IE, windows media, etc... are 100% user mode programs. None of their code runs in kernel mode with the exception of whatever system calls they make.
My windows login account is non-administrative and I can run IE, windows media, etc... without any problem. In fact I can run just about anything without any problem with the exception of some CD ripping software.
I agree that the account created by the "let's set up your computer" wizard in XP should not be part of the machine admins group -- it's a bad / insecure design. But most people don't know anything about groups, runas, different users, different token privileges etc... so what are you gunna do? But the point I'm trying to make is that just because you run IE, Outlook and Windows Media Player as root doesn't mean they have to be run as root.
I work at MS on the NT kernel. My opinion is admittedly biased.
First off, unless something radically changed in 2k, MS recommends rebooting after performing almost any serious install.
I don't know of a single product install under w2k that asks for a reboot. This was a huge problem in NT4 (change the IP? reboot time). But because of the work that went into 2k any software application that tells you it needs to reboot is simply stupid, lazy or outdated. No MS product asks for a reboot of Win2k on install and no 3rd party products should.
Next even NT is highly volitale. Least we forget the blue-screen-of-death?? My favorite is when this happened at Bill Gates' presentation.
When was the last time you saw a BSOD on your NT machine? NT4 properly configured is very stable. I run whistler (beta) and freebsd-4.2-beta on two machines at home. Freebsd is less stable than Whistler.
The consumer windows versions (9x and ME) are pretty unstable, of course. My personal opinion on this is that MS should have ditched the 9x line and merged in the NT kernel a long time ago. But those of you who bash MS and cry about your OS being unstable should try running NT not 9x. And next time you get a win2k blue screen that is not the fault of some poorly written 3rd party driver you installed, send it to me.
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Check your facts:
IE, windows media, etc... are 100% user mode programs. None of their code runs in kernel mode with the exception of whatever system calls they make.
My windows login account is non-administrative and I can run IE, windows media, etc... without any problem. In fact I can run just about anything without any problem with the exception of some CD ripping software.
I agree that the account created by the "let's set up your computer" wizard in XP should not be part of the machine admins group -- it's a bad / insecure design. But most people don't know anything about groups, runas, different users, different token privileges etc... so what are you gunna do? But the point I'm trying to make is that just because you run IE, Outlook and Windows Media Player as root doesn't mean they have to be run as root.
From the article:
First off, unless something radically changed in 2k, MS recommends rebooting after performing almost any serious install.
I don't know of a single product install under w2k that asks for a reboot. This was a huge problem in NT4 (change the IP? reboot time). But because of the work that went into 2k any software application that tells you it needs to reboot is simply stupid, lazy or outdated. No MS product asks for a reboot of Win2k on install and no 3rd party products should.
Next even NT is highly volitale. Least we forget the blue-screen-of-death?? My favorite is when this happened at Bill Gates' presentation.
When was the last time you saw a BSOD on your NT machine? NT4 properly configured is very stable. I run whistler (beta) and freebsd-4.2-beta on two machines at home. Freebsd is less stable than Whistler.
The consumer windows versions (9x and ME) are pretty unstable, of course. My personal opinion on this is that MS should have ditched the 9x line and merged in the NT kernel a long time ago. But those of you who bash MS and cry about your OS being unstable should try running NT not 9x. And next time you get a win2k blue screen that is not the fault of some poorly written 3rd party driver you installed, send it to me.