Windows 7 + app needs Admin Privileges

[James Rose]

Hello gang,

My office uses an app that is requiring Admin Privileges. The users are Customer Service reps and there is no way that we are going to give these people this level of access. I spoke with the company that created the app and their responses have been:

• Give the users admin rights (ummmmm, NO!)
  
• Right click and run the app with Admin Rights... as if an Administrator is available to log in 24/7
  

I asked if they could give me a list of folders or files that are accessed by their app. A week later the tech contacted me and informed me that they cannot give me such a list (do they not know?)

The app runs fine under XP, but now with that being, finally, phased out we have to find a way to get this to work.

So at this point I am at a bit of a loss to know what to do next. For the record I got out of networking and support over 17 years ago (I much prefer Software Development, thank you) so I cannot be sure if it is a specific port that this app is using or.... ????!

Any thoughts?

[Guest xiphi]

Windows XP Mode, man. http://www.microsoft.com/windows/virtual-pc/download.aspx

[James Rose]

Windows XP Mode, man. http://www.microsoft...c/download.aspx

Thanks. I will read up.

EDIT: The documentation is thin, but it seems that it wants me to install VirtualPC and then, I am guessing, run XP within that? or.... ?

[Guest xiphi]

Correct. It runs on Virtual PC, but allows you to run applications without booting straight into Windows XP. You will need to install Windows XP Mode along with it. It was made for situations like yours.

[James Rose]

Correct. It runs on Virtual PC, but allows you to run applications without booting straight into Windows XP. You will need to install Windows XP Mode along with it. It was made for situations like yours.

Yea, I already thought about running XP on VPC but management doesn't want to do that either. Thanks though.

[+BudMan MVC]

You could run process monitor

http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/sysinternals/bb896645

And see what its trying to do, and then give the permissions it needs to do that without full admin rights.

[James Rose]

You could run process monitor

http://technet.micro...ernals/bb896645

And see what its trying to do, and then give the permissions it needs to do that without full admin rights.

Thanks. This is part of what my manager wants me to do. Once I find out, how do I add these values to Active Directory? (any sort of primer would be helpful)

[ShiZZa]

Odds are i have a feeling the application put something in the system hive. first application that comes to mind is quickbooks. this is a big epic fail imo. you may be able to get by with changing a few registery permissions. what application is it?

[Kai Y]

You can try VMware Thinapp, Microsoft App-V, Spoon Studio or one of the other application virtualization software perhaps (list here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Portable_application_creators)? These programs package your software such that they will read and write to a virtual file system and virtual registry so they should be able to run without admin privileges.

I've only personally tried the trial of VMware Thinapp, and it seems to work with most apps that don't do stuff like drivers or some kind of machine-based activation. You just start ThinApp in a clean Windows install and then it takes note of what is currently on the system. Then you install and run the app that you want to package, and then run ThinApp again - again it will take note of what is now on the system, and generate a package with the difference as a virtualized file system and registry. Even if your company cannot afford ThinApp, at least by using the trial you'd know from the virtual file system and registry which folders/registry keys the program writes to and can change the permissions to cater to the app.

[BeerFan]

Thanks. This is part of what my manager wants me to do. Once I find out, how do I add these values to Active Directory? (any sort of primer would be helpful)

Try giving all authenticated users full access to the folder that the app uses. Give us some more specifics on the app, and we could help out more specifically.

[James Rose]

Odds are i have a feeling the application put something in the system hive. first application that comes to mind is quickbooks. this is a big epic fail imo. you may be able to get by with changing a few registery permissions. what application is it?

The app is by Teleflora and is used to monitor flower orders (exciting? Why yes it is!)

I'm going to try the Process Monitor and see if I can find out what it affects. (Teleflora would not, or could not tell me what it uses)