[SOLVED] Is it still a good practice to have distinct User and Admin accounts on personal workstation and how to manage licences?

MaxT2

Commendable
Apr 14, 2021
82
6
1,545
Hello,

I'm using local accounts on Win 10 Pro (or Enterprise, I never remember the name).
I've been using the following security practice for a while: having and administrator account that I almost never use and a user role account for everyday use.

I'm wondering if it still a good practice nowadays.

And one reason is that, I use audio and video editing programs, these programs and their plug-ins sometimes come licensed to one account. They also often require administrator rights for installation.
(And when they don't require administrator rights, they get installed to C:\Users\... instead of Program Files... I prefer when they go to Program Files...)
And sometimes it ends up in a software license mess, like some software runs for both user and administrator, but I usually launch it as user, but some plug-ins only work for administrator (because they needed to be installed "as admin") but they are part of a package that is licensed to user ...

Any suggestions on how to manage this? Am I doing this wrong? Should I give up the practice?
(And no I don't want to pay licences twice ;-) )
Thank you
 
Solution
I agree and this is what I do, or at least what I think I do...

sometimes when installations require admin rights, it's not even necessarily a question of license, but some software run as user can just not see some plug-ins installed as admin (but that can't be installed as user)
A lot of applications require admin rights.
Many hardware diagnostics/testing tools, for instance.

From a Standard User...
Click Run as administrator, enter the password, proceed on.

USAFRet

Titan
Moderator
Absolutely.

I do this on every system I use.

The first account created is an Admin acct.
After, I create a Standard User. That is the daily driver.

The Admin acct is used only for 'admin things'.

Install something that is tied to a particular user?
Depends on how it does it.


Pro or Enterprise?
Well yes...that can make a significant difference. Where did the Enterprise license come from, and how is it activated?
 

MaxT2

Commendable
Apr 14, 2021
82
6
1,545
But then if, I keep this system, is there a solution to deal with licences issues ?

I feel also like some software developers are just neglecting this kind of situations...

I just checked it's Windows 10 Pro
 

USAFRet

Titan
Moderator
But then if, I keep this system, is there a solution to deal with licences issues ?

I feel also like some software developers are just neglecting this kind of situations...

I just checked it's Windows 10 Pro
For your licenses....completely unknown.

It would have been better to address this from the start.
Operating as the Standard user, the software licensed to the Standard user.

Some licenses are weird, though.
 

MaxT2

Commendable
Apr 14, 2021
82
6
1,545
Operating as the Standard user, the software licensed to the Standard user.

I agree and this is what I do, or at least what I think I do...

sometimes when installations require admin rights, it's not even necessarily a question of license, but some software run as user can just not see some plug-ins installed as admin (but that can't be installed as user)
 

USAFRet

Titan
Moderator
I agree and this is what I do, or at least what I think I do...

sometimes when installations require admin rights, it's not even necessarily a question of license, but some software run as user can just not see some plug-ins installed as admin (but that can't be installed as user)
A lot of applications require admin rights.
Many hardware diagnostics/testing tools, for instance.

From a Standard User...
Click Run as administrator, enter the password, proceed on.
 
Solution

MaxT2

Commendable
Apr 14, 2021
82
6
1,545
Yeah, that is not the issue, the issue is that some applications "stick" to the account that installed them and behave completely different from an account to another (features missings, features crashing, different styles of crashing) etc.

And if sometimes seems like I'm required to satisfy contradictory conditions.
 

USAFRet

Titan
Moderator
Yeah, that is not the issue, the issue is that some applications "stick" to the account that installed them and behave completely different from an account to another (features missings, features crashing, different styles of crashing) etc.

And if sometimes seems like I'm required to satisfy contradictory conditions.
If that is what those applications do, there is likely no way around that.
 

MaxT2

Commendable
Apr 14, 2021
82
6
1,545
I'm thinking of a work around that could solve a situation I have right now: what if I just temporarily promote the user account to administrator , install some software and then demote the user account?
Do this sound acceptable, or would this have consequences that I don't expect?
 

MaxT2

Commendable
Apr 14, 2021
82
6
1,545
Yes, I understand that this precise software may get messed up, but it's part of the test.
My question is more like is there any risk for the whole system or the whole user account, because those I don't want to break them. Some changes that could not be rolled back?
 

USAFRet

Titan
Moderator
Yes, I understand that this precise software may get messed up, but it's part of the test.
My question is more like is there any risk for the whole system or the whole user account, because those I don't want to break them. Some changes that could not be rolled back?
I don't think there is any major hazard for the system.

But do have a FULL backup, just in case.
You should have that anyway.