Powertoys: Installer requires admin privileges

[winstonhenke]

Environment

Windows build number: Microsoft Windows [Version 10.0.18362.720]
PowerToys version: PowerToysSetup-0.16.1-x64.msi

Steps to reproduce

Run installer (either double clicking the .msi or from a _non elevated_ cmd prompt)
Accept all defaults
Click yes/allow on the User Account Control popup
See error in screen shot and attached log file

Run installer from the cmd prompt _with_ elevated privileges
Accept all defaults
Click yes/allow on the User Account Control popup
Installation works correctly
See attached log file

Expected behavior

Ability to install without running as admin

• I have admin privileges on my personal PC but not my work PC

Actual behavior

Can't install without running as admin

Logs

Log from running without admin privileges
PowerToysInstall-NotAdmin.log

Log from running with admin privileges
PowerToysInstall-Admin.log

Screenshots

[crutkas]

@enricogior is this something the migration from machine wise would fix?

[enricogior]

The error reported by @winstonhenke is caused by the fact that the MSI is currently broken because it tries to install some stuff per machine (requiring elevation) and some stuff per user.
If we fix it and make all per machine, it will still require elevation.
Moving from per machine to per user will allow a user to install PT without admin privileges.

[winstonhenke]

I think even a warning in the dialog could help. I spent some time just figuring out this was the issue so something that detects this and says something like "Installer must be ran as admin"
Not sure if if the documentation already says this, I might have missed that if it is.

[crutkas]

@winstonhenke, think we just realized this. We're migrating stuff to be "per user".

[crutkas]

@enricogior do we have a tracking issue for per user migration? will it hit 0.18 or .17?

[enricogior]

Migration to per user installation is on hold because it introduces a security vulnerability.

[victoraraujo01]

Any update on this issue? I hope these security vulnerabilities can be addressed soon, I would love to be able to use PowerToys in my work PC.

[enricogior]

@victoraraujo01
it's not a trivial fix and it's not just in PowerToys, it requires a fix in Windows too.

[enricogior]

Closing this in favor of https://github.com/microsoft/PowerToys/issues/411