Games (The Sims 2) and Limited Accounts (Home version)

Why oh Why Cant Microsoft sort this out.

I have a home computer and I DO NOT repeat DO NOT want the kids having full
access accounts, so they have a limited account, but joy of joys, a new game
like The Sims 2 will not work at all in a Limited Account.
What is the point of running the game as an administrator when your are
giving them the password to your full account ( so mischief can be had by
bored fingers).

Why oh Why can't Microsoft DO SOMETHING about this Problem.

Can anyone come up with some ideas or programs that do a better job of
Limited Accounts than Microsoft.

Any Help would be gratefully received.

"Spikenaylor" <Spikenaylor@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
news:5E62D7B9-BD83-4BCA-A385-D309481DBEEF@microsoft.com...
> Why oh Why Cant Microsoft sort this out.

> I have a home computer and I DO NOT repeat DO NOT want the kids having
> full
> access accounts, so they have a limited account, but joy of joys, a new
> game
> like The Sims 2 will not work at all in a Limited Account.

> Why oh Why can't Microsoft DO SOMETHING about this Problem.

The Sims 2 is made by EA. They have absolutely no understanding of
restricted privileges.

There's a semi-work around at
http://www.windowsresource.net/troub...ms.php#limited
thanks to Jimmy S.

However make sure to e-mail EA and let them know of your disgust of their
inability to write software that is actually compatible with Windows XP.
Who knows may be if enough people do this they might actually realise that
you're not suppose to be writing all over the registry and program files
willy-nilly.

We get about half the copies of the Sims we sell back at my shop simply
because the installer is so buggy when trying to install the expansions and
it just gets totally confused.

--
Paul Smith,
Yeovil, UK.
http://www.windowsresource.net/
http://www.xbox360degrees.com/

*Remove 'nospam.' to reply by e-mail*

Hi Spikenaylor,

Here's a utility to allow Administrators to permit users to run games:
Please visit: http://www.palmersoft.co.uk/main.asp?content=runasuser

If you prefer, here's the workaround, I suggested before the utility existed:
Some games will work with limited accounts after they have been installed and
run once either using an administrator account, or by temporarily changing the
limited user account(s) to an admin account in Control Panel / User Accounts,
just for the purpose of running the game the first time in order to be able to
install the necessary files and create the keys in the registry that it needs to
function, but may not be able to due to the restrictive nature of limited accounts.

If that mouthful doesn't resolve the issue, use the "Run As.." command instead:

1. Click Start / Control Panel / User Accounts / Create a New Account /
Name the Account: "able2play" (without quotes) / Next Pick: "Computer-
Administrator" & Click "Create Account";

2. Click on your new able2play account and Create a Password for it;

3. When your limited user wants to play a game that requires Administrator
privileges they can Right-Click the shortcut to that game / Click Run As... /
"The Following User": able2play and enter the password. Simple as that!

I know what you're thinking: That defeats the purpose of the limited user account.
To secure the "able2play" account so that it can't be used to logon to the computer:

First you can hide the account so that it won't show up on the Welcome Screen:
http://www.dougknox.com/xp/scripts_d...hide_users.htm (thanks Doug!)

Next add a shortcut to the windows logoff routine into the RUN key of the
able2play registry. I made a reg patch to simplify this process if you wish to use it:

4. Logon to the "able2play" account,

5. <ONLY RUN THIS PATCH USING THE "ABLE2PLAY" ACCOUNT>
Save this patch to your drive and then doubleclick it to install it to your registry.
http://www3.sympatico.ca/nibblesnbit...layAccount.reg

or

*Instead of using the reg patch, click Start / Run / regedt32 / browse to:
[HKCU\SOFTWARE\ Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run] and
Click Edit / New / String value / ValueName: logoff / Value data: logoff

From now on, if anyone logs on with the "able2play" account, the computer will log
them off immediately. They will not gain access to an administrators desktop! :-)

--
Cheers, Windows XP MVP Shell / User
Jimmy S. http://mvp.support.microsoft.com

Game FAQs: http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=FH;[LN];gms
Visit my Zone.com / Gaming Helpsite: http://nibblesnbits.tk or Call / Contact
MS Support at: http://support.microsoft.com/default...d=sz;en-us;top
My advice is donated "AS IS" without warranty; nor do I confer any rights.
__________________________________________________ _______



Spikenaylor Wrote:
=================
| Why oh Why Cant Microsoft sort this out.
|
| I have a home computer and I DO NOT repeat DO NOT want the kids having full
| access accounts, so they have a limited account, but joy of joys, a new game
| like The Sims 2 will not work at all in a Limited Account.
| What is the point of running the game as an administrator when your are
| giving them the password to your full account ( so mischief can be had by
| bored fingers).
|
| Why oh Why can't Microsoft DO SOMETHING about this Problem.
|
| Can anyone come up with some ideas or programs that do a better job of
| Limited Accounts than Microsoft.
|
| Any Help would be gratefully received.