Results 1 to 5 of 5

Thread: Windows XP Administrator Status

  1. #1
    Senior Member ajbrun's Avatar
    Join Date
    Apr 2004
    Location
    York, England
    Posts
    4,840
    Thanks
    4
    Thanked
    25 times in 13 posts

    Windows XP Administrator Status

    I know it's safer to user XP as a restructed user, but I've tried it for a while, but I'm just unsure about one or two things.

    I know you can still install software as a restricted user without having to logon as an admin. So long as you have the admin password, you can select 'run as...'. My question is, can you do all other things in this way without having to log off at all.

    For example, when you install software, it sometimes puts it on the desktop under 'all users'. As a restricted user, I haven't found a way to move that file from all users to my desktop for example.

    I know I should have done this a long time ago, but at least I'm doing it now .

  2. #2
    Seething Cauldron of Hatred TheAnimus's Avatar
    Join Date
    Aug 2005
    Posts
    17,164
    Thanks
    803
    Thanked
    2,152 times in 1,408 posts
    yes you can easily do this, my favourate is a run as... cmd prompt.

    you can do the same with explorer too if your into GUI's and such.

    Some bad programs require the user your installing it to, to be administrator, and will only work under that username.

    But there is no reason you can't set the default behavour for the shortcut to be run as... I do this for a lot of 'naughty' games.
    throw new ArgumentException (String, String, Exception)

  3. #3
    Senior Member ajbrun's Avatar
    Join Date
    Apr 2004
    Location
    York, England
    Posts
    4,840
    Thanks
    4
    Thanked
    25 times in 13 posts
    Maybe someone has hit me with a stupid stick, but I'm not enitrley sure if you answered my question or not...

    You said I can run cmd prompt as any user, so I'm assuming I can delete and move files on the 'all users' account using that. I don't have much knowledge about the cmd prompt, so is there a way to do it with explorer? You said there is a way, but I don't know of it.

  4. #4
    Ex-MSFT Paul Adams's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jul 2003
    Location
    %systemroot%
    Posts
    1,926
    Thanks
    29
    Thanked
    77 times in 59 posts
    • Paul Adams's system
      • Motherboard:
      • Asus Maximus VIII
      • CPU:
      • Intel Core i7-6700K
      • Memory:
      • 16GB
      • Storage:
      • 2x250GB SSD / 500GB SSD / 2TB HDD
      • Graphics card(s):
      • nVidia GeForce GTX1080
      • Operating System:
      • Windows 10 x64 Pro
      • Monitor(s):
      • Philips 40" 4K
      • Internet:
      • 500Mbps fiber
    The way I find easiest is to use the quick launch toolbar, and have shortcuts to Command Prompt and Windows Explorer on it.
    Then I can just right-click either of them and select "Run as..." and use the administrator credentials.

    If you launch Explorer this way then as you guessed you have the right to copy & move files around from any location.

    Note, any process you launch from that instance of Explorer will inherit administrator privileges - and any per-user settings will go into the Administrator user profile.

    On XP, all the profiles by default go in "C:\Documents and Settings" - and there is an "All Users" profile with the same layout as regular user profiles in there.
    ~ I have CDO. It's like OCD except the letters are in alphabetical order, as they should be. ~
    PC: Win10 x64 | Asus Maximus VIII | Core i7-6700K | 16GB DDR3 | 2x250GB SSD | 500GB SSD | 2TB SATA-300 | GeForce GTX1080
    Camera: Canon 60D | Sigma 10-20/4.0-5.6 | Canon 100/2.8 | Tamron 18-270/3.5-6.3

  5. #5
    Senior Member ajbrun's Avatar
    Join Date
    Apr 2004
    Location
    York, England
    Posts
    4,840
    Thanks
    4
    Thanked
    25 times in 13 posts
    Ah right - thanks.

    I completley forgot about the windows explorer icon as I usually just click on my computer/my documents and navigate from there.

Thread Information

Users Browsing this Thread

There are currently 1 users browsing this thread. (0 members and 1 guests)

Similar Threads

  1. Replies: 63
    Last Post: 14-11-2011, 09:17 AM
  2. The future of OS/2 - Open source or not?
    By Steve in forum HEXUS News
    Replies: 11
    Last Post: 18-07-2009, 08:06 PM
  3. Windows - how to use it more securely
    By Paul Adams in forum Software
    Replies: 12
    Last Post: 07-02-2006, 04:18 PM
  4. ATI Catalyst 5.8 released
    By =TcQi= in forum Graphics Cards
    Replies: 17
    Last Post: 18-08-2005, 12:35 AM
  5. New Windows Updates out peeps
    By Skii in forum Software
    Replies: 10
    Last Post: 04-08-2004, 06:19 AM

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •