W2K Disk Defragmenter

[Doyler1]

Hi,
I want to be able to run the disk defragmenter from an ordinary user account. I don’t see why it can only be run under a Domain Admin account or a Local Admin account.
Does anybody know of a GPO or Reg Hack that will allow the permissions to be relaxed?

Reason: When you Administer 600+ users with desktops and laptops. I want them to defrag there own drives in there own time and not on my time. (I think that sounds reasonable.)

 

[SimonDavis]

This might be a brainfart, but I have in mind that you can run applications using 'run as', and specify an admin name.

What the security implications are, I don't know - it was a suggestion someone gave to me for another problem, but I never investigated because I solved the problem in the meantime.

Maybe worth investigating that.

 

[Doyler1]

Yes I know what you mean. But that would still require an Administrator to sit with the user and start the defrag.
I need them to be able to do it on there own at any time of day or night. Without Admin rights.
Thank anyway.

 

[echoecho]

According to Bill, this cannot be done, see Q231176

 

[Doyler1]

The Microsoft effect again I fear.

 

[rjp72]

Here is what I did. Make a shortcut on the users desktop to Disk Defrag. The in the shortcut properties check the box for running the program as a different user. On the PC and server make an account with admin rights that they can run it as.

 

[Doyler1]

That is a good plan. Except for one thing. Every time you run the short cut. It asks which account do you want to run under. The user would then have to know the local Admin password.

 

[rjp72]

Well depending on how PC literate your clients are, just make an account that is "only" for running disk defragmentor. They don't have to know that it is an admin account. Then again like I said it all depends on your clients.

 

[Doyler1]

I will bear it in mind. I may be able to get away with it when I configure the Sales teams laptops. But I will have to be careful if its anybody else’s.
Thanks for all your help.