Checking if app can run without admin rights?

Question

Hello

To get Windows users to log on as regular users instead of admin, I need to check that all their applications run OK with limited rights.

Is there an application specifically aimed at checking that an application can run with limited rights, or is SysInternals' Process Monitor what everyone uses for this purpose?

Thank you.

Answer 1

Run this application on Windows 7/Vista with access control enabled. You may consider Windows 7 as such testing application :)

It is recommended to use non-administrator account with activated access control on a developer computer, when you write and debug the program. This creates some problems, and Windows developers hate this, turning off access control or using administrator account. However, working on Linux/Unix, we don't have administrator rights, and this is OK.

Answer 2

I'm not sure if it would help since I never used it but I know there's a Permission Calculator Tool (Permcalc.exe) at http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ms165077%28VS.80%29.aspx.

Permission Calculator Tool (Permcalc.exe)

The Minimum Grant Set Determination tool (Permcalc.exe) is used to estimate the permissions callers must be granted to access the public entry points of an assembly. This tool is new in the .NET Framework version 2.0. It is intended for use by advanced users.

Answer 3

Create a test account that has the permissions as the domain users of your application Login in as this user on a non-development computer. Preferrably a computer with a new operating system installation and all of the other "standard" company software. Install the software and run. This is the only way to really test your application.

• Make sure you exercise the entire application.
• Make sure install and uninstall work as expected and do not leave any artifacts behind.
• Having the ability to restore the operating-system and software on the test computer to its original state is a great help.

Use the Permission Calculator Tool to make sure you handle obvious issues before performing this test.