Run Applications With limited User Rights

Many users do still use user accounts with administrative privileges in Windows XP and newer versions of Windows instead of limited accounts.
It is comfortable to work as an administrator all the time as you can perform operations that limited users cannot (easily). The downside is however that a successful attack gives the attacker the same rights that you have which can be devastating.
Instead of working with a limited account most of the time and an administrator account only when needed, users can also increase system security by starting select applications as a lesser privileged user.
The runas command can be used to run any program with lower privileges but it has the disadvantage that there is no password switch meaning the user has to enter the password of the "other" account whenever the program needs to be started. It does not work with blank passwords and requires the Secondary Logon service to be running as well.
A better alternative is the PsExec tool by Sysinternals. That little tool can be used to start any application as another user. Unlike runas, it does come with a password switch for ease of use.
PsExec is part of the PsTools suite of Sysinternals. You only need psexec.exe which you can move to a system folder for ease of access.
Specify a password for the account by clicking on the Create Password link in the user account control. Once the limited account has been created it is time to test if psexec is working properly.
Start the Windows command line by pressing [windows R], typing cmd and hitting enter. Now type the following command to test the functionality of psexec:
psexec -d -u "low privileges" -p test notepad
This will start notepad using the user account low privileges with the password test. If everything worked out well notepad should appear. It is now time to check if notepad has been executed with lower privileges.
The Task Manager can be started with Ctrl-Shift-Esc. Click on View > Select Columns in the top menu and check the User Name box so that the username that started an application is shown in the Task Manager.
You should now be able to locate the username with the lower privileges and see that notepad was started from that account.
It would be time consuming to run the processes from the command line all the time. You can create a simple batch file with the command to start the applications that you want to run with lower privileges. To do that for Firefox you would add the line
<codepsexec -d -u "low privileges" -p test "D:\Program Files\Mozilla Firefox\firefox.exe"
in the bat file. The file could then be moved into the start menu.
Please note that you may not be able to run all programs with limited privileges as they may stop working altogether when you try to do that. There is no definitive list of when this works and when it does which means that you are left with trial and error on this one.

What mental age of reader are you targeting with the first sentence? 10?
Why not write an article on how to *avoid* upgrading from W10 to W11. Analogous to those like me who avoided upgrading from 7 to 10 for as long as possible.
If your paymaster Microsoft permits it, of course.
5. Rufus
6. Ventoy
PS. I hate reading these “SEO optimized” articles.
I used Rufus to create an installer for a 6th gen intel i5 that had MBR. It upgraded using Setup. No issues except for Win 11 always prompting me to replace my local account. Still using Win 10 Pro on all my other PCs to avoid the bullying.
bit pointless to upgrade for the sake of upgrading as you never know when you’ll get locked out because ms might suddenly not provide updates to unsupported systems.
ps…. time travelling?
written. Jan 15, 2023
Updated • Jan 13, 2023
This happens when you schedule a post in WordPress and update it before setting the publication date.
Anyone willing to downgrade to this awful OS must like inflicting themselves with harm.
I have become convinced now that anybody who has no qualms with using Windows 11/10 must fit into one of the following brackets:
1) Too young to remember a time before W10 and W11 (doesn’t know better)
2) Wants to play the latest games on their PC above anything else (or deeply needs some software which already dropped W7 support)
3) Doesn’t know too much about how computers work, worried that they’d be absolutely lost and in trouble without the “”latest security””
4) Microsoft apologist that tries to justify that the latest “features” and “changes” are actually a good thing, that improve Windows
5) Uses their computer to do a bare minimum of like 3 different things, browse web, check emails, etc, so really doesn’t fuss
Obviously that doesn’t cover everyone, there’s also the category that:
6) Actually liked W7 more than 10, and held out as long as possible before switching, begrudgingly uses 10 now
Have I missed any group off this list?
You have missed in this group just about any professional user that uses business software like CAD programs or ERP Programs which are 99% of all professional users from this list.
Linux doesn’t help anyone who is not a linux kid and apple is just a fancy facebook machine.
Microsoft has removed KB5029351 update
only from windows update though
KB5029351 is still available from the ms update catalog site
1. This update is labaled as PREVIEW if it causes issues to unintelligent people, then they shouldn’t have allowed Preview updates ot install.
2. I have installed it in a 11 years old computer, and no problems at all.
3. Making a big drama over a bluescreen for an updated labeled as preview is ridiculous.
This is probably another BS internet drama where people ran programs and scripts that modified the registry until they broke Windows, just for removing stuff that they weren’t even using just for the sake of it.
Maybe people should stop playing geeks and actually either use Windows 10 or Windows 11, but don’t try to modify things just for the sake of it.
Sometimes removing or stopping things (like defender is a perfect example) only need intelligence, not scripts or 3rd party programs that might mess with windows.
Windows 11 was a pointless release, it was just created because some of the Windows team wanted to boost sales with some sort of new and improved Windows 10. Instead, Microsoft cannot support one version well let alone two.
Windows 11 is the worst ugly shame by Microsoft ever. They should release with every new W11 version a complete free version of Starallback inside just to make this sh** OS functionally again.
motherboard maker MSI has recently released a statement regarding the “unsupported processor” blue screen error for their boards using Intel 600/700 series chipsets & to avoid the KB5029351 Win11 update:
https://www.msi.com/news/detail/MSI-On–UNSUPPORTED-PROCESSOR–Error-Message-of-Windows-11-Update-KB5029351-Preview-142215
check out the following recent articles:
Neowin – Microsoft puts little blame on its Windows update after UNSUPPORTED PROCESSOR BSOD bug:
https://www.neowin.net/news/microsoft-puts-little-blame-on-its-windows-update-after-unsupported-processor-bsod-bug/
BleepingComputer – Microsoft blames ‘unsupported processor’ blue screens on OEM vendors:
https://www.bleepingcomputer.com/news/microsoft/microsoft-blames-unsupported-processor-blue-screens-on-oem-vendors/
While there may be changes or updates to the Windows 10 Store for Business and Education in the future, it is premature to conclude that it will be discontinued based solely on rumors.
My advice, I left win 15 years ago. Now I’m a happy linux user (linuxmint) but there is Centos, Fedora, Ubuntu depending on your needs.
motherboard maker MSI has recently released new BIOS/firmware updates for their Intel 600 & 700 series motherboards to fix the “UNSUPPORTED_PROCESSOR” problem (Sept. 6):
https://www.msi.com/news/detail/Updated-BIOS-fixes-Error-Message–UNSUPPORTED-PROCESSOR–caused-BSOD-on-MSI-s-Intel-700-and-600-Series-Motherboards-142277
I try to disable the Diagnostics Tracking Service (Connected Devices Platform User Services) but it wont let me disable it, any help will be greatly appreciated.
Tank you for your help