I want to run as Administrator

Discussion in 'other software & services' started by WilliamP, Feb 11, 2013.

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  1. WilliamP

    WilliamP Registered Member

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    I have a home made system with Windows 7 64 bit. I am not exactly sure what is going on but here goes. I have had problems getting some things to install. Yesterday I downloaded (HiJack This). When I tried to install it from my Download folder. it wouldn't do anything but sit there. So I went into Safe Mode and it installed fine. When I clicked on the desktop icon it wouldn't run. I had to go to My Computer,opened C drive,opened Program files, open Trend Micro, then right click on HiJack This and told it to Run as Administrator. Then it ran. How can I be certain that I am running as Administrator?
     
  2. Sully

    Sully Registered Member

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    In vista/7, they introduced UAC (user account control). What that means in a nutshell is that when you log in, you have the rights of a "user". A user cannot install to program files, etc. When windows detects you are trying to do something that an admin needs to do, it will often "pop up" a UAC prompt - the background fades out and a box comes up that says basically "yes or no" to the action you are trying to perform.

    Most applications are now designed with what is called a "manifest". This simply means that the application makes windows aware that it needs admin permission to do its thing. Windows sees this "manifest" being presented, and knows to spawn the UAC screen.

    Older programs, or programs that simply are not compliant, don't have a manifest, thus windows cannot "know" it should use UAC and get permission to run the program as an admin - which is the whole purpose of UAC.

    Hijack this was around a long time before UAC, so if it is an old version (or maybe any version), it might not communicate to the OS that it needs admin rights. Which means unless you right click on the hijack this .exe and choose to "Start as Administrator", its never going to get the rights it needs to install and/or operate.

    In vista Norton had a tool that could "remember" your answer, so the next time you run hijack this, if you told it so, it would run it as an admin and not need UAC at all. Win7 has no such easy feature, you would have to go a different way using task scheduler I believe to do such a thing. So unless you want to do that, you must always right click and "Start as Administrator".

    I turn UAC off myself because most of what I do does require admin. Leaving UAC on drives me crazy because I have to click yes to do about anything. You can turn it off, and you will then be a normal admin most likely. But, this also takes a layer of security away, sort of. If you click "yes" on everything UAC presents you with anyway, its not much good.

    I guess you will have to decide if you want UAC or not.

    As a work-around (and I haven't tried this, just thinking out loud here) you could make a batch file that starts hijack this, and then get a batch compiler (there are many free ones), which you can include a manifest for the resulting .exe. So in essence, you create a program to start hijack this, which does tell UAC to ask if its OK to run as an admin.

    To find out if you are an admin, right click on my computer icon, choose manage, then go to users or groups, and see if your username is in the admin group. It should be by default.

    Sul.
     
  3. CloneRanger

    CloneRanger Registered Member

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    Hi, maybe this "might" work for you ?

    Run HJT & use ProcessExplorer & right click on HJT. Select the Security tab & then Permissions & then Advanced.

    hjt.png

    It "appears" you "may" be able to configure HJT as you wish. I'm not sure, as i'm XP2/SP2 ! Try it & see
     
  4. Wild Hunter

    Wild Hunter Former Poster

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    Your post is incorrect in some claims.

    Windows 7 has a much easier way.

    From: http://www.snaphow.com/4543/make-programs-run-as-administrator-by-default-in-windows-7

    Step 1 : Right Click on the Program Shortcut or the exe and go to Properties.

    Step 2 : Go to the "Compatibility" tab and Click on ‘‘Change settings for all users".

    Step 3 : Locate "Privilege Level" and check "Run this program as administrator". Click Apply.

    Done, from now on whenever you run an application after you have set them to run as administrator, it pop an User Account Control dialogue. You can simply turn it off by clicking on "Change when these notifications appear".

    Reference image 1.

    Reference image 2.
     
  5. wat0114

    wat0114 Registered Member

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    That should not have happened. It should have launched normally and you should have been able to proceed normally with the installation. Is the file an MSI installer?

    You can click on the account picture icon at the top right of the Start menu.

    *Edit*

    of course as Sully mentions, with UAC enabled you will run with a User token.
     
    Last edited: Feb 11, 2013
  6. Sully

    Sully Registered Member

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    I was not even aware of that option. I have messed with compatability levels, but only programatically via the registry. Last I heard you had to use the task scheduler or some arcane method that I had no interest in.

    Learn something new every day. Good catch.

    Sul.
     
  7. WilliamP

    WilliamP Registered Member

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    Fayetteville, Ga
    I want to thank everyone for their help. This forum has some of the most informed and helpful people.
     
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