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Our IT department wants to remove Admin privileges on all user's accounts EXCEPT those that can provide adequate justification for the need. (A sensible policy, I suppose, especially for non-devs.)
The problem is, I've had admin privs for so long, that I've basically forgotten what sort of day-to-day activities I might no longer be able to do without them. (Like, back in the day, you couldn't edit the Windows Registry without them. Is that still the case?)
So my question for you developers & techies is: if you don't have elevated privileges, what sorts of things does that prevent you from doing? And for those who still have the rights, what do you use them for? MSDN has compiled an excellent list with regard to Visual Studio[^], but I would like compile a broader and more extensive list for developer activities in general.
So I would like to enlist your help to compile a long list of activities for which administrative privileges are required.
[Of course, if Windows provided sudo, I'd be set...]
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I'm with a small firm, so the other dev and me are Network admins, server gurus and developers.
Things I know I can't do without admin rights:
- Setup the test client (e.g. install the software there)
- Build COM registered libraries into an installer
- Edit the registry
- Manage my SQL Server ( not the same admin privs as local admin, but I count that in)
- Test WCF/SOAP services? As far as I know you'll need admin privileges to tinker with port numbers etc.
- Working with serial ports could also be a valid use case
- Install / Uninstall anything
- As soon as you get to develop anything related to Hardware Admin rights are almost a must
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I work a lot with hardware - exotic hardware like X-Ray generators, X-Ray detectors, Input/Output boards - and our software is often required to lock some functions of the system (like kiosks) or setting itself to real time priority.
Often we need to debug processes while they're running.
And we need many programs for diagnostic and so on... basically wthout Admin rights we would be useless.
GCS d--- s-/++ a- C++++ U+++ P- L- E-- W++ N++ o+ K- w+++ O? M-- V? PS+ PE- Y+ PGP t++ 5? X R++ tv-- b+ DI+++ D++ G e++>+++ h--- ++>+++ y+++* Weapons extension: ma- k++ F+2 X
If you think 'goto' is evil, try writing an Assembly program without JMP. -- TNCaver
"When you have eliminated the JavaScript, whatever remains must be an empty page." -- Mike Hankey
"just eat it, eat it"."They're out to mold, better eat while you can" -- HobbyProggy
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At the place I work, a lot of computers can barely even open non-approved executeables without specific privileges. A lot of the computer is locked down for specific users if they don't have a specific need to use a lot of things.
They even let us install python to monkey around with, and I wasn't even able to run it outside of IDLE. Makes sense though, as it can prevent a lot of unapproved programs from running and loading the computer with viruses.
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Run a virtual machine like VMware or Virtual Box.
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I'm trying this on a fellow developers machine, but the VM is dead slow because windows defender wants to scan the VM folder.
I don't have the rights to exclude the folder, and the developer said that if you change it, the next time you log on to the domain it will set it back.
Any idea how to get around this?
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If you write installers, you will probably need admin privileges to test and debug them. Most build chains work fine without admin privileges. Debuggers, on the other hand, almost have to have them. Diagnostic tools, such as memory analysis apps, usually need elevated privileges.
For what it's worth, the last time some moron in corporate IT tried to take away my admin privileges I asked him how he was going to explain our development coming to a screeching halt. I have two servers I administer along with my development box. Without admin privileges I can't do my job.
Software Zen: delete this;
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I wanted to do some performance testing on a WPF application, the SDK requires admin rights, not just for the installation but for the testing.
Never underestimate the power of human stupidity
RAH
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Some VS debugging sessions require admin rights, at least under some configurations. I think debugging code running in full IIS might require it, though I'm not sure of the exact details.
Also attaching to services or other processes as an administrator usually needs admin rights.
Writing to program files, windows/system folders, editing the registry all need rights.
I think they might also be required to start/stop/restart some services, and I believe even viewing some Windows event logs requires admin rights, though might depend on the specific logs. I think a lot of it depends on policies and what rights are assigned to other apps/folders/executables.
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Define "day to day activities". Editing the registry isn't a day to day activity!
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Time to move on. Productivity will drop and your annoyance level will increase. Your health will suffer.
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WMI calls.
Creating certain program / appdata folders.
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Due to a number of factors I found myself awake in the middle of the night so turned my telly on to try to occupy the mind a little.
The channel that was on was showing a documentary about Meatloaf's Bat Out Of Hell album so I watched, interesting enough, they talked to Meat, Jim Steinman, Todd Rundgren, the women who had sung on Paradise By The Dashboard Light, showed performances of the songs, easy enough to watch if you like the music.
At the end the credits rolled and then it said "Produced by ISIS".
Bit of a change from their usual videos I thought to myself, just looked them up on the internet.
Is it me, or does their logo[^] look a bit, erm, Nazi-y?
Some men are born mediocre, some men achieve mediocrity, and some men have mediocrity thrust upon them.
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The "S" looks like the Nazi SS, certainly.
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Do you mean like KISS
Patrice
“Everything should be made as simple as possible, but no simpler.” Albert Einstein
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chriselst wrote: Nazi-y?
No 
It looks like six lines placed on a yellow board.
BTW: The Teuton S Rune you are referring to is not related in any way to the 3.Reich except for that they used it.
Rules for the FOSW ![ ^]
if(this.signature != "")
{
MessageBox.Show("This is my signature: " + Environment.NewLine + signature);
}
else
{
MessageBox.Show("404-Signature not found");
}
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HobbyProggy wrote: except for that they used it.
exactly, now they own it, unfortunately.
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Slacker007 wrote: exactly, now they own it, unfortunately.
Just because everyone let's em... i mean it's just because everyone believes that 
Rules for the FOSW ![ ^]
if(this.signature != "")
{
MessageBox.Show("This is my signature: " + Environment.NewLine + signature);
}
else
{
MessageBox.Show("404-Signature not found");
}
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HobbyProggy wrote: The Teuton S Rune you are referring to is not related in any way to the 3.Reich except for that they used it.
They did not care much about history and just reinvented it as needed. No wonder they just loved the sig rune, or 'victory'. Had they preferred English, then they would have 'V' all over the place.
The language is JavaScript. that of Mordor, which I will not utter here
This is Javascript. If you put big wheels and a racing stripe on a golf cart, it's still a f***ing golf cart.
"I don't know, extraterrestrial?"
"You mean like from space?"
"No, from Canada."
If software development were a circus, we would all be the clowns.
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heck it could have even been produced by the mossad - we'll never know
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Never mind how it looks. Are they not concerned with how it reads? I've never heard of this company before, and it certainly is unfortunate that their brand has been absconded by thugs, but wouldn't you think it's high-time they rolled out a new name?
(On the flip side, though, maybe we could alter our foreign policy strategy and take down the Islamic State based on copyright infringement -- kinda like how Eliot Ness took out Al Capone...)
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There are quite a few businesses, organisations or other entities around called ISIS.
One was in the news a few months ago because they'd decided to change their name.
I'm sure it'll be a long, long time before any new entity decides to use the name or acronym.
Some men are born mediocre, some men achieve mediocrity, and some men have mediocrity thrust upon them.
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Yes, we send an army of lawyers and they will immediately beg for mercy.
Or behead a lot of lawyers.
The language is JavaScript. that of Mordor, which I will not utter here
This is Javascript. If you put big wheels and a racing stripe on a golf cart, it's still a f***ing golf cart.
"I don't know, extraterrestrial?"
"You mean like from space?"
"No, from Canada."
If software development were a circus, we would all be the clowns.
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