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View Full Version : Does your school/workplace use administrator accounts in Windows?



aysiu
April 21st, 2010, 07:17 PM
A lot of people have to use Windows at work, whether they like it or not.

I've worked in several different places... some have a general policy of using limited user accounts for Windows. Others have a general policy of using administrator accounts for Windows.

Microsoft itself, even though it doesn't set Windows up this way by default, recommends users use a limited user account:
http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc700846.aspx

So I'm curious, for those of you who have workplaces or attend schools that use Windows, is the general policy that users are administrators... or limited users?

And by "general policy" I mean for most users. If you work in the tech department or are buddies with someone in the tech department and can get administrator privileges but everyone else gets limited user privileges, that means limited user privileges.

You don't have to disclose the name of your school or workplace. Just vote in the poll. Thanks!

whiskeylover
April 21st, 2010, 07:22 PM
Almost all places I've worked at give you local admin rights on your windows computer.

Its a good thing if you're a developer, and want to install tools, manipulate configuration files/registry etc.

aysiu
April 21st, 2010, 07:29 PM
I've heard arguments either way.

On the one hand, I've heard some tech departments say they'd rather deal with cleaning up malware on people's computers (or just re-imaging those computers) than constantly be pestered to install stuff on people's computers (which they would be if folks had only limited user accounts).

On the other hand, I've heard some tech departments say they just don't trust people to be smart about protecting their computers, so they'll put up with weeding out and fulfilling requests to install software on people's computers when necessary. In those instances, I've seen some trusted power users given local admin access.

I understand where the former are coming from, but I think I tend to side more with the latter approach (not that I'm in a tech department officially). When it comes to security, prevention is better than clean-up, especially if your workplace has any confidential materials that may have been compromised by malware infections.

dragos240
April 21st, 2010, 07:34 PM
XP limited. However, most of us login to the cube (our network), which is automatically limited.

Tristam Green
April 21st, 2010, 08:08 PM
XP, limited user for all users except field sales/service, IT, and executives.

TheNosh
April 21st, 2010, 08:25 PM
my school has limited accounts for all the students and admin accounts for all the teachers and staff.

this is a horrible idea for the teachers IMO, at least if they aren't going to make sure the teachers know how to properly use the computers. it's incredibly common for teachers to mess up their computers beyond the tech department's ability to repair (though i think that may say more about the abilities of the tech department than it does about the teachers' lack of computer knowledge).

everyone at my school is given a laptop to use for the duration of the school year. in the contracts everyone needs to sign regarding said laptops it states that they are to be used for school purposes and not as your personal computer at home. the teachers almost always break this rule, because they have admin access. there aren't consequences for the teachers doing so because they can't easily apply consequences for such a large portion of the school's staff. this results in a lot of malware issues on the teachers' computers.

Miguel
April 21st, 2010, 08:27 PM
I think it's limited XP. I'm sure all the Windows computers at work use limited accounts, but I'm doubtful whether the new windows computers have 7, vista or XP.

Fortunately, my employer is pretty open in what you can employ, and Windows, OS X and Linux are allowed. I personally use a RHEL 5.5 workstation, and I don't have anything near to the root password or sudoer privileges.

tilixibr
April 21st, 2010, 10:55 PM
looks like all workplaces and schools use the OS that is third in its release
I mean it this way:
1-Windows 7
2-Windows Vista
3-Windows XP

When Microsoft release their next Windows, we`ll probably still stay with XP, since Vista was a disaster... or until they throw XP out for good...

aysiu
April 21st, 2010, 11:05 PM
looks like all workplaces and schools use the OS that is third in its release
I mean it this way:
1-Windows 7
2-Windows Vista
3-Windows XP

When Microsoft release their next Windows, we`ll probably still stay with XP, since Vista was a disaster... or until they throw XP out for good...
The school I work at has been in XP for six years, and we're finally upgrading to Windows 7 next school year.

Frogs Hair
April 22nd, 2010, 02:05 AM
Limited user , can't even set a clock

Yes
April 22nd, 2010, 02:17 AM
Limited XP. The teachers also use a limited XP account but with less restrictions.

cprofitt
April 22nd, 2010, 02:18 AM
It took me a while to get upper-level buy in, but currently all users other than IT staff run as limited users. IT staff also only run as local admins when working on client machines.

cprofitt
April 22nd, 2010, 02:24 AM
The school I work at has been in XP for six years, and we're finally upgrading to Windows 7 next school year.

What do you do at the school?

We are looking at Windows 7 as well where I work. (I am in the IT department).

KdotJ
April 22nd, 2010, 02:26 AM
My uni runs Fedora (currently F12), we all have pretty much normal user accounts (i.e no root or sudo privileges) but we can't install stuff and our menus have been limited.

aysiu
April 22nd, 2010, 02:37 AM
What do you do at the school?

We are looking at Windows 7 as well where I work. (I am in the IT department).
I work in the admission office, but it's not just my office--the whole school is upgrading to Windows 7 (students, faculty, and staff).

A couple of drivers that needed to be reinstalled, but otherwise all the old software we used on XP still works on 7.

wojox
April 22nd, 2010, 02:39 AM
Windows XP or 2000 limited user. I could make myself Admin :evil:
My bosses were technically challenged.

sharathpaps
April 22nd, 2010, 02:58 AM
:-) In the hospital where I work all users have Windows 2000 with limited privileges. The entire network is frustrating at times actually. Critical information might not be accessible always, the intranet is crawling with viruses and trojans. Applications crash randomly and so on and so forth. I've been forever telling the IT Department to move to Linux but there is a lot of inertia because:

a) The IT people themselves know little about deploying a Linux network.

b) A whole lot of people/users will have to be taught how to use the new system.

c) Custom made applications - made for windows will have to be rewritten which will involve a lot of money.

So I guess the crappy system is here to stay for the foreseeable future:confused: ?