Users Accounts and Software Installation

[sbalun]

Should you install applications using the default administrator account?

If you install an application as a "Power User" will other users on the same machine be able to run that application? Will it show up on their personal desktop? How about if you install the application as an administrator?

In the help files M$ recommneds against using the machine when logged on as an administrator, particularly when surfing the net so as to avoid trojan horse viruses and the like. Should I heed this advise? Even if using anti-virus software (Norton Anti-Virus 2002)?

Thanks in advance for the help and information.

 

[joegz]

Unless you have setup a Group Policy Object on a domain running Active Directory (not my real specialty), Power Users will not be able to install software on a W2K machine. Only an administrator can install software and yes others will be able to use it unless during the install you specify, if prompted by the software, not to allow others to run the software.

As far as the advise not to use the machine logged on as the local adminstrator that is good advice you should heed. You can create a user account for yourself and add yourself to the administrators group but I would not stay logged on to the machine as the local administrator other than to do tasks associated with the local adminsitrator's ID.

An anti-virus software is only precautionary step but just as an example it wouldn't stop from someone probing your machine for an open UDP or TCP port. Imagine if you were logged on as the local admin just surfing and someone got access to your machine through an open port. They can have a field day on your machine. (Granted this is a rather extreme case but still a possibility.) You just can't be safe enough so take as many safety precautions as possible.

Also, because of the example I gave, look into getting either a hardware or sofware (or both) firewall protection if you use a high bandwidth connection.