windows xp: run programs with administrator rights but without knowing

[dyle]

Hi everyone,

I have reinstalled Windows XP recently and added a couple of games to the installation which my kids enjoy playing. However some of them need administrator rights in order to be played, e.g. Warcraft III.

Now, I want to enable the games to be run as administrator rights for my kids, but how can I do this?

Mr. Google always tells me to use the "Run As" option but this requires me to hand them out the admin password. I certainly wont do this. THIS is a security breach. Handing out the admin password for just playing games is like ... puhh ... don't know, shooting yourself in the foot.

Instead I want to have a tool which only allows some programs (and only them) to be run in an administrator context without knowing the password. It's like having a setuid on Windows. I had a GUI Tool which worked nicely installed in the previous Windows XP version which I replaced. I'm trying to find this GUI tool again, but what I found is CPAU (http://www.joeware.net/freetools/tools/cpau/index.htm) which states it does the same but simply doesn't work.

The GUI Tool I have in mind required me to insert the program name, the user and his credentials and then created a new file (AFAIR also an EXE) which had to be launched instead the original file afterwards. The new file switched the security context and sucessfully started the program under the "new" user.

I wasn't able to find this tool again nor I remember the name. Anyone heard of it?

Thx for any comments.

PS: Sorry if this post is in the wrong forum ...

[dyle]

Bump! Anyone? Still needed ...

[MANEMAN]

wasn't able to find this tool again nor I remember the name

Anyone heard of it?

What is it called ? :) :) :) :)

You've played a bit of a longshot on a forum with a question that either people dont understand, or you have made it overly complex in phrasing that they cant be bothered to get their head around it.

Could it be a one-off situation that you found the answer too at some time and forgot to backup ?

I tried the link you gave but it was a dead end. (Not available)

You may have more luck on a "dedicated gamers forum" if you get the wording right.

There must be someone out there with exactly the same problem as you. - As you are probably finding out, it may just be only one other person, - amongst millions.

Even if you have formatted your drive you may find that the original "lost" program is still retrievable with the correct software.

John.

[dyle]

Thx for reply and ... exactly. That is point.

You've played a bit of a longshot on a forum with a question that either people dont understand, or you have made it overly complex in phrasing that they cant be bothered to get their head around it.

Could it be a one-off situation that you found the answer too at some time and forgot to backup ?

I tried the link you gave but it was a dead end. (Not available)

Yes, I thought originally that this problem is quite common and such tools are easy to find on the net. So didn't had the need to backup. But I was wrong as it seems. For the link: the forum added the ")" at the end which obviously wrong. It's: http://www.joeware.net/freetools/tools/cpau/index.htm

You may have more luck on a "dedicated gamers forum" if you get the wording right.

Well, it is actually not a gaming problem at all. I see it is a deep Windows security issue. I'm searching for the Windows equivalent of the well known Unix passwordless sudo.

There must be someone out there with exactly the same problem as you. - As you are probably finding out, it may just be only one other person, - amongst millions.

Even if you have formatted your drive you may find that the original "lost" program is still retrievable with the correct software.

For the masses, yes. But phrasing this in Google gives me always the very same "RunAs" solution which requires the password. Didn't get around it yet. :(

And for finding the tool on disk again: nope. I reformatted the drive, repartitionate it and reinstalled on a different partition and used the original partition for something else. I guess, chances to find something with forensic tools worth it go down to 0.

[dyle]

Ok. Just stumbled across this one: http://sourceforge.net/projects/sudowin/

I'll try that and give feedback.

[-pops-]

So didn't had the need to backup. But I was wrong as it seems.

It is the ultimate folly to say you don't need to backup.

[MANEMAN]

I see it is a deep Windows security issue

Nothing new there then. :) Even Microsoft see their operating systems as a "Deep Windows Security issue" :lol:

That's why people run Linux and MAC's.

POPS SAID: It is the ultimate folly to say you don't need to backup.

I think he is now realising that after trawling the internet and forums to retrieve something he once had, but now doesn't, and having an ultimate epiphany about Windows security, and sharing that knowledge with us. :)

Yep come on back with some feedback dyle. ;) You sound the sort of guy the Aussies would call "A good bloke, and a bloody beaut"

John.

[just to answer you]

Hello dyle,

I have a similar problem at the moment and found some other programs that might help you, too. Some websites are in german, but I think you can find english sites too if you google the names.

- Sudo for Windows: http://sourceforge.net/projects/sudowin/ or http://www.heise.de/software/download/sudo_for_windows_sudowin/57155

- CPAU: http://www.joeware.net/freetools/tools/cpau/index.htm

- SuRun: http://www.heise.de/software/download/surun/51313 or http://kay-bruns.de/wp/software/surun/

- RunasSpc: http://www.heise.de/software/download/runasspc/22490 or http://www.robotronic.de/runasspc.html

- SuDown: http://www.heise.de/software/download/sudown/41156

I think what will fit your needs is RunasSpc. See http://www.robotronic.de/runasspcEn.html for more details. I have not tested any of these programs yet, but the description is very promising B) .

Good luck!

[Seshomaru Samma]

Do those games need Windows Installer to run?

If not you can try this:

1. create a new user with admin rights

2. prevent the user from running windows installer (like this )

3. set all other programmes (like browser, IM , office , etc ) to run with limited rights (like this)

[satish]

You can do one thing....

1. login using the admin login.

2. go tho the c drive and then program files where the that particular program is installed.

3. the right click on the application file go to properties.

4. then go to permission there would be a tab as add user then add the user who you wanted to have the access as admin.

And go are good to go.....

[itux420]

If you're still looking for a solution, I am running SuRun (http://sourceforge.net/projects/surun/) on one of my Windows XP machines. It claims to run better that SuDown. I can't say seeing as I never ran SuDown. The original website is http://kay-bruns.de/wp/software/surun/ but it's in Dutch (or German or whatever). There is, however, a link for a translation that brings you to Google Translate and just translates the whole page.

Best of luck.

[-pops-]

Pointless replying to this thread, it's 3 years old