nonAdmin running games

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jslater25

Limp Gawd
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Dec 8, 2006
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I've made the move from Windows XP Pro (one user) to Windows 7 (multi users), and for the most part I'm very thrilled with what I can and cannot do.

Unfortunately, I haven't figured out a way to allow my son (NOT and admin) to run certain games (specifically BF2) while I am not around to grant him the admin rights necessary due to UAC.

I've tried the Task Scheduler work around, however I haven't managed to get it working yet. I can double click on the shortcut and BF2 just never starts up.

How do you allow non- admin accounts to play games without having to provide a password all the time?

If Win7 UAC requires me to provide a password each time I want to allow my son to play a game, it defeats the purpose of setting up other parental controls (such as the time limits setting as well as blocking certain apps altogether). Since I work weekends, it won't do me any good to have my son calling to ask for the admin password in order to run the game. I might as well just give him the rights at that point.

Any suggestions other than Task Scheduler or disabling UAC altogther?
 
The first thing to try is to change the file ownership, but this doesn't always work. Right click on the exe, click properties. Click the Security tab and Edit. Click Add, then Advanced, and click Find. Select \Users and click ok. And set Users to Full Control.


Or read my recent post on running xpadder 5.3 on Windows 7 here: http://www.hardforum.com/showthread.php?t=1470384. You should be able to do the same thing to bf2.exe, except check RunAsInvoker instead of WinXPSP2VersionLie. I think this should allow you to run the game without admin and UAC prompts. At the end you shouldn't check Checksum for games due to patches, instead use things like publisher or other fields that wont change between versions; You should always choose something though, so a virus with the same name is less likely get past UAC, etc.


If either of these work, you may have to move some application data to his user account. I would check these folders for any profiles and savegames:
C:\Users\Admin\Documents\Battlefield 2 <-- I think this is the right folder.
C:\Users\Admin\Documents\My Games
C:\Users\Admin\AppData\Local
C:\Users\Admin\AppData\Roaming​
 
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Is he using the 1.5 patch? TweakGuides mentions something about that improving some issues with the game running on Vista/Win 7.
 
If you right click on the shortcut for Battlefield 2, then look on compatibility tab, there is a checkbox for "run as Administrator". Try that. Also, at the default setting, the UAC in 7 is more of an annoyance/warning, than a security block. If you raise it one level, it will turn on and match the security performance of Vista. If you turn it off then you may not have this issue anymore if the 'run as Admin' tip doesn't work out.
 
To answer the questions/statements made so far:
I have already checked the checkbox 'Run as Administrator'. Unfortunately checking that just means that I now have to provide the credentials each time rather than it not prompting at all. So it was a step in the right direction, but not completely.

I have already updated to the 1.5 patch, but that hasn't helped profiles that aren't Administrator.

-PK-, I'll have to try your suggestions once I get home this evening. I hadn't come across your Xpadder thread earlier when I was doing some research prior to posting.

And bigdogchris, I do not want to turn off UAC as it allows a couple of security features that I prefer to use for my son. I've tried setting UAC to all levels (except off) and he is still prompted for admin credentials in order to play. If he does not have the credentials, he is only able to play singleplayer.
 
It's just a fault of the game, I'm sure file permissions on the exe should be enough? Give your sons account full control over that exe or maybe even that whole directory?

This has always been a security problem in windows, people making popular applications that unecessarily require admin privilages.
 
jslater25 said:
To answer the questions/statements made so far:
I have already checked the checkbox 'Run as Administrator'. Unfortunately checking that just means that I now have to provide the credentials each time rather than it not prompting at all. So it was a step in the right direction, but not completely.

I have already updated to the 1.5 patch, but that hasn't helped profiles that aren't Administrator.

-PK-, I'll have to try your suggestions once I get home this evening. I hadn't come across your Xpadder thread earlier when I was doing some research prior to posting.

And bigdogchris, I do not want to turn off UAC as it allows a couple of security features that I prefer to use for my son. I've tried setting UAC to all levels (except off) and he is still prompted for admin credentials in order to play. If he does not have the credentials, he is only able to play singleplayer.
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You will have to uncheck Run as Administrator or it will always elevate the process and ask for the admin password. It's useful for apps that complain about not having admin priviledges; or in your case, you can check that box on any application you don't want your son to run. :)
 
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