User Account or Admin rights to install softwares??

Hi there you all!
I just installed windows 7 64bit and i am having this new enigma with the proper way of installing my apllications:
I read that there are some applications that should be installed using the "run as administrator" option, and some of them not.
My question is how do i know a program should be installled using this option??

Is it possible that a program doesn 't run correctly or without optimun capacity because of using the wrong usser account??

How do i know that i am not running as Admin by default?

Which account should i use by default in order to be optimally safe?

Why when I go to my computer/manage/Local users and group/Users/double click on Administrator i see the "Account is disabled" check box checked??

Thanks in advance and sorry for my ignorance, i just need a clear and easy explanation for this because i have a lot installing to do (Audio plugins and softwares) and i think i need to be clear about this...

Thanks in advance
Cheers
Alberto

amoretam said:

Hi there you all!
I just installed windows 7 64bit and i am having this new enigma with the proper way of installing my apllications:
I read that there are some applications that should be installed using the "run as administrator" option, and some of them not.
My question is how do i know a program should be installled using this option??

Is it possible that a program doesn 't run correctly or without optimun capacity because of using the wrong usser account??

How do i know that i am not running as Admin by default?

Which account should i use by default in order to be optimally safe?

Why when I go to my computer/manage/Local users and group/Users/double click on Administrator i see the "Account is disabled" check box checked??

Thanks in advance and sorry for my ignorance, i just need a clear and easy explanation for this because i have a lot installing to do (Audio plugins and softwares) and i think i need to be clear about this...

Thanks in advance
Cheers
Alberto

Click to expand...

1-for safety use a standard account.
2-run app normally unless they wont run. If run as admin is needed do so.
3-Which admin account is disabled?

Ken

with a default Windows 7 installation, the account *you* set up as the primary account is an administrator account - but for installation of software and a few other choice actions, you still need privileges higher than administrator, as defined by your account. Anything that installs files to %ProgramFiles% or %ProgramFiles(X86)% (which are better known in default installations as C:\Program Files\ and C:\Program Files (x86) respectively) will require these same higher privileges. The user that you create has administrative privileges, but UAC will still make it ask (at the very least) when you try to write to these folders (unless you have it disabled - which is a *BIG* no-no!). This is for your safety, and by design, similar to (but not quite the same) as gaining privileges for a substitute user using the su command in Linux / UNIX.

Most installers today are well aware of this need for extended privileges and will automatically ask you either as soon as you start the installer or just after it gathers all the required information from you but before it actually starts copying files. Any installer that tries to write to either of those two directories (and a few others that are also locked down) will either ask for those privileges or else will give you an installation error when attempting to install.

So, if you do not see the error message your install has usually worked just fine. If you do see the error message, then you'll need to cancel / abort the install and start it again by right-clicking the installer and selecting Run as Administrator to run it.

The privileges are not different in Windows 7 regardless of your architecture (64-bit, aka x64, versus 32-bit, aka x86) so if you have used Windows 7 32bi or even Vista (either architecture) previously, then you're perfectly fine going about as you have in the past.

Finally, the Administrator account is disabled - and with good reason - you should only use this when your regular account is not working for some reason. Performing installations out of this account is a no-no also, (much like you don't log in as root in Linux / UNIX to install software).

If you have any more questions, please feel free to post back.

Thanks johngalt

""with a default Windows 7 installation, the account *you* set up as the primary account is an administrator account - but for installation of software and a few other choice actions, you still need privileges higher than administrator, as defined by your account. Anything that installs files to %ProgramFiles% or %ProgramFiles(X86)% (which are better known in default installations as C:\Program Files\ and C:\Program Files (x86) respectively) will require these same higher privileges. The user that you create has administrative privileges, but UAC will still make it ask (at the very least) when you try to write to these folders (unless you have it disabled - which is a *BIG* no-no!). This is for your safety, and by design, similar to (but not quite the same) as gaining privileges for a substitute user using the su command in Linux / UNIX.""

I have no problems with UAC,
I installed my windows 7 64bit just a couple of days ago. Do this means i should leave everything as it was set by default??


""So, if you do not see the error message your install has usually worked just fine. If you do see the error message, then you'll need to cancel / abort the install and start it again by right-clicking the installer and selecting Run as Administrator to run it.""

So, the Run as administrator option should only be used when the application ask for it?? right?? ok

What would happen if I run an installation that is not asking me to run as administrator, but I still run it with the "run as administrator" option?

Thank you for your explanation, very clear!!

amoretam said:

I have no problems with UAC,
I installed my windows 7 64bit just a couple of days ago. Do this means i should leave everything as it was set by default??

Click to expand...

Yup. Leaving it as default is good.

amoretam said:

So, the Run as administrator option should only be used when the application ask for it?? right?? ok

What would happen if I run an installation that is not asking me to run as administrator, but I still run it with the "run as administrator" option?

Thank you for your explanation, very clear!!

Click to expand...

If the application installer gives you an error message stating that it is unable to perform some function as a part of its installation routine, then you will need to run it as Admin. However, Windows 7 also has a built in function where it will ask you if the install performed correctly or not, with most installers, so that if you answer no, it will automatically restart the installer with the required elevated privileges.

Rule of thumb - if you get error messages, then look at manually running as administrator. If you get a UAC prompt asking for elevated privileges, then the installer is Windows 7 aware and is already doing this for you.

1-for safety use a standard account.
2-run app normally unless they wont run. If run as admin is needed do so.
3-Which admin account is disabled?

Ken[/QUOTE]

Here i attached you some of my users accounts privileges settings...........
amoretam is the name i gave when my installation asked me for a user account name::


THANKS MAN

We don't get to have that prilvedge in Home Premiem...

to activate your admin account...

elevate your command prompt

type:
net user administrator /active:yes

hit enter

log off and log on into admin account

most importantly! change the password

johngalt said:

amoretam said:

I have no problems with UAC,
I installed my windows 7 64bit just a couple of days ago. Do this means i should leave everything as it was set by default??

Click to expand...

Yup. Leaving it as default is good.

amoretam said:

So, the Run as administrator option should only be used when the application ask for it?? right?? ok

What would happen if I run an installation that is not asking me to run as administrator, but I still run it with the "run as administrator" option?

Thank you for your explanation, very clear!!

Click to expand...

If the application installer gives you an error message stating that it is unable to perform some function as a part of its installation routine, then you will need to run it as Admin. However, Windows 7 also has a built in function where it will ask you if the install performed correctly or not, with most installers, so that if you answer no, it will automatically restart the installer with the required elevated privileges.

Rule of thumb - if you get error messages, then look at manually running as administrator. If you get a UAC prompt asking for elevated privileges, then the installer is Windows 7 aware and is already doing this for you.

Click to expand...

Damn it, you are fast...... this is already getting very clear for me...
Thanks a lot ...

acurasd said:

We don't get to have that prilvedge in Home Premiem...

to activate your admin account...

elevate your command prompt

type:
net user administrator /active:yes

hit enter

log off and log on into admin account

most importantly! change the password

Click to expand...

I dont have home premium, i have windows 7 64 bit ultimate build 7600,
and someone wrote this::

""Finally, the Administrator account is disabled - and with good reason - you should only use this when your regular account is not working for some reason. Performing installations out of this account is a no-no also, (much like you don't log in as root in Linux / UNIX to install software).""

So why should i enable my administrator account??
thanks

johngalt said:

amoretam said:

I have no problems with UAC,
I installed my windows 7 64bit just a couple of days ago. Do this means i should leave everything as it was set by default??

Click to expand...

Yup. Leaving it as default is good.

amoretam said:

So, the Run as administrator option should only be used when the application ask for it?? right?? ok

What would happen if I run an installation that is not asking me to run as administrator, but I still run it with the "run as administrator" option?

Thank you for your explanation, very clear!!

Click to expand...

If the application installer gives you an error message stating that it is unable to perform some function as a part of its installation routine, then you will need to run it as Admin. However, Windows 7 also has a built in function where it will ask you if the install performed correctly or not, with most installers, so that if you answer no, it will automatically restart the installer with the required elevated privileges.

Rule of thumb - if you get error messages, then look at manually running as administrator. If you get a UAC prompt asking for elevated privileges, then the installer is Windows 7 aware and is already doing this for you.

Click to expand...

ok, here i am again....

I just saw that if I right click on an already installed program icon, (for example VLC), I see this "run as administrator" option.
What is this??
I just read in a forum: "If a program needs administrator privileges to run, it will not run properly without them"

I can see that I can open this VLC icon with or without the "run as administrator" option. How do I know if the program is running at its full potency if by mistake I choose the wrong privilege?

I ask you this because a while ago I was using pro-tools and having crashing problems. I read that if I open the software using the "run as administrator" option
it would fix the problem.
I don't remember if it worked or not, but it made think about all of this.

Any further information is all welcome.

Thank you very much