Dealing with access rights
Access privileges differ among the various Windows versions. The following table assumes an out-of-the-box configuration; hardened systems might be more restrictive. Restricted or access denied items are shown in italics.
Notes
- Windows 95/98/Me do have All Users shortcuts for the Start and Programs menus, but the All Users Desktop folder is not functional. Desktop shortcuts must always be installed as Current User. In practice, this doesn't make much difference because most 9x systems are configured for a single user anyway.
- Windows Me, 2000, XP, 2003, Vista, and 2008 may apply Windows File Protection restrictions to files in these folders.
- HKLM\Software\Microsoft\Windows\Help does not exist by default on NT4, but will be created on demand and then inherit its parent key's access settings.
- File access is read-only, but new folders can be created.
* The Power Users group is not available on Windows Vista and later.
| Item | Account type | 95 | 98 | Me | NT4 | 2000 | XP | 2003 | Vista | 2008 | 7 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Version9X | n/a | 400 | 410 | 490 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| VersionNT | n/a | 0 | 0 | 0 | 400 | 500 | 501 | 502 | 600 | 600 | 601 |
| WindowsBuild | n/a | 950, 1111 | 1998, 2222 | 3000 | 1381 | 2195 | 2600, 3790 | 3790 | 6000 | 6001 | 7600 |
| C:\ | Administrator | Full | Full | Full | Full | Full | |||||
| Power User | Full | Full | |||||||||
| User | Full | Full | |||||||||
| ProgramFilesFolder | Administrator | Full | Full | Full | Full | Full | |||||
| Power User | Full | Full | |||||||||
| User | Full | Read-only | |||||||||
| CommonFilesFolder | Administrator | Full | Full | Full | Full | Full | |||||
| Power User | Full | Full | |||||||||
| User | Full | Read-only | |||||||||
| WindowsFolder | Administrator | Full | Full | Full2 | Full | Full2 | |||||
| Power User | Full | Full2 | |||||||||
| User | Full | Read-only | |||||||||
| SystemFolder | Administrator | Full | Full | Full2 | Full | Full2 | |||||
| Power User | Full | Full2 | |||||||||
| User | Full | Read-only | |||||||||
| ProfileFolder and subfolders | Administrator | Full | Full | Full | Full | Full | |||||
| Power User | Full | Full | |||||||||
| User | Full | Full | |||||||||
| CommonProfileFolder and subfolders | Administrator | Full | Full | Full | Full | Full | |||||
| Power User | Read-only | Full | |||||||||
| User | Read-only | Read-only | |||||||||
| Shortcut installation | Administrator | Mixed1 | Mixed1 | Mixed1 | All Users | All Users | |||||
| Power User | Current User | All Users | |||||||||
| User | Current User | Current User | |||||||||
| DLL self-registration (HKLM or HKCU) | Administrator | HKLM | HKLM | HKLM | HKLM | HKLM | |||||
| Power User | HKLM | HKLM | |||||||||
| User | HKLM | HKCU | |||||||||
| Font registration (always HKLM) | Administrator | HKLM | HKLM | HKLM | HKLM | HKLM | |||||
| Power User | Fails | HKLM | |||||||||
| User | Fails | Fails | |||||||||
| WinHelp registration (always HKLM) | Administrator | HKLM | HKLM | HKLM | HKLM | HKLM | |||||
| Power User | HKLM | HKLM | |||||||||
| User | Fails3 | Fails | |||||||||
| Environment variables | Administrator | All Users | All Users | All Users | All Users | All Users | |||||
| Power User | Current User | Current User | |||||||||
| User | Current User | Current User | |||||||||
| Uninstaller registration | Administrator | All Users | All Users | All Users | All Users | All Users | |||||
| Power User | All Users | All Users | |||||||||
| User | Current User | Current User | |||||||||
| RunOnce registration | Administrator | All Users | All Users | All Users | All Users | All Users | |||||
| Power User | Current User | Current User | |||||||||
| User | Current User | Current User | |||||||||
| SharedDLLs reference counting | Administrator | OK | OK | OK | OK | OK | |||||
| Power User | OK | OK | |||||||||
| User | Fails | Fails | |||||||||
| App Paths registration | Administrator | OK | OK | OK | OK | OK | |||||
| Power User | Fails | OK | |||||||||
| User | Fails | Fails | |||||||||
| Service Control Manager | Administrator | n/a | n/a | n/a | OK | OK | |||||
| Power User | Fails | Fails | |||||||||
| User | Fails | Fails | |||||||||
| Running processes check | Administrator | OK | OK | OK | OK | OK | |||||
| Power User | OK | OK | |||||||||
| User | OK | OK | |||||||||
| Delayed file copying and removal | Administrator | OK | OK | OK | OK | OK | |||||
| Power User | Fails | Fails | |||||||||
| User | Fails | Fails | |||||||||
| Reboot Windows | Administrator | OK | OK | OK | OK | OK | |||||
| Power User | OK | OK | |||||||||
| User | OK | OK | |||||||||