This morning, I had the conversation that I end up having with every new employee who is moderately computer saavy.

“No, I won’t give you administrator privileges. It’s bad policy, it gives you too much access to things you don’t need and you will break it eventually if you are admin. Not going to happen”

I was then informed (by that wonderful “i’m joking, but i’m not really joking” tone) that the user would annoy the crap out of me until I did.

“Feel free to come by and let me know what software you need installed, they pay me to maintain these machines, I don’t mind.”

So it took all the way until this afternoon before I get the e-mail.

(Paraphrase) Since i’m not administrator, I can’t put shortcuts on my desktop (end paraphrase)

That’s all well and good, except that it is in no way the truth. A guest user (which has virtually no privileges) can put shortcuts on the desktop. Now, they won’t be there when the user logs off or shuts down the computer, but it will place one on the desktop during that session.

Anyway, i’m rambling.. sorry.

So, I walk down to the users office and here is where I am validated…

“I guess it won’t let me move it because it’s in my system32 folder”…..
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…
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That’s right… he was screwing around in the folder that (as administrator) deleting, renaming or possibly thinking bad thoughts about a file can corrupt and damage the entire OS.

And THAT is why users can’t be administrators….

Geez.