Annoying launcher issues

[gregorovitch]

Annoying launcher issues

Just built a new PC and put Windows 7 on it - not really familiar with it (XP for years) - and installed Witcher 2 for first time.

The launcher causes an unknown publisher warning to pop up which I understand is something to do with UAC. How can I tell windows Witcher 2 launcher is a trusted program? I don't really want to turn this feature off since it looks useful safety feature at first sight.

Past that the launcher is nagging me with a popup about a Chinese version of patch 3.2, presumably i do not want to install this, so how can I stop it prompting me for it?

 

[GuyNwah]

If you get an unknown publisher warning, it's because you're trying to run the Launcher as Administrator. You should not have to do this. You should run it without invoking "Run as administrator". I would not defeat it, because this is exactly what UAC is meant to warn you about.

The "Chinese patch" is a standard patch for the game. The only known ways to get rid of the nag prompt are: Download and install it: it's small and doesn't affect anybody who doesn't use the Chinese localization; or don't use the launcher, but start the game direct from the Witcher 2 executable.

 

[slicedice8]

1- Open User Accounts by clicking the Start button Picture of the Start button, clicking Control Panel, clicking User Accounts and Family Safety (or clicking User Accounts, if you are connected to a network domain), and then clicking User Accounts.

2- Click Turn User Account Control on or off. Administrator permission required If you are prompted for an administrator password or confirmation, type the password or provide confirmation.

3- Select the Use User Account Control (UAC) to help protect your computer check box to turn on UAC, or clear the check box to turn off UAC, and then click OK.

 

[GuyNwah]

If you want to tell Windows that a program should be trusted, you have to go through a "code signing" ritual. Normally the developer is responsible for doing this. But there is no reason to sign the Launcher, because it does not use any administrative privileges and does not need to be run as administrator.

Defeating UAC is a good way to get hit by malware, because this is your clearest warning that a program that should not need administrative rights is trying to use them. No matter how inconvenient it is, I cannot in good conscience recommend disabling it or working around it.

 

[gregorovitch]

Thanks all, yes I am running as administrator. I created a new account and tried that and yes, I no longer get the UAC message when I start the launcher. However when launcher prompts for the patch I do get a UAC prompt to confirm running the patch .exe with admin password. I have Comodo installed and it also requests confirmation when a new program is installed or existing one changed.

I can see the value of this in that you (i.e. somebody other than me) can't install programs without administrator's (i.e. my) express permission.

What I can't see is the value of using a separate account for normal running - if Windows will constantly ask me to confirm program installation and updates with admin password popup. That would be more of a nuisance than this single launcher issue which can be got round by running the /bin .exe directly.

 

[GuyNwah]

The only time you should ever get the UAC popup from the Launcher is when you are actually installing something.

This is called "privilege escalation". It is standard and proper behavior for well-written programs, though it is irritating to ordinary users who don't make it their profession to think about these things.

The principle is, a program may or may not have to make use of administrator privileges. If it doesn't use these privileges when it's invoked (like when you start the Launcher, but there is nothing to install), then any user should be able to run it, and it should keep quiet about the privileges it doesn't need. But when (and only when) it does need these privileges, it should ask for them in a way that the operating system deems secure. And it should not conceal from the user that this is happening.

Windows gives a program three ways of getting administrator privileges:

* Code signing. A program that is signed by a trusted developer is granted any privileges that the developer indicates it's allowed to ask for. Security-conscious developers purchase certificates that allow them to sign code and allow the operating system to determine whether both the developer and the issuer of the certificate are trusted. Many developers do not go to this additional expense and effort, because Microsoft screws them over by forcing the UAC to prompt anyway when the program is not one of Microsoft's own.

* Runtime escalation. A program that is written in accordance with Windows best practices will ask for privileges when it needs them (for example, because it wants to install something to Program Files or wants to modify the Registry). When the program requests escalation, and it's not granted in advance because of code signing, the operating system puts up one of those irritating prompts.

* Run as administrator. A program that can't ask for privileges, which includes a lot of legacy programs from XP and earlier, as well as the Command Prompt, has to be started with administrator privileges. That's what "Run as administrator" is for.

 

[Licaon_Kter]

leave UAC on, best security practice, please

start witcher2.exe directly, the launcher is useless

get the tweaker for graphics: http://witcher.nexusmods.com/mods/181 ( running the Configurator afterwards will mess your config, warned you! )

 

[crgurganus]

leave UAC on, best security practice, please

start witcher2.exe directly, the launcher is useless

get the tweaker for graphics: http://witcher.nexusmods.com/mods/181 ( running the Configurator afterwards will mess your config, warned you! )

Well, I cannot turn UAC on or off in Windows 8 because there is no option or check box for that. Still can't get buy that built in stopper for Ehanced Witcher. Thanks for any help to by-pass this block.