Link to home
Start Free TrialLog in
Avatar of whistlerblackcomb
whistlerblackcombFlag for Canada

asked on

Installing and running legacy app on windows 7 with elevated priviliges

Hi all
We're trying to deploy windows 7 professional in an AD environment but need a legacy application to run.
After setting up some extra permissions (modify for power-user) on c:\, c:\program files\<appname>, the application can be run successfuly with the "run-as-administrator" property checked by a power user. Before you ask - the application in question actually writes a temp file to c:\ so yes, all users need modify access to c:\ - Godawful i know.

Problem is, this application is a launchpad for other sub-apps which may get updated regulary. When the user clicks on an icon to run an sub-app, if not installed, it runs setup.exe, at which point the user does not have access to install. Installshield fails, probably because it's trying to write to protected windows folders etc.
These are fontline cashiers who will never have local admin access or be given a local admin password.

My options right now are to make all users member of local admins
or
install all the sub-applications on an image pray there are no more updates.

i don't really like option A or B.

What I really want is to have the intital app, and all the setup.exe's it calls to have full administrator access to install everything , with no UAC prompts.

Any ideas?

Thanks.
Avatar of John Griffith
John Griffith
Flag of United States of America image

Hi -
Hate to throw more in the mix before you get an answer on your question, but virtualizable folders may play a part in your legacy app as well if writing to \Program Files, \ProgramData, and others -
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/927387
Output may be directed to --> C:\Users\User_name\AppData\Local\VirtualStore
 
ASKER CERTIFIED SOLUTION
Avatar of parasharabhishek
parasharabhishek
Flag of India image

Link to home
membership
This solution is only available to members.
To access this solution, you must be a member of Experts Exchange.
Start Free Trial
if you repackage(or you have already msi's) the applications to msi and use batch scripts for installing like

msiexec /i mymsi.msi /qn

you can activate elevate right for msi installig

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/259459

Avatar of whistlerblackcomb

ASKER

This solution worked but in a real-world environment, running xp mode on frontline Point-of-sale machines is not practical. Too much overhead, multiple virus programs etc to manage. The complexity would be enough to just stay on Windows XP.