prohibit new software installs while allowing updates & patches

[Don]

I'm planning on purchasing several laptops for our firm with Vista Business

installed. There is no network and all laptops will work in stand-alone

mode. Is there a way I can use the built in Administrator account to

prohibit the users from installing any new software while at the same time

allowing upgrades and/or patches to software that is already installed?

Thanks for any thoughts, input, etc. [also posted in Administration

Accounts and Passwords, sorry for the double/cross post, was not sure where

this belonged]

 

[Charlie42]

"Don" <Don@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote:

<span style="color:blue">

> I'm planning on purchasing several laptops for our firm with Vista

> Business

> installed. There is no network and all laptops will work in stand-alone

> mode. Is there a way I can use the built in Administrator account to

> prohibit the users from installing any new software while at the same time

> allowing upgrades and/or patches to software that is already installed?</span>

By default Vista does exactly that for you. Just make sure the employees are

given Standard User accounts only. Vistas new UAC feature only allows

Administrator accounts to install software.

Windows updates are not affected by the account type, just set the machines

to download and install updates automatically, and they will run silently in

the background. There should be similar settings in your third party

software, but you will have to check that out with the mfgr.

Charlie42