Writing to the registry and VirtualStore

[omacron]

Hi

I have an application that needs to move to Windows 7. The issue is that it writes to the registry (HKLM > Software => <Application Name>). The issue is with VirtualStore it redirects the registry write to the VirtualStore for each user. This would be fine but different users log into the same machine. This is a massive problem because one of the things the application uses the registry for is a counter. So ever users that logs in throws off the counter. Now I have only found two work around and don't like either;

1. Give all users owner rights to the registry keys in questions.
2. Run the application as administrator.

Problem for option 1 is to get this approved through my IT security will be near impossible, at best a month long battle. Knowing the problem with option 1 option 2 seems like a pipe dream. Is there any other way of doing this? Even if they are worse at least I can make a case for the "best of the worse".

Thanks.

 

[linney]

Any chance of a alternate application that is more suitable to your needs?

Have you been in contact with the program's producer for possible updates or even programming amendments?

Can you create a special User Group for all the relevant users and narrow down the Access Permission of that Group, perhaps to read and write rather than full control?

 

[omacron]

I have contacted the software developers and they are unwilling to change at this point. Some BS about needing to write to the registry for speed and I/O concerns.

If you have an idea what to suggest to them I am willing to try that.

 

[strongm]

Just to confirm - the software developers have effectively said that their app is not supported under Windows 7?

 

[linney]

There is a virtual machine option, possibly Windows Virtual Machine XP Mode, but that may throw up more security complications than you are willing to accept.

Windows Virtual PC
Download Windows XP Mode

http://www.microsoft.com/windows/virtual-pc/download.aspx

Windows XP Mode (Windows 7 only, but not any of the Home versions) "You are not eligible to download Windows XP Mode. You must have Windows 7 Professional, Enterprise, or Ultimate to run Windows XP Mode".


You can try your question in the Server Forum too.

http://www.tek-tips.com/threadminder.cfm?pid=1674

http://www.tek-tips.com/threadminder.cfm?pid=931

 

[omacron]

strongm (MIS)
29 Apr 11 20:14
Just to confirm - the software developers have effectively said that their app is not supported under Windows 7?

Yes, well more correctly some BS about they are working on it...

linney (TechnicalUser)
30 Apr 11 1:22
There is a virtual machine option, possibly Windows Virtual Machine XP Mode, but that may throw up more security complications than you are willing to accept.

Windows Virtual PC
Download Windows XP Mode

That isn't an option, the user base of this product could not handle it. Let me put it this way in an upgrade to the application there is a step of tab, tab, place a paper into a printer then hit enter got change to tab, tab, place a paper into a printer (no enter required) we got feed back that this is a very confusing and please change it back...

I will try Server Forum, thanks.

 

[dilettante]

Some BS about needing to write to the registry for speed and I/O concerns.

BS is right.

However any solution that will also work in downlevel machines (e.g. still running XP or Win2K) is going to require something similar to your "option 1" in the first post above. This should not be a security concern one way or the other, it's pretty normal whether you use the registry or an INI or other file.

The trick is to have the program's installer do this. Then the required UAC elevation only has to happen once - on installation.

If the program only needs to run on Vista and later you might get away with using the new special folder Public. This still means getting the program changed to use a settings file instead of the registry though.