Allowing a Limited Account to Install Software

[Blue Sky]

Here is the scenario:

I have one limited account on a windows XP machine. I would like to
allow this user to download and install software just this.

Would one way be to enable this limited account is to sign into the
administator account on the same computer and then add the limited
account to the group of administrators ? Like the following......

Start -> Run -> compmgmt.msc -> Local Users and Groups -> Groups ->
Administrators -> Add -> Name of Limited Account User

LASTLY

I would not mind knowing how to do this using Group Policy Editor. If
someone could help (with links or tutorials) me sort this out using
GPE it would be nicely appreciated.

Thanks

[Andrew E.]

Why not change account to administrative,then back to limited..As for
group policy,try:http://www.microsoft.com/technet

[Mark Dormer]

You can try adding the user to the local machines Power User group or
administrators group.
At least they get no extra rights in your domain(if you have one)

you could use RunAs
Open a cmd prompt and type runas /? and press enter for help.
eg. runas /profile /user:tempadmin c:\somepath\setup.exe

Create a new account for this so they don't get the administrator password,
lets call it tempadmin, assign it administrator rights
This will prompt for the password and is more secure as it isn't in plain
text in a file but bear in mind the user has access to an admin account
which they could login with unless you take other steps

Run GPEDIT.msc
Navigate to Computer Configuration - Admiistrative Templates - Windows
Components - Windows Installer
Set "Always install with elevated privileges" to Enabled

It only works for Windows Installers files though.

Regards
Mark Dormer

"Blue Sky" <wtb_...@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:e41293cf-7e73-4fbc...@e25g2000prg.googlegroups.com...

[Blue Sky]

Many thanks for the help. I'll take it from here.

[Blue Sky]

On Feb 1, 11:00 pm, "Mark Dormer" <ma...@mvpsx.org> wrote:
> You can try adding the user to the local machines Power User group or
> administrators group.
> At least they get no extra rights in your domain(if you have one)
>
> you could use RunAs
> Open a cmd prompt and type runas /? and press enter for help.
> eg. runas /profile /user:tempadmin c:\somepath\setup.exe
>
> Create a new account for this so they don't get the administrator password,
> lets call it tempadmin, assign it administrator rights
> This will prompt for the password and is more secure as it isn't in plain
> text in a file but bear in mind the user has access to an admin account
> which they could login with unless you take other steps
>
> Run GPEDIT.msc
> Navigate to Computer Configuration - Admiistrative Templates - Windows
> Components - Windows Installer
> Set "Always install with elevated privileges" to Enabled
>
> It only works for Windows Installers files though.
>
> Regards
> Mark Dormer

Mark I have one more questiion if you don't mind helping out. The part
of the above instructions about Run GPEDIT.msc are fine but afterwards
logging back as the limited user I still was not able to install any
windows based installations. Is there something more that needs to be
done to allow the limited account to be able to install software.

Thanks

[Mark Dormer]

"Blue Sky" <wtb_...@hotmail.com> wrote in message news:42f43a45-be68-41b2...@f47g2000hsd.googlegroups.com...

Thanks

To use the feature the installer must NOT just be windows based, but Windows Installer based.

IS that the case?

--
Regards
Mark Dormer

[Blue Sky]

On Feb 4, 11:29 pm, "Mark Dormer" <ma...@mvpsx.org> wrote:
> "Blue Sky" <wtb_pa...@hotmail.com> wrote in messagenews:42f43a45-be68-41b2...@f47g2000hsd.googlegroups.com...

> Mark Dormer- Hide quoted text -
>
> - Show quoted text -

Thanks Mark.

I honestly don't know the difference but if you could point me towards
an application that I can download and which is Windows Installer
based I would be happy to test it. If this helps I tried downloading
the following program Windows Installer based http://www.belarc.com/free_download.html
and it would not install.

Victor.

[Gordon]

"Blue Sky" <wtb_...@hotmail.com> wrote in message

news:287979f1-547d-4d24...@q77g2000hsh.googlegroups.com...

>Thanks Mark.

>I honestly don't know the difference but if you could point me towards
>an application that I can download and which is Windows Installer
>based I would be happy to test it. If this helps I tried downloading
>the following program Windows Installer based
>http://www.belarc.com/free_download.html
>and it would not install.

Have you tried right-clicking on the exe file and choosing "run as"?

[Blue Sky]

On Feb 6, 1:44 am, "Gordon" <gbpli...@gmail.com.invalid> wrote:
> "Blue Sky" <wtb_pa...@hotmail.com> wrote in message

Yep the command works with an administrator account but not with the
limited user account. Thanks for the help.

[Blue Sky]

Here is the scenario:

I have one limited account on a windows XP machine. I would like to

allow this user to download and install software just this. I need to
know how this can be done using Group Policy Editor. If someone could

help (with links or tutorials) me sort this out using GPE it would be
nicely appreciated.

What I had to do is initially set file permissions from Safemode to
allow write permissions for the installation but still am getting an
error which says I need administrator rights.

PLEASE I do not want to know how this can be done using the Run As
command or changing the rights of the limited user to admin.

Thanks

[PA Bear [MS MVP]]

Asked/Answered earlier this month:
http://groups.google.com/group/microsoft.public.windowsxp.general/browse_frm/thread/7c788cc3f1a8cd21/f8cc8008c910149e
--
~Robear Dyer (PA Bear)
MS MVP-IE, Mail, Security, Windows Desktop Experience - since 2002
AumHa VSOP & Admin http://aumha.net
DTS-L http://dts-l.net/