Is a standard user account necessary for tight security and home user?

Kol12 said:

Is a standard user account really necessary for tight security for the home user or will a well secured administrator account be sufficient?

I would give each user their own standard account for extra security and keep an admin account for system maintenance. I also have a reserve admin account on my PC in case of problems with the main admin account!

I've also set my admin account to be a local rather than Microsoft account.

You can run many admin tasks from a standard account but you will get an UAC prompt for the admin password.

Steve C said:

I would give each user their own standard account for extra security and keep an admin account for system maintenance. I also have a reserve admin account on my PC in case of problems with the main admin account!

I've also set my admin account to be a local rather than Microsoft account.

You can run many admin tasks from a standard account but you will get an UAC prompt for the admin password.

I've switched my accounts over (both local accounts) and it was very straightforward but what strikes me right away is the amount of things that need to be opened with admin permission and the password! I can see this getting irritating quickly.

Can I change the UAC settings to allow admin access without a password? I currently have the UAC slider on maximum.

Kol12 said:

Can I change the UAC settings to allow admin access without a password? I currently have the UAC slider on maximum.

Yes, but that defeats the security provided by a local account! I'd leave the UAC setting alone in a user account.

Steve C said:

Yes, but that defeats the security provided by a local account! I'd leave the UAC setting alone in a user account.

Do you mind explaining how that is?

My initial thinking in that a lot of apps needed admin rights to run may have been a bit hasty as I'm finding I can do most things normally without it...

So in essence changing to or running a standard user account is purely a permission based thing and doesn't affect system configurations or personal files?

If I open Event Viewer in my converted admin to standard account should everything still be logged the same?

Are there administrative tasks that shouldn't been done in the standard user account? Are most of the Windows administrative tools safe to use?

Is there any good reading around that explains how to work from a standard user account while also being the administrator?

simrick said:

I think, the only thing you may notice (besides the UAC prompt for changing system settings or installing programs) is that you will not be able to view the files of other users from a standard account. That can only be done in an admin account.

If you try to access another user's files from your local account, I you should get a UAC prompt requesting the admin password for access after which the permissions will be changed allowing you permanent access to the other user's folder. See the enclosed prompt when I just tried to access my backup admin account from my user account - I would get permanent access if I followed through and entered the admin password.
Attachment 102770

simrick said:

That's a good idea. :)

Another good idea. I use local accounts as well.


The normal setting is 1 notch down from maximum. Why don't you try that one? You don't want to turn it off as that would defeat its purpose.

The maximum level of UAC is the safest, what difference will there be 1 notch down with a standard user account?

simrick said:

I think, the only thing you may notice (besides the UAC prompt for changing system settings or installing programs) is that you will not be able to view the files of other users from a standard account. That can only be done in an admin account.

I'm able to view the admins user folder in the standard account. Is that not normal?

There seems to be some debate as to whether your actually running as a standard user in an admin account with UAC enabled. Any opinions or able to clarify?