Security on a multiuser Windows 7 desktop

Going to be setting up my main system as a computer for everyone to have access to.

So far my luck with standard user accounts has been pitiful, as things like Flash can't be installed from standard user account.

The machine will also be doubling as a file server for laptops/tablets and probably HTPC duties.

My kids play minecraft. So I really want to sandbox them as they get hooked on mods and end up clicking those flashing green "download" buttons instead of clicking the small hyperlink that is the actual download.

The system is a haswell i5 oced to about 4 GHz, 8GB of 2800 MHz RAM, 250GB samsung SSD, 3x3TB storage and I have an extra Samsung 250GB drive I can use for the other users.


If I dual boot and give admin privileges to the second OS they will be able to mess up by 9TB of storage with the click of a button.

If I run limited users, I will constantly be on there converting them to admins to install programs they need. (Because I have had no luck with run as).

I have thought about VMs but generally you cant game on a VM. (The do play some real games like Kotor and NFS)

I have looked into sandbox applications but am not sure which is the right way to go.


Space is going to very limited, so multiple desktops are not an option.

Any tips/suggestions?

Setting up your users as "Standard" is really the best way to go IMHO. Install Flash, Java etc. as the admin and it should work fine for all users. You get to control updates to those programs and it prevents generic users from installing virus or other unwanted programs. Its a pain in the @$& to get up and going when you are used to unfettered access by all users but once you get up and going, it will meet your needs.

So start them off as administrators get them configured and then reduce their privelages?