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General discussion

Programs won't work in Limited User Accounts

by MikeKlaiber Mar 19, 2004 11:01PM PST

I have fairly recently upgraded to WinXP Pro. I am logged on as the system administrator. Three other family members have limited user accounts.

Things work fine for me but a lot of programs don?t work properly on the other accounts. This includes Windows Picture and Fax Viewer, which I assume is WinXP program. I have read the article at http://users.westelcom.com/rogers/xpsware.htm and the linked Knowledge Base articles 307091 & 308418.

I have copied shortcuts from Desktop & the Programs folder to All Users but this has not really worked. In fact it made things worse on my account as it seemed to double install some start up programs. I have now restored back.

While in the limited accounts, I cannot install or re-install programs, as this is prevented by the account settings.

I have read the guidelines to ?run with different credentials?, but can?t follow that through as I haven?t set a password on my administrative account (nor do I really want to).

There is nothing on my administrative account that needs to keep secret and all I want is for everyone to have full access to the system programs. I didn?t think XP was supposed to be this difficult. I am frankly confused by what to do.

I?ve looked at the article ?HOW TO: Set, View??Folder Permissions? but don?t really know if that will achieve what I want.

One other thing. I don?t know if it is connected, or not. In User Accounts there is an account entitled ?ASP.NET Machine A?., Limited Account, Password Protected? I don?t know what this account is. It does not display on the Welcome Screen. A friend set up the OS install for me, so I don?t know if this comes with the install, or not.

This is causing real difficulty at present. Is anyone able to assist please ? With thanks.


Mike Klaiber

Discussion is locked

8 Posts
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Limited User Accounts means limited.
by r. proffitt Forum moderator Mar 20, 2004 3:08AM PST

If the accounts didn't have such limits?

The ASP.NET user is because you have the .NET framework installed. If you don't need it, uninstall it.
Bob

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Re:Limited User Accounts means limited.
by MikeKlaiber Mar 20, 2004 11:18PM PST

Bob

Thanks for your reply. Point taken about limited accounts.

I only downloaded .NET framework as it was required for a particular program - I don't remember now, which one.

Other than myself, there is another system administrator which doesn't show up on the Welcome screen or in User Accounts. It appears in Win Explorer and under "control userpasswords2" dialogue. Would it be safe to delete that, do you know ?

Regards.

Mike

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Best you know this about accounts.
by r. proffitt Forum moderator Mar 20, 2004 11:36PM PST

One of the wells that people jump into is to remove all accounts that they don't use.

Some go so far as to force XP done to one account since "I'm the only user." The danger of this is simple. NT/2000/XP/2003 and for the foreseeable (Windows) future use a "profile" as the login occurs. If you remove all admin accounts save one and you have a profile failure, then you won't have a (easy) way to repair the failure since you've removed your spare admin capable account.

Tread slowly and deliberately here.

Much like a spare tire, that other admin account is useful.

Bob

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Re:Best you know this about accounts.
by MikeKlaiber Mar 21, 2004 12:46AM PST

Bob

In fact Explorer shows 2 x Admin accounts other than myself, one of which is very much a duplication of (early) stuff in my own account.

Interesting analogy. My wife?s new car comes with no spare tyre. I?d be happier if there was one !

Thanks again for your explanation. I think I will heed your good advice.

Regards.

Mike

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Re:Programs won't work in Limited User Accounts
by Merl Priester Mar 20, 2004 5:01PM PST

The all users programs startup list just shows shortcuts to programs, it does not give program run authority.
IF you have a shortcut in your list, and add the same shortcut in the all users list, it will now show in yours twice, but it will show in others only once if they didn't have it already. Make sense?

Now if you need to give others authority to run other programs there are ways.

Right clicking the shortcut under their account will sometinmes give the option of "Run Progam As" this lets you put in your login and password for that shortcut, thereby giving them program access rights for that program under their limited account.

For Nero, download and install "neroburnrights"
This will let you give CD burning ability to all users at once.

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Re:Re:Programs won't work in Limited User Accounts
by MikeKlaiber Mar 20, 2004 11:21PM PST

Merl

Many thanks for your reply. This has added greatly to my understanding.

I understand what you say about copying over the shortcuts. This is exactly what happened. Apart from anything else, it threw out my dial up connection. I have now gone back with System Restore.

I have now set myself a password (as administrator) and followed your suggestion of ?Run program as??. As you say, this allows other users to use that program, but 1) it means they have to use my password, and 2) it is not a permanent fix. I thought that after making this change, the shortcut would work for the other user(s) as normal, but it looks like they have to go through the ?Run program as?..? routine every time, entering my password.

Have I got that right ?

Thanks for the steer about Nero. I have that software and will download the add-on.

Regards.

Mike

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Are you ''covererd''?
by Cursorcowboy Mar 21, 2004 9:55PM PST
I have now set myself a password (as administrator) and followed your suggestion

Create and Use a Password Reset Disk which is used only to reset the password on a computer for which it was prepared, [Q305478].
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Re:Programs won't work in Limited User Accounts
by walktohere Mar 21, 2004 5:42PM PST

what do u want the other user to be able to do if you put all user on Computer addmin that will sort out the proleam with sharing files

or change the groups of the users are in to stop them chaging thing just tell me what u want them to do?
Martin

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