How can I install TC w/o Administrator rights?

[MVV]

Are you saying, MVV, that we as users can 'set execution level to "asInvoker"' or are you advising Christian to make a change in the setup?
Even if the latter, is there a simple way we simple users can alter the config?

This was a suggestion for Christian. If application may be easilly installed and used w/o admin rights, I don't see any reason to require them.
This option is in manifest of application install.exe. If manifest is embedded into resources, you need resource editor to change it, so I don't think this way is simpler than manual unpacking.

I'm assuming that what we're looking at is a Standard User running the extracted Install, with those rights, and installing/writing into \Program Files\TC.. - and then being able to run TC unelevated within that user's 'domain'. Correct?
(BTW, can I install in both TC and in TC75 different 'levels' of TC? Maybe just running a shortcut 'As Admin' would do. I could try it, but you might know immediately.)

If you start installation w/o admin rights and your Program Files need admin rights to write, you can't install into Program Files, but you may install into any other folder (or run install as admin).
You can't install admin and user versions - system starts all processes with access level of upper process. You may start any TC as user and as admin using context menu item Run as Admin. BTW, in Vista/7 you may set flag in properties to start always as admin, and OS will ask you for elevation (or for login/password). Also you may use my little tool Sudo.exe for starting TC as admin from separate lnk file.

[ghisler(Author)]

If execution level is set to highestAvailable, it will always ask for elevation if user have UAC-protected admin account.

Yes, that's intentional! highestAvailable means that UAC will be used if the user doesn't have to enter an admin password, which he may not know.

[MVV]

If execution level is set to highestAvailable, it will always ask for elevation if user have UAC-protected admin account.

Yes, that's intentional! highestAvailable means that UAC will be used if the user doesn't have to enter an admin password, which he may not know.

Since Vista/7 I respect programs and installers that do not require admin rights or UAC, especially if I know that this program should not require that. If I need to start program elevated, I'll start it elevated. But UAC learns us to do not use elevation until we really need it - e.g. for setting up registry entries in HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE key. So,

But the most reasonable variant is to start installation w/o admin rights and to start elevated child process only if user wants to install TC for all users (e.g. to start elevated install.exe with some parameters like install path and INI settings) in order to set registry values and links.

Of course, you may disagree with my view point.

[Phred]

I'm interested to see what you chaps reveal in your conversation about which UAC levels to set - but in the meantime, I seem to be having trouble doing the Standard/Limited User unzipped Install.

As a StdU using WinExplorer I unzipped the contents of the exe as Christian described, then tried to run Install.exe. From Public/Downloads. Not unexpectedly, the installer refused to create a new folder, say, \Program Files\TC. I have an image here saying
"Cannot create directory!
Please set a different location."
The window is entitled "C:\Program Files\TC".
I've tried this on a couple of machines here. Same thing.
(BTW, the dialog/tool to choose a directory doesn't have a 'New Folder' function.)

I wouldn't have thought that a StdU could write to/create a directory that normally runs in an elevated process. Am I doing something wrong?

[Balderstrom]

Yes, the point is that you can't install to %ProgramFiles% unless the process is elevated.
You can install to C:\TotalCMD, C:\TC or D:\TC etc...

[MVV]

As a StdU using WinExplorer I unzipped the contents of the exe as Christian described, then tried to run Install.exe. From Public/Downloads. Not unexpectedly, the installer refused to create a new folder, say, \Program Files\TC. I have an image here saying
"Cannot create directory!
Please set a different location."

I wouldn't have thought that a StdU couldn't write to/create a directory that normally runs in an elevated process. Am I doing something wrong?

Of course. Your Program Files folder have read-only access rights for user and full access rights for admin (e.g. elevated user). If you run installer w/o elevation, you can't write to write-protected folder anyway.

[Phred]

You can install TC without admin rights like this:
1. Rename tcmd750a.exe to tcmd750a.zip
2. Unpack it to some empty folder
3. Run install.exe

[.snip.] However, you can install only to locations where you have write rights, [.snip.]

Ah, so what Christian said was quite correct, but subtle. I missed the full meaning in his sentence following the description of a user-install. [above]

It puts a totally new complexion on the program-install paradigm.
It seems to be saying that that the only way that a 'Simple User' can install TC is to install the program in somewhere completely innocous and unexpected - like C:\Users\Username\Documents\TC.
'..\Documents'!
And then you point a shortcut to the new location and attach a hotkey, say.

But does it have to be this way?
Doesn't it break the good organisation of our computers, of our directory structure, to jury-rig the installation of a *program* in a user-writable location?
It's perfectly reasonable for a file manager to work within the limitations of a 'user domain', in the way Windows Explorer works when Windows first appears.

Is there a way for a user to install under Program Files and then run it without elevation? I did post earlier that I succeeded. I'll have to check.

[MVV]

Phred, you don't need elevation to start program from Program Files folder. But you need elevation to change this folder because user have read-only access to it.
BTW, user w/o elevation may install TC into any folder except Windows, Program Files and some others. E.g. onto non-system partition (D:\TOTALCMD, E:\TOTALCMD etc). Also into any subfolder of C:\Users\Username - not only under Documents.