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DADDY BOB'S COMPUTER Q & A
June 25 , 2006
Q.
When I right click on a program file or a
shortcut, there is an item
called Run As in the menu. What does that
do?
Note: Administrator and Limited User
Accounts also covered.
A.
When Windows XP is installed, by default it
sets up all the users with Administrator
Account Privileges, unless the user is
manually and individually set up with
Limited User Privileges. Ok, what's the
difference? Here's Microsoft's explanation.
Computer
Administrator Account :
The computer administrator account is
intended for someone who can make system
wide changes to the computer, install
software, and access all non-private files
on the computer. Only a user with a computer
administrator account has full access to
other user accounts on the computer. A user
with a computer administrator account:
• Can create and delete user accounts on the
computer.
• Can change other users' account names,
pictures, passwords, and account types.
• Cannot change his or her own account type
to limited unless there is at least one
other user with a computer administrator
account. This ensures that there is always
at least one user with a computer
administrator account on the computer.
• Can manage his or her network passwords,
create a reset password disk, and set up his
or her account to use a .NET Passport.
Limited User
Account:
The limited account is intended for someone
who should be prohibited from changing most
computer settings and deleting important
files. A user with a limited account:
• Generally cannot install software or
hardware, but can access programs that have
already been installed on the computer.
• Can change his or her account picture and
can also create, change, or delete his or
her password.
• Cannot change his or her account name or
account type. A user with a computer
administrator account must make these kinds
of changes.
• Can manage his or her network passwords,
create a reset password disk, and set up his
or her account to use a .NET Passport.
OK, now that is settled, what does that have
to do with the question? XP has included
this "Run As" feature to allow anyone logged
on with Administrator privileges, which will
be most users, to test run any program with
limited user privileges. If you come across
a program that you don't know where it came
from or what it is, and just have to try it
out, Run As will help you do it more safely.
When you Right click on a program file or a
shortcut, then select "Run
As", this dialog window will open:
Selecting "Current User", and clicking the
box under it, allows the program to run
without doing any permanent damage to your
computer by running it in a Limited User
setup. As you can see, it will also allow a
limited user to run it as an administrator
IF they have the correct username and
password.
The new Windows Vista operating system will
be using something Microsoft calls User
Account Control (UAC). The default
installation of Vista will be to install all
users with a non-administrator User Account.
You might say great, why not run everything
this way? Most install programs, and many
other programs need to write to areas and
make changes to places prohibited by Limited
user accounts. i.e.: The Program Files
folder and most of the registry. So, using
Run As will block many legit programs from
installing or even working.
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