Re: Lost XP product key - before install.

"Daniel James" <wastebasket@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote in message
news:VA.00000c17.072448b5@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
[snip]
> Agreed. Everyday use of Windows should not require Administrator rights
> any more than everyday use of unix should require root access ...
> unfortunately it sometimes does.
>
> I tend to run as "Power User" but that can lead to problems with some
> sopftware -- especially badly-written installers. I usually add myself to
> the Administrators group before installing new apps, and this usually
> (but not always) gets around any problems. It's a right PITA, though,
> [...] .. it'd be so much easier with su ...

On Windows XP, I think you can use "Run as" from the context menu to launch
the installer. On Windows 2000 you can create a shortcut, view its
properties, and set "Run as different user" then use the shortcut. I've only
found one case where this didn't work. Sometimes you may need to fiddle
around with Start menu and/or desktop icons.

You can use the same idea for other things too. For instance, I have a
shortcut for a command prompt as Administrator. I most often use this to
launch mmc (usually for stuff in "Computer Management") or regedt32 (mostly
to work around broken software by changing registry permissions). Also, a
shortcut to iexplore with a parameter of "c:\" is useful for file operations
(eg moving files or changing permissions) - you can do it on the command
line but I find it inconvenient on Windows, due to long filenames plus lack
of filename completion, and complex permissions.

So "su" is there, more or less. What's missing is the setuid bit on files,
or better yet, something like "sudo".

HTH,
Alex


.

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