Running as non-admin account

[Alex]

Per http://blogs.msdn.microsoft.com/aaron_margosis, I am uncomfortable
running daily as admin account. When I install MS Antispyware as admin, then
login as a normal user, I cannot save my settings, and get the annoying
(alert/BHO) popups that I cannot permanently get rid of, when running as an
account that is not local administrator.

This must have to do with a registry key that I cannot set/access as the
unprivileged user? Anyone help?

 

[Alan]

MSAS doesn't currently support limited accounts.

This might change in the future though.

As for running as an administrator, I see little problem
as long as you have a good firewall and AV program
protecting your system. I'm using Zone Alarm Pro, and I
have a router connected between my PC and my cable
modem. The router also has a hardware firewall
included. This is a good thing to have, as they are
usually hard to hack through. Most hackers don't want to
be bothered trying to hack into someone's personal
comouter if it's well protected, and will move onto one
that isn't well protected. The hardware firewall makes
it even harder to get into the system, especially if it
uses both NAT and SPI firewalls. SPI stands for
Statefull Packet Inspection, and it inspects the packets
of data coming through the router and makes certain that
you requested the packet in the first place. NAT stands
for Network Address Translation, and it makes it harder
for someone to try to connect to a computer that's
connected to the router.

ALan

 

[Dave]

Admin access is a non starter for this. I am in a school
and any program that requires admin access will not be
installed. You can just imagin what the kiddies will
download and install. Almost all of our W98 PCs are
unusable after a few weeks.

 

[Andre Da Costa]

This I found in a post from Mikolaj:
This article describes the process of creating own services:

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/137890/en-us
--
Andre
Extended64 | http://www.extended64.com
Blog | http://www.extended64.com/blogs/andre
http://spaces.msn.com/members/adacosta
FAQ for MS AntiSpy http://www.geocities.com/marfer_mvp/FAQ_MSantispy.htm

 

[Guest]

I have the same problem, what I particularily dislike is
that it makes you think the change is done when it isn't.
Now that is a BUG!

 

[Alex]

Thanks Alan. I am not as concerned with hackers as with spyware authors, who
it would seem are just rubbing their hands with glee thinking about all the
people MS in their infinite wisdom have decided to force to run as a local
administrator account for the AS software to work correctly.

Please read the blog of Aaron Margolis
http://blogs.msdn.microsoft.com/aaron_margolis and you'll get the idea I got
when I decided to pull my login out of the local admin group. The only real
issues I've had are both with "self-updating" programs such as MSAS and HP
Printing Assistant that need to write to filesystem with updates, and update
registry keys...

 

[Alex]

Are you saying I should be creating a SRVANY for MS Anti-Spyware ... I'll
pass I think, or at least wait and see what comes along in the "Release"
version.

IMHO, from what I've seen of the MS and WebRoot SpySweeper, they both have
issues when run as local non-administrator/non-poweruser accounts.

 

[Ron Chamberlin]

Dave,
This program won't run on your school's 98 boxes.
In the meantime, check faronics.com and see if they backpedal Deep Freeze to
98. If so, it'll save you a ton of pain.


Ron Chamberlin
MS-MVP

 

[Ron Chamberlin]

Hi Alex,
It's still in Beta. The bumps with running as non admin have been noted,
and are expected to get cleaned up.

Meanwhile, take the hits, and keep running as Non Admin.

Ron Chamberlin
MS-MVP