Insufficient Permissions to run MLS

Discussions around using and interfacing with the Church MLS program.
lajackson
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Insufficient Permissions to run MLS

#1

Post by lajackson »

After the Windows 10 updates that loaded when the computer was started Sunday, a branch no longer has sufficient permissions to run MLS. They can right click and run as administrator, but as the lowly Unit ###### they no longer have sufficient permissions. Everything was fine a week ago.

One of the two Windows updates failed. Any suggestions?
russellhltn
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Re: Insufficient Permissions to run MLS

#2

Post by russellhltn »

You might try getting the other update to install.

The only thing I'd think you need admin rights for is to to install MLS patches. I suppose you could try the old "install over top" of the latest MLS.
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lajackson
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Re: Insufficient Permissions to run MLS

#3

Post by lajackson »

russellhltn wrote:You might try getting the other update to install.
One of the two Windows updates was thoroughly derided on the Internet. Perhaps I should uninstall it? But I suppose it would just come back. The one that failed was an even earlier one.

And apparently you need more permissions than I now have to even start MLS. I wonder where that change originated.
lajackson
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Re: Insufficient Permissions to run MLS

#4

Post by lajackson »

GSC to the rescue. The last Windows 10 security update broke a lot of things. The workaround for now is to right click on the MLS icon and run as administrator. This doesn't make sense, because the Unit is already an admin, but it works. (They had additional instructions of it did not work, but I never got there.

The alternative is to reimage the computer. I am a little averse to that, because this computer has only been in place a few months and I am sick and tired of reimaging it. I do not know for certain, but I also suspect that as soon as the box was reimaged, the update would come down again and break it again.

Bonus points if you are still reading: backing out of the KB update does not solve the problem. Whatever it broke does not get fixed when you uninstall the update.

Finally, there was some discussion about a year and a half ago about a glitch in the LDS Provisioning program that changed permission settings on a few of the MLS files. Changing permissions back to full control does not solve this problem. Something else deeper inside of Windows has changed.

Two more points. The Windows update turned on the requirement to change passwords every 42 days. I turned it back off. And the Church IT folks have been scrambling since the update to fix it, with bunches of calls going into the GSC asking for help.

Add another nickel to my retirement fund.
russellhltn
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Re: Insufficient Permissions to run MLS

#5

Post by russellhltn »

lajackson wrote:The workaround for now is to right click on the MLS icon and run as administrator. This doesn't make sense, because the Unit is already an admin, but it works.
Yes, and no. Even if you're an administrator, there's a number of functions that require you to "run as Administrator". (Unless you turn off UAC.) The question is: what's triggering that? MLS is supposed to be writing all it's files to C:\ProgramData, which doesn't require any special rights. If it's tampering with the files in C:\Program Files, C:\Program Files (x86), Windows or someplace like that, then that could explain the prompt. If I get that complaint about a machine in my stake, I'd probably run a trace to see what it's messing with.

As a thought, I'm wondering if Microsoft is depreciating the version of Java that MLS runs on. I haven't look in quite awhile to see what it's running.

lajackson wrote:The Windows update turned on the requirement to change passwords every 42 days.
The two small Levono machines we got a couple of years ago had that setting as part of their image. I doubt if it's Microsoft turning it on. I'd be far more suspicious of the church's configuration somewhere. But since the machines get their updates from the church servers (as opposed to getting it from Microsoft directly), it's possible that configuration came with the updates.
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wlewis
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Re: Insufficient Permissions to run MLS

#6

Post by wlewis »

As of 9/15/2020 is this still the case?
russellhltn
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Re: Insufficient Permissions to run MLS

#7

Post by russellhltn »

wlewis wrote:As of 9/15/2020 is this still the case?
This thread is about a very specific problem that I'm sure was resolved.

However, it's still true that MLS users should be using an account that is an Administrator. Also, the rights on the data area have to be set such that the user has access to it without having to be an Administrator.
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lajackson
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Re: Insufficient Permissions to run MLS

#8

Post by lajackson »

russellhltn wrote:This thread is about a very specific problem that I'm sure was resolved.
Nope. It just has not had a very high priority.
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Re: Insufficient Permissions to run MLS

#9

Post by russellhltn »

I stand corrected. It was discussed in a different thread. I'm pretty certain the problem is the user doesn't have access to the data files unless they "show their Admin card". Change the rights to the data files so the user has access outside of being an Admin and the problem will go away.

In many installs, they'll get those rights be being the "Creator Owner". But if MLS was installed under a different user name, then they won't.

The issue is Administrators are not given Admin access unless they do a "Run As Administrator".
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lajackson
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Re: Insufficient Permissions to run MLS

#10

Post by lajackson »

I understand the theory. I do not know exactly which keys to press to make it happen. I thought at first the problem was because two units were using the machine, but both of them have the same problem. Perhaps MLS was installed under a third Admin account?
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