Honestly, that doesn't compute at all. With UAC settings at its highest, not getting a popup when trying to install a program is a major flaw. That should not happen at all.

When I google for windows deep blue all I can find is links to warez sites. May it be that your deep blue theme prevents the popup with custom aero settings?

To install programs as user, run the installer in admin mode by opening it while holding ctrl+shift.

I might be missing something obvious, but when I switch my account type to standard or back to administrator it never prompts for my password. So couldn't any malware just switch my account back to administrator mode and then do whatever it wants?

I don't think I'm infected with malware, but is there a way to be be sure about this without spending money on software such as Malwarebytes?

If you mean you log out and you aren't asked for a password, you have no password set. If you mean you change the account state while logged in as adminstrator, that's how its supposed to be. You'll never be asked for your admin password while logged in as admin.

And malware that can't get admin access because you run a regular user account will not be able to gain that access in any way currently.


Ya, the malware sticky.

No, I'm able to change the account state while logged in as a standard user, without any password prompt, which seems exploitable. Strange, I also just downloaded and installed a program as a standard user without any prompt for the admin password, so something is definitely messed up. The only thing I can think of is I used the same password for the standard account as the admin account - would this somehow give the standard account admin privileges automatically?

ETA:

*sigh* yeah changing the standard user's password to be different from the admin fixes the problems. Seems like a bug but whatever, working great now. Thanks a lot for the tip!

Don't open image files called "bankaccountdetails.exe" from people you don't know.

FYP

I'm about to format my computer (was going to wait til windows 8 but given microsoft history, w8 will suck). Everytime I format my computer I always say I will make a disk image to save myself the process of installing all apps again, so this time is no different.

What I have in mind so far:

1. Clean w7 64 install, uac high on + admin account with password, standard user.
2. KIS 2013 (is there any lower resource AV?)
3. Update windows and AV
4. Disable windows services (blackviper site safe column)
5. VMware Workstation to run a virtual machine for everything non-poker related (chat, surf the web, email, etc...)
6. Install Keepass
7. Create disk image (Acronis True Image 2013, any other alternative?

dont run windows in Admin mode

Yeah sorry shoud've made my post more clear. I'm intending to run w7 as a standard user.

Hmm...your description is quite clear on how to set up another user account.But i do this and can't change my account i currently us to be a standard account.
PC is fine with me changing the new account i created between admin and standard...But when i try to change my current account to a user account there is no option to do so.Only change account name and password is there.

You get me...

My account i use currently is called administrator and when i bought my PC was already set up this way...

probably dum question but:

A)
lets say i put a virtual machine on my computer to run ubuntu.

i run ubuntu to only play poker and the rest i use my normal windows.

if i get infiltrate with bad malware or w.e ?

would they have accces when i use ubuntu to play poker after ?


B)
lets say i split my hHD in 2 to have a OS on each, one ubuntu and one windows.

if i only use ubuntu for poker ( and of course browsing 2+2 and reading the newspaper) and window for evrything else ( videogames,movies,music,email,etc), their shouldnt be a problem right if i get infected trought windows.

tho i would have 2 choose each time wich OS i want to start with at the opening of my computer, wouldnt my system be secured enough ?

unless ubuntu is considered a high risk ?


ps: 1 of the reason i want ubuntu and to slowly migrate to this OS and finally be free of windows with all thos upgrade, by new stuff each 3 years etc....

tho i guess il have some programing to learn to be effective with ubuntu .

ty

pps: unless im better installing only ubuntu and use win to only play poker...wouldnt my system be more secure this way , unless ubuntu too easy to infiltrate or too much work to make it work for me now..

Start HEM2 as standard user without having to enter admin password every time: http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials...dard-user.html

Browsed and searched a bit, and decided to ask you guys:

windows xp,

Thought that I cleared unnecessary users and denied remote access, but when I look in "groups" there are 2 admins, as well as other listed users. Am I ****ed?

Yes I've already created a limited acct that I'm using right now.

So, my brother has given me a loan of his laptop for a trip away.

He's only had it 2 weeks and he has somehow managed to download some suspected malware. It was some Facebook Picture Viewer nonsense which I removed, but it seems like it left behind some kinda malware?

The homepage in Chrome is redirected to "conduit" search engine.

I've followed the steps in the sticky and I'm assuming this is the place to post the results of the scans?


cont in next post

part 2

And the Kaspersky report:



I actually think I have have prevented the homepage hijacking but I'm not sure if there are going to be traces left on the laptop that will cause it to come back again.

Any help much appreciated.

Reinstall Windows.

LOL, yes I just decided to do that. Simples.

The problem with doing this is that when I create a Standard user account I lose all the programs that were installed in the admin account, they can still be accessed but I have to reconfigure them all over again. I also lose the desktop layout, my shortcuts, etc, etc

Is there a way to make a copy of the admin account to a user account without passing admin rights? Spending hours reconfiguring everything might sound like fun to a security nerd but it kills the productivity of anyone serious about using the computer to work

You can create a new admin account, then just nerf the old admin account to standard and keep using it without needing to change anything else.

Edit: Which is exactly what wellju describes doing in the OP - learn how to read.

current situation, Windows vista machine has one account that was created as administrator. I want keep that account, but downgrade it to standard user for protection as recommended.
So, my plan was this:
User current account to create an Administrator account.
Use the new administrator account to downgrade old account to standard user.
Will that work?
Will the new admin account then have access/be able to modify everything/programs already installed on the current, soon to be standard user account?

The actual 30 second setup is

1) Install Sandboxie

2) Install Firefox/Chrome in Sandboxie

think i might have asked question ages ago in this thread.
Can't find it now.

is anyone succesfully playing poker running windows 8 as an user account without admin rights? I've failed many times trying to run windows with an user account, I'm always running into the same problems:

- Some applications don't work properly, even when I take the time to pretty much give admin rights to all files in the program's folder - This is what eventually forced me to go back to an administrator account to play poker

- Typing the administrator password 5k times/day - The myth of 'setting one program to run as admin under properties menu and never be asked again your administrator password when launching the application' has been eluding me forever...