This article explains what administrator rights (also called admin rights) are. The article provides the following information:

• Lists part of the main responsibilities of an administrator 
• Suggests best practices
• Explains how to request administrator rights in the unlikely event you need admin rights on a university-owned computer

Administrator rights are also called "admin rights". You will find both definitions across the article.

Please note: throughout 2024-25, iSolutions will be gradually installing an Endpoint Privilege Manager across workstations and university devices. This important security enhancement means iSolutions can give staff any additional permissions they need on their device in a more secure way than current local administrator rights allow. The system we have chosen is called Admin By Request (sometimes abbreviated to “AbR”). To know more about Admin by Request, please visit the SharePoint website "Admin by Request".

Overview of Administrator Rights

An administrator (or “admin”) is someone who can make changes on a local computer. Changes can be related to the account or to other elements, such as installing software, hardware, and accessing all files on the computer.

To log on as an administrator, you need to:

1. Request and grant an Administrator account type.
2. Grant administrator rights on your computer

Even if you have administrator rights, there might be specific permissions or levels of access you are not allowed to modify.

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How to request admin rights

If you are using a new university-owned laptop, you can request admin rights by using the Software Center icon on the desktop:

1. Once it opens, search for 'Admin rights' in the top right corner:

2. Select the icon Request Local Admin Rights

Please note: This icon is not available on devices which have specific regulatory requirements (for example: Cyber Essentials, ISO 27001)

3. Select Install:

4. You can close that screen at the end of the process.

During the process, Admin by Request will be automatically installed on your computer. Admin by Request is the University's chosen Cyber Security solution for securely managing the use of admin rights.

During the installation, Admin by Request will open a new window showing the support site for the application Admin by Request:

It contains useful "how to" videos and frequently asked questions (FAQs).

If you cannot find the option above, fill out the Admin Rights Request.

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Main responsibilities

As an Administrator, you will be responsible for some aspects of administration that involve University policy. Be aware that a policy failure could result in disciplinary action or prosecution. 

Actions to avoid

We ask you to abide by the following points and others that may be pointed out to you in the future:

• Do not take your University computer off the soton.ac.uk domain under no circumstances should you. By taking the computer off the domain, the software will uninstall and your PC will effectively be rendered useless.
• Do not try to rename your computer.
• Do not turn off the Windows firewall, or make adjustments to it that may compromise its effectiveness. If you require changes to the firewall, please contact ServiceLine.
• Antivirus:
  • Do not attempt to remove the University antivirus software. 
  • Do not install other anti-virus or anti-malware products. These are not necessary to protect your PC and may breach their licensing.

The list above is by no means exhaustive.

What happens when you take a computer off a domain

It means removing it from a network managed by a domain controller. In a domain environment (like in businesses or organizations), computers are centrally managed, and users log in using domain accounts.

When a computer is removed from the domain:

• It no longer authenticates with the domain controller
• Domain user accounts will no longer work on that computer
• Group policies and IT-enforced settings may no longer apply
• The computer might lose access to shared network resources (e.g., printers, shared drives)

After removal, the computer is typically set to a workgroup instead, meaning it operates independently or in a small peer-to-peer network.

What happens when a computer is compromised

If the University-owned computer is compromised as a result of administrative effort on your part, iSolutions will need to reset and rebuild it. Any data that is not part of the computer build or in University-supported folders will be lost.

 

How to download software from the university Software Center

Windows users can download software from the Software Center. You can access it by using the Software Center icon on your desktop or from the Start menu.

Apple users can download software from the University of Southampton Software Download Service.

Open our Software portfolio to see the full list of software available. If you need to purchase a licence for software please contact ServiceLine.

 

Unlicensed or peer-to-peer sharing software

• Do not install software where the licensing cannot be reconciled. It is illegal for unlicensed software to be installed on University computers, with possible prosecution and a fine or sentence as the end result. 
• Do not install bit-torrent file or other peer-to-peer sharing software. The University is not allowed to store illegal content on its system or to share it. If you are in any doubt, please contact Serviceline.

 

Freeware software

If you decide to install freeware or other software that does not require a licence, please make sure that you understand the licensing and that it is actually free.

Be aware that:

• Installing illegal software in error is still an offence. 
• Software of this type may be poorly written or contain malicious code (such as virus, for example) which may affect your PC, and you undertake the responsibility for this if you proceed to install. 
• iSolutions reserves the right to remove software if it is found to be interfering with the running of the computer.

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Best practices 

• Keep the software up to date. If you do add software that is not found in the Software Center or the University of Southampton Software Download Service portfolio, you must take responsibility for keeping it up-to-date and security-patched.
• Please do not create local user accounts. These are not necessary and may put your PC at risk.
• Please do not create file shares on your PC – use your mapped drives instead to share content with others. If you have requirements that are not met by this, please contact ServiceLine.

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Getting IT help

If you need help, please contact ServiceLine or visit one of our Tech Hubs.

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