Install Exe Without Admin Rights

In the case of Steam no install rights, for instance, you'll get a pop-up box asking if you want to install as an administrator on Windows. With Steam games and other instances where you want to install software without admin rights, though, you may have to take a few extra steps to get the program to run once downloaded.

Active2 months ago

They are able to download and install plugins to n, but once they are downloaded, notepad asks for a restart the make some changes, at this point it launches gpup.exe and an UAC dialog appears. Without administrator privileges the can’t get around this, it keeps asking for the restart and the only way to fix this is by entering username. Unclicked ‘for all users’ since no admin rights. Ran installer; it did stuff, but said something failed. Still, tried to run gsview64.exe itself (found it in the install folder and clicked on the exe file); it started but said it cannot find ghostscript; ok need to set some variables/config stuff. A few ways to let a user run a program without admin credentials. Is there a way in Windows 7 or higher to allow to a non-administrator user to run one particular.exe program (which does not need instalation), without asking for an admin pass. It depends on whether or not the installer does anything that requires administrative rights on the operating system. If it does, then no, you can't install it without admin rights whether that's with the account that you're using or running it as an admin or a different user. If it doesn't, then yes, you can install it without admin rights.

Is there any way that I can force a program that normally requires administrator privileges (via UAC) to run without them? (ie: no UAC prompt and no system-wide access.)

Added: Without modifying the executable itself.

In spite of James's answer, I have found a few ways that it can almost be done:

  1. By modifying the executable I can remove the trustInfo entry from the manifest (or the manifest entirely, so I can use an external one), allowing the program to start without UAC. Unfortunately this modifies the executable, so it exits shortly after due to an internal checksum test.
  2. By using Process Explorer I can launch it as a Limited User. However this seems to limit it significantly more than I would like (it runs like Protected Mode IE and so can access significantly less than what my standard un-elevated user can).
Andrew Russell
Andrew RussellAndrew Russell
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9 Answers

Save this text in <name_of_file>.reg and add it to the Windows Registry. (Double-clicking on it should do the trick.)

Afterwards, right-click the app you'd like to run without administrative privileges and select 'Run without privilege elevation'.

In some cases - small amount 0.1% of programs may ask twice about UAC prompt.

user477799
VomVom

Save to nonadmin.bat:

Now you can drag and drop programs to this to run them without admin.

This doesn't require admin privileges as changing that registry key does. Also you won't clutter the context menu.

Based on Vom's answer

Update: Should now work with programs that have spaces in name as well.

HjulleHjulle

I hope I'm not too late to the party, but I was looking for a similar question and without seeing an answer here I found out that Windows' builtin RunAscommand, when run as administrator, can do that with /trustlevel switch.

This worked in my case.Ironically, starting a program explicitly without elevation requires an elevated command prompt. Go figure. :)I hope it helps you.

MxxMxx
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If you have a particular application that you want to always run without UAC, you can target it with the Registry (add the text to a REG file and import it into the Registry):

Unlike this answer, this solution requires no alternate click or change to user interaction.

Microsoft calls this process adding the RunAsInvoker'Compatibility Shim'.

Community
palswimpalswim
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I solved this problem today using the MS application customization toolkit.

I followed the instructions in a tech republic article.

Basically:

1) you get the toolkit from MS here .

2) Click Fix

3) Choose the RunAsInvoker option

4) Right Click the fix and choose Install

0xC0000022L
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Install Exe Without Admin Rights Free

user53639user53639

If it's a setup (installation) exe file that is requiring administration privilege, there's a trick to run it without elevated access:

If the file's name contains words like setup or install windows forcefully runs it with elevated access even if it doesn't need elevated access:

If the .exe file has a manifest in it, these heuristics for elevation do not apply.

This is documented on the UAC (User Account Control) docs:

Installer detection detects setup files, which helps prevent installations from being run without the user's knowledge and consent.

Installer detection only applies to:

  • 32-bit executable files.

  • Applications without a requested execution level attribute.

  • Interactive processes running as a standard user with UAC enabled.

Before a 32-bit process is created, the following attributes are checked to determine whether it is an installer:

  • The file name includes keywords such as 'install,' 'setup,' or 'update.'

  • ..

Read mode here: https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/security/identity-protection/user-account-control/how-user-account-control-works

ShayanShayan
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While in his question Andrew stated that the following did not quite work:

By modifying the executable I can remove the trustInfo entry from the manifest (or the manifest entirely, so I can use an external one), allowing the program to start without UAC. Unfortunately this modifies the executable, so it exits shortly after due to an internal checksum test.

I was able to modify an external .manifest file for the software I was using and change

<ms_asmv2:requestedExecutionLevel level='requireAdministrator' uiAccess='false' />

to

Install Exe Without Admin Rights Windows 7

<ms_asmv2:requestedExecutionLevel level='asInvoker' uiAccess='false' />

Turns out the software I was using did not really require administrator rights so I was able to run it on a Standard User account without UAC or administrator passwords. Thanks!

AurimasAurimas

I fixed this problem by going changing the permissions on the folder that contained the program.

I added each user that will run that program and gave them 'full control' priviledges. That took care of the problem and I left the 'run as admin' unchecked.

I don't have any security concerns for the users who will be running the program.

slhck
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Tim DTim D

No, if a program requires UAC then it is trying to access something outside of its sandbox. The program will not correctly run without the elevated access.

If you just want to get rid of the notification, you can disable UAC.

Install Exe Without Admin Rights Mac

Disable UAC on Windows Vista: Start, type 'user'. Click on 'User Accounts'. On the window that pops up, click on 'User Account Control Settings' and then Turn off UAC.

Disable UAC on Windows 7: Start, type 'user'. Click on 'User Account Control Settings'. Drag the choice bar all the way to the bottom to 'Never Notify.'

James WattJames Watt
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protected by CommunitySep 22 '15 at 19:34

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Active1 year, 4 months ago

I work in an environment where local admin privileges for users isn't allowed. At all. This is very nice, but can be also be a pain when employees who must have local admin permissions to run a program or install software that requires elevated privileges even if only to do the install. There is a user in bookkeeping who receives a monthly DVD from a vendor of ours that contains much needed reports. In order to look at the reports and make a backup, she must run the executable on the DVD. The executable requires Admin privileges for the install. So since I've been here, every month I run the .exe, UAC appears and I supply the much-needed information to run the installer.

If this was a one time program I would use the Microsoft Application Compatibility Toolkit gimmick to bypass UAC http://www.techrepublic.com/blog/windows-and-office/selectively-disable-uac-for-your-trusted-vista-applications/ However, since this is a new DVD sent to her each month I need some kind of tool she can use herself for this operation.

I have looked around Server Fault and also did Google-Fu, but haven't found anything useful. I might be one of some in a unique situation.

I want to use Poweshell to make the tool. Ideally, I want her to be able to put in the DVD and then launch the Poweshell tool (from her desktop shortcut, no doubt) that looks at the DVD drive and runs the setup.exe file as a local admin without the UAC prompt, without her having to supply any credentials.

What I have so far is some pieced together junk at the moment. I am not a Powershell Jedi. I am a Poweshell padawan. I have half of what I need. I still need to store the password so it doesn't have to be defined and input each time she runs the script. I want this to be as smooth and as few clicks as possible.

For the creds I am choosing to go with the local admin account since that password doesn't change. The local admin account will get the job done. I will need to store that account information on the computer so Powershell can retrieve the account each time she runs the script. So this will need to be an encrypted file in a path variable.

I might get a few downvotes for this, but I know somewhere I need to define and put in 'Read-Host 'some text about entering password' -AsSecureString' in an existing variable or a new variable. I have to get the password input into the process. I have tried a few spots. Thoughts? Wisdom? Impossible?

Windows 7 ProPowershell v4

Art.Vandelay05Art.Vandelay05
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4 Answers

Install Exe Without Admin Rights Video

Run As Administrator Without Being Administrator

Allow a non-admin user to run a program as a local admin account but without elevation prompt

Below are instructions for setting up a workaround to get an application to run as another account that is a local administrator. The account that executes the process does not need to be a local administrator on the PC though.

The Windows Workaround (see all below notes)

Windows 7 service pack 2 free download. Examples

  1. Create Username (domain or local):ProxyRunAsLocalAdmin

  2. Create Password (domain or local):<SomeComplexPassword>

Notes

  • This account is setup as local admin on PCs where something needs to be run with admin permissions without actually giving the end-user which will run it (execute) local admin permissions.

  • This is a last resort option for things which will not work for non-admins on the local machines where giving their account (the end-user and/or some group) explicit registry and file system level object access does not work.

Security

  • No one is to have this information other than domain administrators—i.e. don't share with the end-user.

Creating a shortcut with the RUNAS (this could be D:Setup.exe)

Shortcut Properties Example

TARGET Field Example (below):

START IN Example: 'C:Program FilesBlueStacks'

IMPORTANT:The double-quotes around the Start In: field may be required whether or not there are any spaces in the path.

Additional Setup Notes

  • You can create a domain user account or a local PC user account forthis purpose and give it local admin permissions to the local machinewhenever such a solution is needed.
  • You'll have to run the shortcut with the 'RUNAS, etc.' whensigned onto the PC as the user that will need to execute that processwithout being a local admin themselves. When you do this, you will berequired to type in the credential—caching it this ONE time but it'llnot be needed on each subsequent execution of the process using theRUNAS and /SAVECRED again from that SAME user account profile moving forward.
  • This password to this account is NOT shared with anyone, only thedomainsystems admins have this information and plug it in whereverneeded per user per machine—it is a per Windows user account profiletype deal as well. So, if you create a new profile for a user andthis solution is needed, then the shortcut will need to be run againso the credential is cached for their profile as well (by an admin).

Security Notes

How To Install Programs Without Admin Acc…

  1. You cannot restrict local login access for the account through grouppolicy or the account will not be able to RUNAS interactively—Ialready tried that for security but I could not get it to workproperly.
  2. Since this is a cached credential with local admin permissions onit, technically an end-user where this is saved could apply thissame RUNAS technique to another EXE or via command line if that'sallowable. This means you as the admin need to weigh in the upsidesand downsides with this solution including the risks. Perhapsallowing this for your trustworthy people or items that are ongoingor needed over and over again without actually granting the end-userlocal admin is fine.

Controls

You do have some controls in place for this solution though such as . . .

  • Pick which machines you want to allow this to run runas from
  • Pick which user profiles on each machine you want this to runas from
  • You have to go to the user profile on this machine and type in the credentail the initial time regardless
  • The exposure is to local machine at the PC level, not the domain level since the local or AD account is a member of the local machine IP address
  • Don't give this account any network resource access to anything (only local PC admin per each individual PC as-needed)
  • If you ever want to do a mass disable of this feature (assuming using a domain account) then simply disable the account or change the password
  • Ensure that others are aware of some of these ramifications, etc. and get them to approve so you're not the person making the decision to use this or not
Pimp Juice ITPimp Juice IT

I found a way to accomplish the goal with Powershell. First a script must be run on the user computer (only once) to make an encrypted password and then store it to a file. Note: The stored password file is not a txt file containing the local admin password in plain text. It is the output of the ConvertFrom-SecureString cmdlet.

Without

First, the script to enter the password and store it to a file. This will only need to be run one time on the target computer.

Now, the script that the user will run to launch the program from the dvd as a local admin. She will run the script from the desktop shortcut after inserting the dvd into the disc drive. After launching the script, the program runs perfectly and she can do this without asking me or the other admin for assistance (which she loves).

This Powershell.org article was instrumental in getting my answer http://powershell.org/wp/2013/11/24/saving-passwords-and-preventing-other-processes-from-decrypting-them/

Art.Vandelay05Art.Vandelay05
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Well, thankfully if you eliminate local admin, the only real option you have left is CMD line. Powershell is good, but I would think you would be able to run a batch with this, too.

Only downside to each of these is, if the user knows how to open the scripts, she can see what you put in them, which is a huge no no. The only way around that is to write a command within the code to lock the script down upon opening, not executing, to prompt for a password.

Maybe a batch or powershell written to specifically address UAC?

Jonas LearJonas Lear

On other option to bypass the UAC is running the program under system account because this account has no UAC on an UAC system. There are some source codes on the internet. A complete solution is onrobotronic.de/runasadminen.htmlThis solution is also usable for a non administrator account.

HelenriHelenri

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