Does MBAM need admin rights to update?

[exile360]

@Exile I also tried updating and scanning with Ad-aware, SAS and Spybot in my non admin account and only Spybot gave me a UAC prompt

I might try the uninstall method you gave me but one question, Is it worrying that some do not ask for the UAC and the fact that they are shortcuts on my desktop, would that affect the UAC prompt?

No, shortcuts or the actual executable in the Program Files directory should behave exactly the same way, unless they've been altered, possibly by the installer to allow scans by non-admin users without elevation. You can test it by opening the progams by double clicking the executables themselves from their program folders in Program Files.

[chimpy]

The Program Files double clicking and the short cuts act in the same way, should I be worried about this? I always right click them to scan and update in admin anyway, is it ok to leave them as is or would you say I should reinstall them? are they vunarable this way?

[exile360]

They aren't vulnerable, but they certainly aren't effective for actual removals. Do keep in mind though that the only component of MBAM that should run with administrative privelages is mbam.exe, none of the other executables in that folder should be altered. I also doubt that reinstalling would correct it, as this result may be typical, others simply may not have commented on it yet as most don't run limited user accounts.

[chimpy]

Hmm I might have gotten mixed up then, I have a admin account which I do not use as per normal security measures and another account which I do use which I just presumed was a limited account? I thought most people never used the admin account and just used the other account

Looking at my "help" in vista I there are 3 kinds of accounts

1) Standard

2) Admin

3) Guest

So I am presuming I am standard, is that the same as limited?

And Exile are you saying that as long as I run MBAM and others in admin mode its ok? It will remove fine in admin but not in "limited" right?

[exile360]

Hmm I might have gotten mixed up then, I have a admin account which I do not use as per normal security measures and another account which I do use which I just presumed was a limited account? I thought most people never used the admin account and just used the other account

Looking at my "help" in vista I there are 3 kinds of accounts

1) Standard

2) Admin

3) Guest

So I am presuming I am standard, is that the same as limited?

And Exile are you saying that as long as I run MBAM and others in admin mode its ok? It will remove fine in admin but not in "limited" right?

Yes, Standard would be the Vista equivelant of a Limited account in XP. Since most programs are User Account Control aware these days it should not be required to run them as admin, but I know that MBAM does require elevation, but doesn't seem to be requesting it on some users' systems so you should run mbam.exe as admin when doing scans or updating. I can't comment on other programs, but you can test it by executing another program that you know requires administrative privelages to run normally.

[chimpy]

Ah thanks Exile, I am presuming the mbam.exe is the same as right clicking the desk top icon to run as admin? I'm sorry but I am not good with tech terms

I always run as admin my security programs just incase they did not over lap to scan the whole computer.

But I will say that looking in my logs that I have different logs in limited and admin accounts for MBAM I am not sure that if you put something in quarentine in limited it would show up in admin so you could remove it completely.

[exile360]

Ah thanks Exile, I am presuming the mbam.exe is the same as right clicking the desk top icon to run as admin? I'm sorry but I am not good with tech terms

Yes, and altering its rights as detailed in my previous post would accomplish the same for every MBAM scan and update (it would always prompt for permission).

I always run as admin my security programs just incase they did not over lap to scan the whole computer.

Honestly I'd only do that with MBAM for the time being as it may cause them not to scan the local user's registry or certain other user-specific areas, but I don't believe this happens with MBAM.

But I will say that looking in my logs that I have different logs in limited and admin accounts for MBAM I am not sure that if you put something in quarentine in limited it would show up in admin so you could remove it completely.

It should, as most of the infection would affect all users, but other programs also check for things like cookies and MRU entries (Most Recently Used), which MBAM obviously does not so you should be OK with running MBAM as admin for each scan.

[chimpy]

Thanks Exile I will take your advice