To Make Windows 7 Safer: Remove Admin Rights

[jwl3]

I meant to say 99% of viruses and trojans ARE transmitted online.

 

[HalJordan]

The best way to make any OS safer is to remove the most critical security flaw...the user.

 

[anamaniac]

Current games, for example, can perfectly be installed as an admin and played as a limited rights user.

Moreover, bringing your own machine to work and storing company data on it could be considered data theft. As far as I know, this is liable to have your contract terminated, you prosecuted and put in jail with a heavy fine.

And that would be perfectly normal, even outside the brain-dead US legal system.

I'm not American.
The company supplies computers and everyone uses them. However, my boss and my boss's boss wouldn't give a damn if I backed it all up to my personal drive.
If I was required to use a computer all day, and was forced to use it crippled without the option to use my own, I'd look for new employment.

Windows Vista and 7 are more than secure enough for most users even with admin rights and UAC off. The whole world isn't out to personally get you, so cool your damned jets. I'm perfectly fine with Microsoft Security Essentials and default firewall. I'm not some paranoid arse running Win95 anymore thinking everything will give me a virus.
If you really think the whole damned world is out to get you, just don't use a computer...

You think only software devs benefit highly from keeping admin on?

 

[warezme]

software does not require admin rights to run, only to install. There are very few and mostly proprietary (ofen badly written) software that requires admin rights to run, in which case if you are an admin and it is a work related program you are better off using Windows XP virtual mode and sandbox it inside Windows 7.

 

[noneedformonkeys]

Funny thing is windows 7 asked you to set up additional accounts when you installed the OS. I have a admin-enabled account (not named "administrator") for core maintenance. For everyday usage my machine on a restricted "User" account. In windows 7, I never have to log into the admin account to install updates, or programs. The UAC asks me for admin password authorization to install updates, change settings, and install programs when I am logged into the "restricted-User" account. I do not see what the problem is? Like my Unix environment(s), I have always had an Admin (sudu) account.

 

[t53186]

Useful advice is often ignored by those who choose not to follow the lessons learned by others, that's ok, just keep passing along your experiences for all of us to enjoy and maybe attempt. Good or Bad

 

[climber]

Yes, of course IT policy should promote this without choice or exception, and the consequence will be that all scientists, researchers and technologically sophisticated computer users will be completely hampered in their day to day work. Thanks to IT policies not allowing admin rights people can't even adjust their font scaling without admin rights in my organization with Win XP, I'm going to hate to see what it'll be like when Win 7 is deployed. I'll have to call a 1-800 number and beg permission to take a leak in the washroom at that point.

 

[Guest]

If I want to install a game or a simple program like a compression program, I need admin rights!
So removing admin rights is out of the question, and equal to severely crippling the functionality of the operating system.

 

[figgus]

If we gave users admin rights, we would need 3x as many people in the IT department to keep up with the things they would break... Not to mention the higher-ups would have a fit that people were installing games on their computers.

In the business world, locked down machines are the standard procedure for good reason.

 

[WyomingKnott]

In other news: To make your car more secure, take the keys out of the ignition when you park.
In other words, "Duh!"