Description

Administrative privileges allow users to perform a number of administrative actions on their computers, such as installing new software or changing system settings. In order to improve computing security on Windows Desktops, the NiceAdmin software enables users to run Windows XP without administrative privileges. Users are still able to install software and change system settings on their computers through the ‘NiceAdmin’ shortcut, hence offering a way to execute most tasks with administrative privileges, but only on-demand.

Area of expertise

Information Technology

Applications

NiceAdmin can be installed on any computer running Windows XP and has no limitation as to which program it can run.

Innovative features

• No similar tool is currently available on the market.
• NiceAdmin allows users to work more securely on their computer as their session has no special privileges, avoiding the inherent risks of surfing the Internet or opening emails.

Specifications

Main features:

1. NiceAdmin application is easy to call via shortcuts at Start | Programs. It can also come as a command line utility.
2. NiceAdminService keeps track of who is able to call NiceAdmin on a Windows domain computer and keeps the credentials in memory, so the user needs to set the credentials only once per session.
3. The user can invoke NiceAdmin as a RunAs windows feature, just with a right click mouse button thanks to the NiceAdmin context menu.
4. The NiceAdmin Factory can be used to generate shortcuts for usual applications that need to be invoked with administrative privileges.

Advantages

• Minimize security vulnerabilities as the user session runs with no administrative privileges.
• Runs on any Windows XP machine.
• NiceAdmin has been designed to work on a Windows domain but can be easily modified to work without a domain.

Limitations

Windows updates needs to run on a session running with Administrative privileges.

Intellectual Property status

Available for licensing. The NiceAdmin software has been licensed to several universities and physics institutes (source code and documentation). If you would like to have the source code, please fill up the license agreement and send two copies to the address indicated at the end of the document. There is no charge involved in the whole process.

For more detailed information and the license agreement please see the file downloads at the base of this page.