Installation issue with Non Admin account Windows 10

HandBrake for Windows support
Forum rules
An Activity Log is required for support requests. Please read How-to get an activity log? for details on how and why this should be provided.
Post Reply
jcs9856065
Posts: 2
Joined: Mon May 18, 2020 3:28 pm

Installation issue with Non Admin account Windows 10

Post by jcs9856065 »

Description of problem or question:
I follow sound (and Microsoft) security practice and have two Windows accounts. A standard account for general use, and an Admin account for installing software.

When I install Handbrake from my User account Windows prompts (as expected) for my Admin credentials and the installation completes. However there is no entry in the Start menu or desktop icon for the program.

When I login into my Admin account I find a Start Menu item as expected, and a Desktop icon. This is no use to me as I need to use it from my User account.

If I login to my Admin account and install from there the Start menu item is created but it is in the account specific part of the Start menu but not in the Public section.

It is a nuisance to have to manually create a Start Menu item in the proper place (which of course would also work from the Admin account as well).

Steps to reproduce the problem (If Applicable):
Install Handbrake on a Windows 10 computer configured with a Standard User and Admin accounts and then try to run run it from a Standard User (as Microsoft recommends) account.

There is no way to launch it from a Standard User account as installed because there is no Start menu item or desktop shortcut

Handbrake does work if I manually tweak the settings and create a start menu item but I should not have to do this!

it is not possible for me to recommend this program until there is a solution. I evaluate software for my local computer club and maintain our recommended programs site. This is a great pity as it looks as it Handbrake is an excellent program.

HandBrake version (e.g., 1.0.0):

1.3.2 (2020050300)


Operating system and version (e.g., Ubuntu 16.04 LTS, macOS 10.13 High Sierra, Windows 10 Creators Update):

Windows 10 Home addition with a Standard User account and an Admin account


HandBrake Activity Log ***required*** (see How-to get an activity log)

Not relevant unable to run Handbrake

Code: Select all

Please replace this text with the contents of your log file between the two code tags - OR -  provide a pastebin URL in place of these 3 lines.
If you are unable to do so, please state why so we can help you.
User avatar
s55
HandBrake Team
Posts: 10350
Joined: Sun Dec 24, 2006 1:05 pm

Re: Installation issue with Non Admin account Windows 10

Post by s55 »

The Installer is "Per User". Since you are changing the user, not elevating, it's installing to the admin account. Apparently few people run things this way since it's not a complaint I've seen before.

Two options:
1. Run the installer in silent mode (It assumes All Users). If I recall correctly the flag needed is: /S or /Silent
2. Use the "Portable" version instead, (No install required)


The nightly builds (See download page) has a new MSI based installer which we are switching to. The installer is just added a few weeks back so is considered experimental but it behaves differently.
AgentFred
Posts: 1
Joined: Tue May 19, 2020 1:36 pm

Re: Installation issue with Non Admin account Windows 10

Post by AgentFred »

I also have this problem and it is normal and recommend usage to work with non-elevated standard user account. I suggest to copy the lnk-file to "C:\ProgramData\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu\Programs\HandBrake\HandBrake.lnk" instead of "C:\Users\LocalAdministrator\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu\Programs\HandBrake\HandBrake.lnk" as almost every other app does.
jcs9856065
Posts: 2
Joined: Mon May 18, 2020 3:28 pm

Re: Installation issue with Non Admin account Windows 10

Post by jcs9856065 »

I am not wanting to Change User. I want to be able to install the program to be used in a Standard User account and this is not possible with the current installer.

To run as a Standard User follows Microsoft best practice although most new computers installation processes do not do this and therefore most users are innocently running there computers in an unsafe manner. That does not make it correct!

The safest way to run Windows is to have an Administrator account for installation and a User account for running software without the privilege to install software. Linux and Unix users have had this very sensible approach with a need to sudo to do critical functions.

Windows equivalent is to issue a prompt to elevate the privilege to administrator but this should not then install the software so that only the Administrator account can use it!

Almost every software installer has been doing this correctly in Windows for at least the past 10 years. I am therefore disappointed that Handbrake considers this request to be unusual.

I want to be able to add Handbrake to my Computer Club recommended software list but it does not conform to our security recommendations for safe computing. http://www.soroban.co.uk/gxcc/xmltopicpages/pcapps.xml

I can confirm that the /S option does install so Handbrake can be used from the Standard User account but it makes the installation significantly more complex for an inexperienced user. You cannot just click the download link and have to run the instillation manually to add the switch and is therefore probably still unsuitable for me to recommend to my members. Furthermore the Uninstall link does NOT remove the Start menu folder or the desktop short cut from the user's menu. I would probably have to write an installation script to add the /S switch and detailed instruction as to how to use it and uninstall it.

Please ensure that this installation issue is corrected. It should be relatively trivial I note that you have a new installation process in your nightly build but I never recommend software that is still under development.

Please note I have been involved in hardware and software development since 1963 and with Windows since the beta version of Windows ! I have been a network and system security architect for most of the past 15 years (now retired).
Andyroo
New User
Posts: 1
Joined: Tue May 26, 2020 10:14 am

Re: Installation issue with Non Admin account Windows 10

Post by Andyroo »

Yes, I am also wondering where the start menu and desktop icons have disappeared to... after trying to install to a standard user through elevated privileges...

20+ years in software dev and deployment/packaging and have not seen an install that behaves the way this one does. JCS is 100% correct in what he says. The installer should not be the way it is. Needs to be corrected.
User avatar
s55
HandBrake Team
Posts: 10350
Joined: Sun Dec 24, 2006 1:05 pm

Re: Installation issue with Non Admin account Windows 10

Post by s55 »

Again, this has already been fixed. It will be part of 1.4 sometime later this year (probably)
Post Reply