How to run an application with different privileges in WinXP?

[dderidex]

First off, I know a couple solutions:

[*]Right-click shortcut and select 'Run As...' and enter alternate username and password.
This will not work because the user in question (guest doing house-sitting for us) will not have the admin username and password.

[*]Change shortcut properties to 'Run with different credentials', so it prompts for username and password on execution
Same problem as above - user will not have the needed information.

[*] Change shortcut to use a third-party 'Run As...'-like application that takes a username and parameter as a password.
A bad idea, as it puts the system admin's username and password immediately available to be seen by anyone!

Basically, I've got the guest environment on this PC 99% working, except for 2 or 3 startup items I'd like to have running and available to them that require administrative access to run properly. Stupid programming on the part of the application developer, of course, but there it is. These apps, and these apps ALONE, I want to be able to run with administrative permissions from a 'Limited' user account.

I was hoping something in the Windows Application Compatibility Toolkit would allow it, but the 'Force Admin Access' does not seem to, so....??

This is NOT an 'Active Directory' environment, so I do not believe EPAL will work.

Thoughts?

 

[rmrf]

you could write a vbscript, encode it, and place it in the startup directory. that way your password wouldn't be so hard to get, at least it wouldn't be in clear text.

either that, or you could open up the program files directory to all users. not sure if that would fix your problem though, it's been a while since I did end-user support. I've done the vbscript before though, worked like a charm.

 

[dderidex]

Originally posted by: rmrf
you could write a vbscript, encode it, and place it in the startup directory. that way your password wouldn't be so hard to get, at least it wouldn't be in clear text.

Hmmm...never used VBScript for that particular application. And encoded, as well? Will have to do some research into that!

Originally posted by: rmrf
either that, or you could open up the program files directory to all users. not sure if that would fix your problem though, it's been a while since I did end-user support. I've done the vbscript before though, worked like a charm.

Running WinXP Home on this box, so that's not actually an option.

 

[rmrf]

http://www.microsoft.com/mind/0899/scriptengine/scriptengine.asp

 

[Tsaico]

what do you want to run? If they are services, then there shouldn't be an issue since the system account is the owner of that. If they are applications, you can find out what files it needs access to and explicity give it access to these particular files or folders. Things such as the win.ini file, specific registry keys... etc... It is a little more problematic, but having more information such as the error message and what application you are trying to start is a good place to begin.

 

[dderidex]

You know, I could probably use Firedaemon to launch this particular app AS a server, and that might just do it...