How do I know if I have admin rights?

  • Thread starter Thread starter Stan Brown
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Stan Brown

The software of the company I work for requires full admin rights to
install, though not to run.

On the phone, frequently potential installers don't know whether they
have admin rights. Here are the two tests I've been using:

(a) Start | Run | MSCONFIG -- if it comes up without an error
message, you have admin rights.

(b) Right-click "My Computer", select Properties | Advanced |
Environment Variables. If the bottom section (system variables) is
grayed out, you don't have admin rights.

Are these tests reliable, and is there a better test?
 
The test that I use is to right-click on the Start button. If you see
Explore All Users, you have Admin.

Brian Bygland
 
At a Command Prompt issue:

net user "%username%"

At the bottom of the output you will get Local Group Memberships. Don't
forget the quotation marks around the %username% variable
("%username%"), the command will fail if the user name has spaces in it,
and it often does so *always* use the quotation marks.

You can also issue:

net localgroup administrators

and it will return a list of members.

John
 
Stan said:
The software of the company I work for requires full admin rights to
install, though not to run.

On the phone, frequently potential installers don't know whether they
have admin rights. Here are the two tests I've been using:

(a) Start | Run | MSCONFIG -- if it comes up without an error
message, you have admin rights.

(b) Right-click "My Computer", select Properties | Advanced |
Environment Variables. If the bottom section (system variables) is
grayed out, you don't have admin rights.

Are these tests reliable, and is there a better test?
Click to expand...


Why not just have the user Right-click on the Start Button? The
resulting Context menus are very different between limited and
administrative users. Hint: For instance, limited users see no option
to "Explore All Users."


--

Bruce Chambers

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They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary
safety deserve neither liberty nor safety. -Benjamin Franklin

Many people would rather die than think; in fact, most do. -Bertrand Russell
 
Tue, 22 May 2007 18:02:26 -0700 from Another Brian
The test that I use is to right-click on the Start button. If you see
Explore All Users, you have Admin.
Click to expand...

Thanks, Brian and Bruce. Right-click on Start, "Explore All Users" it
is.
 
Don't forget that that too can be disabled via GPO:

"Remove common program groups from Start Menu"

John
 
Stan said:
Thanks, Brian and Bruce. Right-click on Start, "Explore All Users" it
is.
Click to expand...


You're welcome.

--

Bruce Chambers

Help us help you:



They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary
safety deserve neither liberty nor safety. -Benjamin Franklin

Many people would rather die than think; in fact, most do. -Bertrand Russell
 
Wed, 23 May 2007 19:21:46 -0300 from John John
Don't forget that that too can be disabled via GPO:

"Remove common program groups from Start Menu"
Click to expand...

I'm not sure I fully understand you.

But no scheme is perfect -- I'm just aiming at a rough and ready test
that will usually be right.

For my purposes a false negative is better than a false positive. If
they think they have admin rights and don't, the installation will
screw up. If they think they don't but actually they do, the only
penalty is the inconvenience of waiting for IT to install the
software when they could have installed it themselves.
 
Stan Brown said:
Wed, 23 May 2007 19:21:46 -0300 from John John



I'm not sure I fully understand you.

But no scheme is perfect -- I'm just aiming at a rough and ready
test
that will usually be right.

For my purposes a false negative is better than a false positive. If
they think they have admin rights and don't, the installation will
screw up. If they think they don't but actually they do, the only
penalty is the inconvenience of waiting for IT to install the
software when they could have installed it themselves.
Click to expand...
What he means is that by using GPO, the "Explore All Users" option can
be removed even if you do have admin.

Brian
 
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