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Thread: Hardware Installation Issue

  1. #1
    Gonzo District BOFH westin's Avatar
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    Question Hardware Installation Issue

    Came across a weird issue today. We have a computer lab in one of our buildings, that all of a sudden started requiring an admin password for any hardware installations. Scanners, Thumbdrives, etc. Everything was fine yesterday, the students were able to plug in their scanner, and run with it. But, not today. I am wondering if one of the 40 updates MS just pushed out might have something to do with it.

    The systems are running MS XP SP3 [32b]. Manufacturer is Dell.

    Any ideas?
    \"Those of us that had been up all night were in no mood for coffee and donuts, we wanted strong drink.\"

    -HST

  2. #2
    Dissident 4dm1n brokencrow's Avatar
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    Are the PC's on a domain? How many admins do you have onsite? Could any
    of the students set a password? Is it possible someone changed some settings?
    “Everybody is ignorant, only on different subjects.” — Will Rogers

  3. #3
    Gonzo District BOFH westin's Avatar
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    Yes, the PCs are part of a domain. We have three techs with admin logins, but I am the one that deals with Windows and Linux administration. [The other two are Mac boys] -- There is always a possibility that students could gain admin access, but I don't think that is the case here. I still have access to the systems, I don't see where any users have been added, or groups modified. It is just odd that it happened over night. Yesterday, they would plug in a thumb drive, and it would load up just fine. Today they plug in a thumb drive, and it pops up and asks for an admin user to authorize it. I have checked, and the systems are set to ignore driver signing, so I don't think that is the issue. I will be able to explore it a little more during Christmas break. As of now, I don't want to interrupt the class...
    \"Those of us that had been up all night were in no mood for coffee and donuts, we wanted strong drink.\"

    -HST

  4. #4
    Senior Member nihil's Avatar
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    Hmmmm,

    Just checked the Windows XP SP3 on this box.............it is up to date, and I just attached a USB thumb drive with no issues. This is not on a domain, just a home network.

    All I have noticed with Windows 2000, XP Pro, XP Home, Vista Home Premium, and 7 Home Premium is that it will give you the installing new hardware message when it sees something it doesn't recognise from before. I have not seen an administrator authorisation prompt.

    I don't think driver signing is an issue either. All my systems seem to do is find the standard Windows driver for a thumb drive?

    Have group policies changed?

  5. #5
    Gonzo District BOFH westin's Avatar
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    Hi nihil -

    Group policies haven't changed... and after looking at the situation, it isn't quite as bad as the teacher was making it out to be. There are a few systems that require an admin pass for the thumbdrive, but not all of them... and I can kind of understand it for the scanner, as the drivers are not present, but need to be installed. So it is trying to bring up the add hardware wizard. Who would have thought that a user would exaggerate a problem!?!

    Thanks for the tips... I will try to figure out the full scope of the problem over Christmas break.

    I will keep you posted.
    Last edited by westin; December 18th, 2010 at 01:09 AM.
    \"Those of us that had been up all night were in no mood for coffee and donuts, we wanted strong drink.\"

    -HST

  6. #6
    Senior Member nihil's Avatar
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    That sounds a lot more reasonable

    If you have locked down the Hardware Installation Wizard and somebody connects a previously unknown device then what you describe is exactly what I would expect.

    XP does have a driver for most thumb drives, so I would only be suspicious if the same drive worked one day and not the next?


  7. #7
    AOs Resident Troll
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    Is it possible that the machines requesting the passwords have gone are off line and no longer connected to the domain??

    MLF
    How people treat you is their karma- how you react is yours-Wayne Dyer

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