Can a non-admin user run an msi?
Question
Can a non-admin user run an msi?
Answer
If you only install to locations where non-admins users have privileges, then the answer is easy: yes.
If you install to locations such as program files or HKLM, then the answer is -- they can with MSI if the package has been blessed by an admin to run elevated. Otherwise attempts by the non-admin to write to program files are going to fail. And additionally, a package can't self-elevate -- that would be a security issue.
For the latter case, consult the documentation on MSDN: Installing a Package with Elevated Privileges for a Non-Admin. This is basically what Group Policy and SMS are for.
Content credit also belongs to
- Carolyn, MSI Team Dev Lead. You can get other Carolyn insights about developing for Windows Installer from the Windows Installer Chat Archives
[Author: Robert Flaming]
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