IF the IT guy at my job made it so I can't install any programs on my comp..is there anyway around that?

Question

Can I run it off of a flash drive or external drive?

To the nerdy IT people out there...I don't need a lecture..just the means on how to do it. Thanks. I'm aware of the constraints...just wanna stop my firefox from trying to update itself it's pissing me off. So go play your World of Warcraft and just answer the damn question.

Answer 1

depends on the program, something like a dvd will need to make calls to drivers on the computer in order to run, so even if you have it installed on a flash drive it will still make calls to drivers that prolly dont exist (like divx) because you couldnt install them on the computer

i THINK winamp lite works off of flash drives

Answer 2

Hi there. Before you make the decision to move forward with defeating corporate policy, you need to first ask yourself whether you really need to keep this job or not. This is a real question. I say this because your company most likely has things such as IDS (Intrusion Detection System), GPO's (Group Policy Objects), OS Monitoring and other methods of ensuring that people stay true to the policies set forth by the company. Keep a man honest, so to speak. Think of the machine they assigned to you as a corporate asset because that's exactly what it is. It's not yours. You have zero responsibility issues should the company get sued for something you've done on the system they assigned you.

Even if you decide to run your programs off of an external drive or flash stick, you still run the risk of going against I.T. policy as the data on external media still has the potential of harming your machine in some form or fashion.

If the program(s) you're wanting installed have a productivity impact (in other words, makes you work more efficient), I'm sure you could request authorization and, if they're a reasonable bunch, they shouldn't have a problem purchasing a license for said program.

Can you use a utility to hack the SAM account on the computer and gain access to the system using an administrative account? Yes. Is it possible you'd never get caught? Depends on how complacent your I.T. department is. Will you risk not being able to pay your bills because your company shoved you out into the street after you "bent the rules a little"? Extremely possible. I just want to make sure you understand the measure of your actions to allow you to effectively expect the unexpected. While I could tell you how to counteract the access rights issues you now face, that would technically be considered aiding and abetting.

Hope this helps,
tau_zeppelin

Answer 3

There is always a work around. However you will be found out - and then you will be explaining why you installed prohibited software. Many find this a career limiting experience and it is very hard to explain to new prospective employers that you were discharged for playing with company computers and installing programs you did not have authority to install.

Install your playtoys on your home pc. Your career will be a lot more stable.

By the way, because you have no admin rights you will not be able to run other stuff. That is why administrators do this.

Yes I am a System Administrator and I clean up way too many messes from people playing where they do not belong. I worked most of last night doing this. It was a VP, now a former VP as we cut him from the IT network last night and he had to explain it to the CEO who explained to him how to find a job elsewhere.

Answer 4

I believe as long as it does not install anything to the hard drive or registry, depending upon the policies enforced by your administrator, you should be able to run some programs from an external drive, assuming they haven't locked down the USB ports.

Firefox can be setup to run off of a flash drive as can some of the other Mozilla suite of products.

Answer 5

Well, you could find a way to get the administrator's password or hack it...otherwise, unless the software is totally self-contained on the disk or flash drive, you're out of luck.

I had the same problem when I first got my work-issued laptop. According to the IT guy, the reason for the restriction is primarily to keep ignorant users from killing the machine by downloading a virus...also to make sure the company doesn't become liable for software piracy. I took the time to show the IT guy that I wasn't stupid and that I wouldn't download illegal software or load other bad programs AND that I knew how to do a system restore to back out of a mistake so I wouldn't have to call him to fix problems created by new software. He eventually gave me administrative access to my machine!

Answer 6

Yeah - find a new job. Speaking as one of the IT guys who does this, there's a reason for it. Users like you are a security threat. Users like you are why my boss and I once spent two weeks during the holidays cleaning up the mess caused by someone circumventing our security and spreading a virus that led to multiple compromises. We're still bitter that we weren't allowed to be there when the user was fired, but it's comforting to know that nobody will hire him because he's pulled a stunt like this.

We lock down computers for a reason. If you don't like it, quit your job and buy your own computer.

Answer 7

if the program is totally self contained, it's possible from a CD or flash drive, etc. You're just not allowed to install programs,

Answer 8

Not that I know of. I'm locked in (and out) at the office, also. Everything requires administrative permission and I don't have it -- obviously you don't either.