Security when logged in as Administrator WinXP

nooby · 27 Oct 2008, 07:33 PM

http://sudown.sourceforge.net/

Quote:

The purpose of the suDown Project is to make using low privileged accounts in
Windows XP* easier which is an effective security layer against harmful virus, worm, trojan
or spyware software. If some malicious program manages to get past your security programs
or break in through an unpatched security hole of your web browser, email client or
operating system it still finds itself in an unfriendly low privileged environment where the
possibilities of replicating and doing harm are quite limited.

I am bad at all things tech and software cause I fail to think consistently
and thus logic and long sequences of steps fails me.

so my WinXP are Administrator cause I fail to find an easy way to
change to a restricted user format. I have installed such but I have
not found a way to transfer all the programs to it. Or how to change
the ordinary account to a restricted one.

This "sudown" prog maybe would allow me to but would it slow down
programs? or is it invisible until one need admin rights?

The test is too heavy for me? Could you read it and confirm that it is a
good thing to install?

Or please tell me how I change my Admin to restricted or how one move all the programs over to the restricted from the Admin account.

theog · 28 Oct 2008, 04:39 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by nooby

http://sudown.sourceforge.net/

The test is too heavy for me? Could you read it and confirm that it is a
good thing to install?

Seems like vista uac... I don't mind uac, but most hate it. I have uac turned on with my laptop and I never notice now hardly.

Emm... uac for xp? Download it and try it... or search google and find out more about it.

A quick search on my end (google: "sudown xp") seems to indicate that people are generally happy with the program.

Dunno, I won't install it... good luck.

hadaso · 28 Oct 2008, 04:50 AM

This application looks nice but I cannot tell you if it's really as safe as using a Windows limited account (this is what I do).
It Windows XP you can create a new user in the "control panel / User accounts" - an administrator account, and then you can change the account you were using to a limited account, so you will not have to transfer anything to the new account and can keep using the account you are using now with all your programs. You have to have at least one administrator account on Windows XP.
The new administrator account can be used for things like Windows update. Give the new administrator account a password and then you can do most things that need an admin account by rightclicking and choosing "run as ...". There are some limitations for this but I can do almost anything I need this way. I almost never need to actually login to the administrator account.
The sudown application is supposed to make life easier for you if you need administrator privileges very often. I'm not sure that it's as safe as a regular limited account and I would like to see some kind of evidece about how safe it is before trying to use it (it does seem more convenient than a regular limited account for some limited purposes).

nooby · 28 Oct 2008, 08:40 PM

Thanks to both of you.

Yes I would prefer to do it the way you describe Hadaso.

I did try something very similar last time but maybe took it in
wrong order. So I try again. I have two accounts now.
The one I always use which is the Admin account and the
one I would like to use which is a restricted one.

So I should try to change that one into an Admin account
and when that is done this Admin into a restricted one.

My stomach of my gut feeling tells me that Home Edition of XP
want let me do such. Maybe only Pro version allow such ?

but I give it a try and report back here. Would be wonderful if it works.
Thanks indeed for answering my naive and very basic question.

if I fail I ask you guys again and if it still fails then I go for sudo for win

Wow took a long time for me to get my act together, I test now to create
or change a restricted to Admin in winxp I guess me was or where too
scare something would get screwed up and that was as expected.

Failed to get harddisk to work but after a hard shut down it worked again.

And then next thing to fail was expected but sad nevertheless. The certificate
to one of my banks failed. But that is as they promised. Still sad cause I have
money there but it is no hurry to get at them. I can use the telephone and ask
them to transfer to another bank which bankID worked for me.

nooby · 1 Nov 2008, 02:18 PM

Thanks to all who encouraged me to do the change from Admin to Restricted.

Seems to work as restricted now. Hopefully make me a bit safer.
oups forgot to test Youtube. I love music so Y is a must.

phew it worked. Seems to only be my Bank Certificate that got nullified
or not available for security reasons. I have not tested if updating FF are
allowed in restricted mode? Or if updating AV prog would fail?

hadaso · 2 Nov 2008, 05:55 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by nooby

...I have not tested if updating FF are
allowed in restricted mode?

Updating FF doesn't work in restricted mode. This is one of the drawbacks. I do it by closing FF and then right-clicking and choosing "Run as..." and choosing the admin account. Then it updates and then I close and reopen in the usual way (there needs to be a password set on the admin account for this to work). The same with installing programs. I do it from the restricted account using right-click and "run as..." with the admin account, so only the program that needs to install something gets to run as admin and only when it is doing the instalation. I think it's worth the hassle as working in restricted account is very safe (I never had any virus. My father in law had several ones until finally he understood he needs to use a restricted account and since then he had absolutely no problem. The only times I heard of people I know getting their copmputers infected they were using admin account to access email and the web).

nooby · 2 Nov 2008, 06:35 AM

Thanks indeed for spelling this out.
What I have forgot is to test if it helps
to be on restricted. I mean how does
one fidn out if one are more secure?

Should I go to gdr.com or similar.
How do you test if you are secure?

23.35 here so I go to bed now. I'll read
your answer tomorrow.

28 Oct 2008, 08:40 PM	#4
nooby Essential Contributor Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: Europe Posts: 474	Thanks to both of you. Yes I would prefer to do it the way you describe Hadaso. I did try something very similar last time but maybe took it in wrong order. So I try again. I have two accounts now. The one I always use which is the Admin account and the one I would like to use which is a restricted one. So I should try to change that one into an Admin account and when that is done this Admin into a restricted one. My stomach of my gut feeling tells me that Home Edition of XP want let me do such. Maybe only Pro version allow such ? but I give it a try and report back here. Would be wonderful if it works. Thanks indeed for answering my naive and very basic question. if I fail I ask you guys again and if it still fails then I go for sudo for win Wow took a long time for me to get my act together, I test now to create or change a restricted to Admin in winxp I guess me was or where too scare something would get screwed up and that was as expected. Failed to get harddisk to work but after a hard shut down it worked again. And then next thing to fail was expected but sad nevertheless. The certificate to one of my banks failed. But that is as they promised. Still sad cause I have money there but it is no hurry to get at them. I can use the telephone and ask them to transfer to another bank which bankID worked for me. Last edited by nooby : 1 Nov 2008 at 02:17 PM.

28 Oct 2008, 04:50 AM	#3
hadaso The "e" in e-mail Join Date: Oct 2002 Location: Holon, Israel. Posts: 4,863	This application looks nice but I cannot tell you if it's really as safe as using a Windows limited account (this is what I do). It Windows XP you can create a new user in the "control panel / User accounts" - an administrator account, and then you can change the account you were using to a limited account, so you will not have to transfer anything to the new account and can keep using the account you are using now with all your programs. You have to have at least one administrator account on Windows XP. The new administrator account can be used for things like Windows update. Give the new administrator account a password and then you can do most things that need an admin account by rightclicking and choosing "run as ...". There are some limitations for this but I can do almost anything I need this way. I almost never need to actually login to the administrator account. The sudown application is supposed to make life easier for you if you need administrator privileges very often. I'm not sure that it's as safe as a regular limited account and I would like to see some kind of evidece about how safe it is before trying to use it (it does seem more convenient than a regular limited account for some limited purposes).

1 Nov 2008, 02:18 PM	#5
nooby Essential Contributor Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: Europe Posts: 474	Thanks to all who encouraged me to do the change from Admin to Restricted. Seems to work as restricted now. Hopefully make me a bit safer. oups forgot to test Youtube. I love music so Y is a must. phew it worked. Seems to only be my Bank Certificate that got nullified or not available for security reasons. I have not tested if updating FF are allowed in restricted mode? Or if updating AV prog would fail?

2 Nov 2008, 06:35 AM	#7
nooby Essential Contributor Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: Europe Posts: 474	Thanks indeed for spelling this out. What I have forgot is to test if it helps to be on restricted. I mean how does one fidn out if one are more secure? Should I go to gdr.com or similar. How do you test if you are secure? 23.35 here so I go to bed now. I'll read your answer tomorrow.