuff done, not local stuff.

 

[Rilex]

And keeping the password in cleartext is an extremely bad idea.

 

[nweaver]

there will always be a tradeoff between security and convience, you have to pick one

 

[RebateMonger]

Stolen from a UseNet post:

Kellys-korner-xp.com
and scroll down to:
"Scheduled Tasks - Applying/Running tasks without a password"
[Courtesy of Kelly Theriot, MS-MVP]