To Run as administrator or not to Run as administrator

the directory in the windowsapp folder is NOT a Directory but a LNK file , windows doesn’t show LNK extensions by default , since it’s a LNK file you cannot change anything in there. If you want to have run as administrator, right click on your MSFS icon in startmenu/desktop and use the run as admin option. but since msfs is a MS product you won’t need run as admin…

BTW since you took ownership of the windowsapp folder you just have compromised your windows security… be mad at the person suggesting it and reinstall windows to fix it…

You’re exaggerating about reinstalling Windows. Don’t give such terrible advice.

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It’s an “easy fix.” some people do things like install addons or third party software into a folder that requires administrative access (because the installer itself runs as admin and won’t care), not knowing they are doing so, and that tends to make Windows complain when it’s run as a regular user.

The most secure advice is to reinstall software in the default location, unzip files into folders that are for the regular user, and don’t mess with folder permissions. The easy (and insecure) advice is to install things as administrator.

Many FSX and P3D installers and addons need to be run as administrator or they don’t work properly. I had zero (0) security issues regarding this in more than 10 years. Zero.

The installers do, sure. The addons themselves, probably not as much as you think.

You are probably careful enough to avoid malware: Basically the biggest security risk is that somebody downloads malware, and since it’s being run as administrator, has full access to the system and is not isolated.

Sure, that makes sense.
A lot of Aerosoft installers require to be run as administrator, some Flight1 addons also do etc. It’s not that rare actually.

Indeed. Installers will often need administrator privileges because they’re moving files to otherwise protected folders on your system. The main MSFS application itself already is set with the permissions it needs for these folder and doesn’t need to be run with elevated permissions.

Most installers in general require it, Microsoft never really did much to enable user mode installation :confused:.

That said, anything that requires it after install I would ask “why?” before allowing.

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