xp pro limited/admin user accounts

An age-old question really...how much access do you give users?

You will proably never convince all users that locking down their workstation is in their best interest, so, as your PCs are all standalone, you could try this:

1. Clone / ghost each drive.
2. Give each users admin rights or power-user rights to his/her PC
3. Wait for the inevitable to happen...and it will!
4. Say "I told you so.."
5. Restore back from ghost image and then see if the users are happier to accept your explanations!

Good luck

classic!!!!(answer1)

i had a buttplugg of a user give me crap before, so what i did is i changed the local admin pw on the box and gave him that, i asked him only to use the admin account to install and do changes and told him he had to use his normal logon for normal use

i dont know what your role is in the company, but if you have the authority, simply lay down the law, they are company computers and are to be used w/ authorized software/settings etc, blah blah blah

Hi

I also assign staff accounts to the Power Users group. This is because they sometimes need to install software when I am not present, change printer settings etc.

I am very wary about giving anyone Admin rights.

The thing that is important here is to ask the question - are your users unable to do their jobs when logged in with limited accounts? It is not for you to convince them, it is for them to convince you.

Make them come to you when they are unable to do their job. Ask them what they need to do that requires admin rights. Are they really trying to do your job?

Like I say, force them to justify their demands. I usually tell staff that the computers they work on are company computers, and that at the end of the day I am responsible for the condition of those computers. If they have a problem, they come to me and I help solve that problem. The last thing I or you need is staff changing system settings intentionally or unintentionally.

Good luck

Since these are stand-alone PCs, you only have Admin and Limited accounts (as I am sure you know, but others apparently do not).

I rather like Gary's idea. How far you are willing to pursue a solution should depend on employee worth, technical savvy, and maturity. That said, it's a given problems will arise if they are turned loose with admin rights.

Dalton

Tell them that due to software audits only company approved, legal licensed software can be installed on company equipment.

This means that they cannon install their copy of dungeons and dragons on the company laptop because they have it on their home computer.

If your company is audited by the software cops the company is fined not the user.

Stand your ground.

Lee