Add STANDARD User application to startup

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I run in Standard User mode most (99.7%) of the time.  I’d like to start an app in that mode, that automatically runs in Admin mode.  If I start it from a link on the taskbar, I get asked for my Admin PIN.  How do I set it up, in Start UP so that when start my computer (in Standard User mode), the software automatically starts without input from me?

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Set up a scheduled task to run on a user logon with the highest permissions. You’ll out your admin credentials in the task definition.

--Joe

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@joep517 –

Since we are talking about Windows, and there seems to be more than one way to do many different things within windows, could the person also create a shortcut to the program in the following folder: \Users\username of their ordinary, non-admin level user account\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu\Programs\Startup ?

Wouldn’t placing a shortcut in the above location run the program as a regular, non-admin level user as it sounds like the person wants?

I suppose that if they want to avoid having to use the admin password (because maybe the program needs admin-level privileges) they could then select the Properties sheet for the shortcut and then select the “Advanced…” button on the Shortcut tab, after which they would then put a check mark in the box for “Run as administrator”, but would this then automatically then prompt them for the PIN each time (which they’ve stated they don’t want to have to do)?

Or would this be not the same as creating a task in Task Scheduler as you mentioned above?

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I did what you suggested, but when I attempt to save it, I am getting a message that says “Task Scheduler cannot create the task.  The user account is unknown, the password is incorrect, or the user account does not have permission to create this task.”

Computer suggests my account as the “author”, so it (I think) definitely knows the account.  My standard user account doesn’t have a password, since it’s a desktop machine.  I’m not sure about whether or not my account can create the task.”

Suggestions?

And thanks.

Henry

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Does the application that you want to run as an Administrator need to access the network or interact with the logged-on Standard User?

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Not to my knowledge.  It’s called Hard Drive Sentinel (hdsentinel.com) and it monitors the conditions of my attached drives (both SSD and HDD).  It saved my bacon once when it let me know a drive was failing and I was able to replace the drive and move the contents before it failed altogether!  The drive was still under warranty, so the manufacturer replaced it.

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If the application notified you about the condition of your hard drives then it does need the ability to interact with the logged on user. Or did it use some other non-interactive method of notification? By interact I mean having a presence on the logged-on user’s desktop whether it’s to display an icon on the taskbar or display a message box.

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It has an onscreen display, in the notification area of the condition of the drive(s) and the temperature (see attached image).  I don’t remember how it let me know that a drive was failing…it was about 5 years ago!

I was (and am) the only “logged-on user”.

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I’m on Win10 22H2 but I expect the issues are the same for Win11 when UAC is enabled.

On Win10 when a Standard User logs on the task scheduler can start an application that runs with elevated privilege as Administrator if the task is set to run whether or not the Admin account is logged on and the “run with highest privilege” box is unchecked.  However, this causes the application to run in a non-interactive session that does not have access to the desktop of the logged-on Standard User.

I think you will need to find a third-party application to start an elevated process in a Standard User’s logged-on session in order to avoid the UAC prompt for Admin credentials.

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This is all stuff I know next to nothing about.  What you’ve suggested, and I thank you for it, is way more complicated than I expected or even need.  I was trying to be lazy.   Guess I’ll do it the old fashioned way.  It’s just not worth all that effort!

As I said, thanks for your input!

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HenryW wrote:

It’s called Hard Drive Sentinel (hdsentinel.com) and it monitors the conditions of my attached drives (both SSD and HDD).

According to Hard Disk Sentinel Help – Installation, it should automatically start with the system.

If it’s not, right-click the HDS taskbar icon and select Configuration.

Then ensure the “Load with Windows” options is checked under preferences.

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Oh, it’s properly set up and starts fine…if in Admin mode, but I usually am running in Standard User mode, so I have to start it manually to get the info that is displayed in the notification area.  Otherwise it doesn’t really do me any good, ’cause I’m in Admin so infrequently.

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Ok, according to Hard Disk Sentinel Help – Configuration: Integration, you can switch it from app mode, which “requires” Admin access to auto-start, to NT Service mode, which runs it as a Windows System process (i.e. it’ll auto-start without prompting for a password/PIN.)

Right-click the HDS taskbar icon, select Configuration, select Integration and click the Use as Service button.

Note: in service mode you won’t be able to change any of the settings or run any tests (those still “require” Admin access), but you can still get the same HDS system tray icon that displays status info by creating a “shortcut” in your Startup folder to HDSentinelTray.exe (it’s located in the HDS folder) so it auto starts when you boot Windows.

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I have been in touch w/ Janos Menthe the developer and he told me the same thing.

Perhaps if I run into some time in the next week or so, I’ll implement that set up.

Thanks for your help on this.

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Henwin,

A scheduled task that starts an application when the related account is not logged-on and Windows services both run in the same non-interactive session and do not have access to the desktop of the currently logged-on user.  That is why the additional HDSentinelTray.exe is needed when hard disk sentinel is configured to run as a Windows service.

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