What kind of account to use every day?

[zx81]

Hello all,

I would like to know what kind of account you should use for everyday tasks like browsing the Internet and using Windows 7.

Can we just use the account with administrative rights and permissions that is created during the install of windows 7?

Or should we manually create a user account, specific for daily use, with less rights and permissions.

Regarding to my question, what is the best practice?
And how to implement the best practice?

Best regards,

zx81

 

[Crispy]

Have a admin account for admin use's eg, installing programs and make a user account for everyday use.

 

[Dinesh]

I just have one admin account which I use for everything.

 

[zx81]

Have a admin account for admin user's eg, installing programs and make a user account for everyday use.

I just have one admin account which I use for everything.

Thank you Crispy and Dinesh!

Now I have two different answers, I would like to have more information about, how those different answers work, related to security and user experience.

Best regards, and thanks in advance for helping/teaching me.

zx81

 

[Tews]

Unless you have a specific need for administrative rights, I would suggest using a standard user account..

 

[hackerman1]

hi !

you should run your PC with a USER-account, and also have UAC (UserAccountControl) activated, set it to max.

only run as ADMIN when you really have to, fx when installing new software or doing system maintenance.

 

[esteban]

I have an admin account and a user account, with no password, that I/my girlfriend/my friends can use.

This way, when my friends come over and use my laptop, they can do whatever they need to do with effing things up

 

[SquonkSC]

To answer the OP.

A user account for every day use is safer, but it can become annoying when you just want to install something and have to switch to another account.

I have yet to come across the first Windows poweruser that practices what he preaches,
and uses a user account on his home machine.

We all * use admin accounts.

Greetings,

* all is used as a manner of speaking.
If you are that one poweruser that does use a user account, please accept my humble apologies.

 

[ken9122]

I have yet to come across the first Windows poweruser that practices what he preaches,
and uses a user account on his home machine.

So true.
I use an admin account for my own use. And User accounts for family and employees. That way I have better control of whats installed on the systems behind my back.

Ken

 

[ultraplanet]

I have yet to come across the first Windows poweruser that practices what he preaches, and uses a user account on his home machine.

Hello, nice to meet you SquonkSC! In fact I can't remember the last time I logged on to my home machine as admin. I always just use "run as" when I need to do something that requires admin rights.

 

[Dwarf]

When an OS is first installed, there is only one account available, and that is an administrative one (although, by default, it doesn't have administrative privileges and needs elevating in order to have them). Whilst in that account, I install my AV and the latest drivers (where required) for my hardware. I then create a standard account and from then on, unless there is a specific need to log into the administrative account, I log in to the new standard account. I can always provide administrative credentials for a program to install/run if necessary.

 

[pparks1]

Hmmm....after looking around....on my Vista workstation at the office my account is in the local admins group, and it's the same way on my Windows 7 box at the office (although it's not on the domain) and it's the same way on my home computer.

So, I run with an account that has admin capabilities. I do leave the UAC system turned on, and I've left it at the 3rd tick mark...having it only inform me when programs want to get elevated rights.

One of these days, I'll have to create a standard account for home use and see how things go using it.

 

[logicearth]

Until you elevate with a UAC prompt or run an application with "Run as Admin" the account you created at installation which is part of the administrators group is not an administrator until elevated. Until that time it is treated like a standard user but with more transparent permission grants.

If you want to be absolutely sure, push the UAC slider to the very max. Tis what I do anyways.