but normal, day to day, tasks should never be run with full privs.

Good point.

I guess it's a difference of opinion as to what you consider a day-to-day task and what Microsoft considers a day-to-day task. To you, installing Emplode is a day-to-day task. To Microsoft, software installation is an admin task, which is why the third-party installer bombs if you're not an admin.

InstallShield should be better about failing gracefully in that instance, I agree.

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Tony Fabris