Windows 10: Is a standard user account necessary for tight security and home user?

Yes, but that defeats the security provided by a local account! I'd leave the UAC setting alone in a user account.

 

Do you mind explaining how that is?

My initial thinking in that a lot of apps needed admin rights to run may have been a bit hasty as I'm finding I can do most things normally without it...

So in essence changing to or running a standard user account is purely a permission based thing and doesn't affect system configurations or personal files?

If I open Event Viewer in my converted admin to standard account should everything still be logged the same?

Are there administrative tasks that shouldn't been done in the standard user account? Are most of the Windows administrative tools safe to use?

Is there any good reading around that explains how to work from a standard user account while also being the administrator?

 

That's a good idea. *Smile

Another good idea. I use local accounts as well.

The normal setting is 1 notch down from maximum. Why don't you try that one? You don't want to turn it off as that would defeat its purpose.

 

I think, the only thing you may notice (besides the UAC prompt for changing system settings or installing programs) is that you will not be able to view the files of other users from a standard account. That can only be done in an admin account.

Switching to a limited user account does not affect any user files.

Event Viewer may not show everything, and if it doesn't, just right-click it and select run as administrator from a standard user account. I just opened it from a standard account, and it appeared to show everything fine.

Just use the standard account normally. Everything should be fine. If you find you can't do something, the UAC will prompt for the admin password. It's really easy.

 

If you try to access another user's files from your local account, I you should get a UAC prompt requesting the admin password for access after which the permissions will be changed allowing you permanent access to the other user's folder. See the enclosed prompt when I just tried to access my backup admin account from my user account - I would get permanent access if I followed through and entered the admin password.

 

The maximum level of UAC is the safest, what difference will there be 1 notch down with a standard user account?

I'm able to view the admins user folder in the standard account. Is that not normal?

 

There seems to be some debate as to whether your actually running as a standard user in an admin account with UAC enabled. Any opinions or able to clarify?

 

CPUID HWMonitor won't display all of the sensors unless run as an administrator. Are a lot of programs coded to need admin permissions to run correctly?

I have noticed that Asus AI suite is not starting up with Windows and I'm guessing it's because the app needs admin rights to open it. Is there anything you can do about apps that you want to start up with Windows that need admin rights to start?

As far as Asus AI suite goes, the associated processes are starting with Windows just not the app or GUI.

 

Less intrusive/less notifications:
User Account Control (UAC) - Change Settings in Windows 10 - Windows 10 Forums

You might see the user folder, but you can not access it unless you take permission, as Steve C showed in his post previously.

Not exactly sure what you mean by this, but, have a look in your User Accounts in Control Panel, and see at what level the users are shown. When you are logged into a user account, that is the level you have.

Some, but not many. In that case, when you go to run that program, right-click and select Run as Administrator. Or, set it up to always run with admin rights.

See here:
Run as Administrator in Windows 10 - Windows 10 Forums

But, I will say, I have found ASUS AI Suite to be problematic with Windows 10 and had to remove it from my system altogether. I've also had to advise others here on the forum to do the same, to resolve problems they'd had (including BSODs).

 

No I can access the admins user folder from the standard account, but I've noticed at the bottom of the file explorer window that it says State: Shared. Is that not normal? I don't recall setting/changing anything.

What I meant was, some people believe that they're running under a standard user account's level of protection while in an admin account with high UAC settings. I'm still reading about it but it's being widely regarded as false.

The problem with HWMonitor running it as an administrator is that it always opens with lots of extra sensors. Strangely after opening and closing it multiple times it will open with the standard sensors. Maybe it's not a bad thing anyway, it's mainly a whole lot of extra voltages.

I've heard of AI Suite being problematic for as long as I've had it. Were the BSODs caused by overclock's set in AI Suite? I've moved my OC purely to the BIOS. The advantage I've heard AI has is Fan Xpert3 apparently offering the most control while being easy to use. I didn't even realize it was controlling my fans until recently! I still not certain it is actually, I'm working on that.

 

Don't think so. A standard user can not access another user's folders/libraries, only the shared folder or public folder. Unless, of course, you took permission using the admin password.

I don't believe it's the same thing.

That is odd. I don't use it that much, so am not real familiar with it.

For the threads I am thinking of, I don't believe so. IIRC, just having the software on the system was problematic. For myself and my system, I had no OCing whatsoever, and still had problems with AI Suite giving me BSODs.

 

I'm confused, I've attached a screenshot to better illustrate:

 

I've changed our laptop account to a standard account as well but it is not being prompted for admin permission by anything.

I think the account might have been setup with a Microsoft account when the Win 10 upgrade took place. Will this have any affects over the permissions?

 

If Matt is your standard-permission-level user account, and Matt's PC is your admin-permission-level user account, then, while in the Matt account, you should not be able to access the files in the Matt's PC folder without taking ownership of it once.

I don't think so. I setup a standard-permission-level user account for my son on a computer, and used his MS account to do it, and its permissions were correct.

You might try running Fast Startup should be turned off and the system rebooted before doing this.

If permissions are still a problem after that, there is a user here, @fdegrove, who is well-versed on this subject; perhaps he will be kind enough to provide a method to correct this for you using icacls, or a bat file similar to the one he posted here.

Another option is a program called tweaking.com, which I have never used, but it appears to have the option to correct permissions, and one of our members has used it for years.

At any rate, I would be sure to have an image of the entire system (using Macrium or another good imaging program), before attempting repairs of this nature. *Wink

 

Hi,

Thanks for the nice words Simrick.
I'll be more than happy to help if TS should need it.

Cheers, *Wink