idea ArcGIS Administrator should work without admin rights to computer in ArcGIS Pro Ideas

ArcGIS Administrator should work without admin rights to computer

AdrianneBlack — Thu, 23 Aug 2012 20:56:26 GMT

My understanding is that using ArcGIS 10 on Windows 7 requires admin rights in order to be able to change the level of license (ArcView, ArcEditor, ArcMap) in the ArcGIS Administrator or make changes to the registry keys. We need users to be able to change the level of licensing and have many users such that this would require a lot of effort to make changes to the registry keys on each computer. Can ESRI change this so users have access to make this change without admin rights on their computer (company policy does not allow this).

Re: ArcGIS Administrator should work without admin rights to computer

curtvprice — Wed, 05 Sep 2012 20:30:14 GMT

There is a workaround -- you can change the license level using environment variables (concurrent only).

see KB 24633: HowTo: Change the ArcGIS Desktop seat type for Citrix or restricted permissions environments
http://support.esri.com/en/knowledgebase/techarticles/detail/24633

Re: ArcGIS Administrator should work without admin rights to computer

MarkVolz — Thu, 18 Apr 2013 18:15:02 GMT

I cant use the work around that was mentioned. We have stand alone users, who need to switch to concurrent licenses in order to access extensions. The problem is that they are in a different builting a couple miles away, and there is no one with admin rights in that building.

Re: ArcGIS Administrator should work without admin rights to computer

ChuckStelzner — Wed, 28 Aug 2013 16:47:24 GMT

This exact situation has mandated purchasing only ArcInfo/Advanced licenses for shared single-user machines in a computer lab, driving up costs dramatically.

Additionally, having the option to switch license levels inside a user's instance of ArcMap/Catalog/Scene/Globe is completely necessary.

On a multi-user server (with multiple simultaneous users), having the license level only able to be modified by one admin, and that changing the license level for all users at once, is ridiculous.

Re: ArcGIS Administrator should work without admin rights to computer

RobertBorchert — Thu, 01 Dec 2016 16:13:34 GMT

Disagree. There are very very very good reasons why not everyone should have administrator privileges on their work computer. Our IT department did give our GIS department the privilege but we had to do some minor training.

Re: ArcGIS Administrator should work without admin rights to computer

ChuckStelzner — Thu, 01 Dec 2016 16:35:57 GMT

There are very very very good reasons why not everyone should have administrator privileges on their work computer.

Maybe so, but:

There are zero suggestions here that users be given full admin access to their own work computers - the idea is to ensure that non-admin users can switch their ArcGIS license level via ArcGIS Administrator.
Simply using "very" three times is not an argument, and is no substitute for including actual support for the idea that providing admin access is unadvisable. That said, argumentation against admin access is irrelevant, as there's no opposing viewpoint expressed here.

Re: ArcGIS Administrator should work without admin rights to computer

RobertBorchert — Thu, 01 Dec 2016 16:52:14 GMT

Why would you need to change your license level often enough for it to be an issue? I have not changed my license level on my work computer in 15 years. I sometimes remote into a client who only has 3 licenses and I sometimes have to lower mine on their computer.

Very Reason one: If you don't know a reason why people should not be allowed to make registry entry changes on a work computer you should not be messing with it. People can install anything, bring in things to your organization, change settings, delete critical elements etc...

Very Reason two: You could take down your network

Very Reason three: Targeted malware can get into your network via an administrator without them knowing it

Very Reason four: Employees tend to find programs on the internet and install them on a work computer. Often does not hurt anything but often as not it can

Very Reason five: Did I mention Malware. Users tend to click the OK button without comprehending what can happen.

Very Reason six: The user can change settings that IT (the people who really know about networks and computer safety because they live it day to day) has put in place.

Sorry that is six very's as an argument and I will quit at that.

Re: ArcGIS Administrator should work without admin rights to computer

ChuckStelzner — Thu, 01 Dec 2016 17:08:02 GMT

Rationale for changing license level, which I hinted at before: it allows cost savings.

The cost of licensing varies: Advanced > Standard > Basic.
An organization can fill their shared pool of concurrent licenses with some of each type of license (perhaps even more of the cheaper licenses), instead of purchasing all Advanced licenses at increased cost.
Users can then use lower licenses by default and upgrade temporarily to higher licenses as necessary, without unnecessarily monopolizing the higher licenses.

And I'm not proposing any discussion of whether users should have admin access to their work machines - it was never the issue. My pointing out that "very very very" is hardly compelling argumentation was simply a bonus bit of snark.

Re: ArcGIS Administrator should work without admin rights to computer

RebeccaStrauch__GISP — Thu, 01 Dec 2016 17:43:25 GMT

Reason why users in our organization need to have ability to change license levels, and even license manager thru ArcGIS Administrator (one being, as Chuck mention, tied to cost)

about 350 ("non-fulltime" GIS) users sharing about 5 ArcInfo/Advanced, 50 ArcView/Basic and a handful of extensions. Users are advised to only switch to ArcInfo when needing an advanced tools, then switch back. (and to get out of the software unless using it)
We can not afford an ELA license situation
Because of the first bullet, and because "borrowing" licenses is an all or nothing situation (options file doesn't have any ability to help) there is nothing that would prevent all 55 licenses from being borrowed, for whatever time is set to, with no ability by the administrator to pull these licenses back early, and therefore making licensee unavailable for the other ~300 users. Or solution is to have another 6 licenses on a separate license manager with a limited "timeout" for use in the field/offline. Users switch to this other server to borrow/unborrow, then switch back to the other in-house/LAN manager when back in the office.

In our offices, after several requests by a user to have tech support staff make the change as an administrator, typically they are give the admin rights for their machine. We are all "professional staff", in theory anyway, so there does have to be some trust there that the user will not abuse this right (admin right policies have changes back and forth over the years). Typically users are now aware that they shouldn't just click on everything in emails and/or download and install everything they see on the internet.

So, it would be nice if the license level, and license manager, could be modified without computer administration rights. However, my guess is, because this change currently makes a change in the registry (which typically does require admin rights too), this is not a trivial change. But I'm voting it up too (even though this "idea" has been around for a long time).

edit: however, Curtis Price suggestion KB link (first comment) is a workaround, although not necessarily convenient for casual user....but might be a link I add to my internal "Troubleshooting" page. (the KB article seems to only cover thru 10.2.2, and doesn't mention newer, or any OSs).

Re: ArcGIS Administrator should work without admin rights to computer

ChuckStelzner — Thu, 01 Dec 2016 18:00:16 GMT

Exactly, exactly. Buying 55 Advanced licenses would cost much more than 5 Advanced and 50 Basic, simple as that.

Re: ArcGIS Administrator should work without admin rights to computer

RandyKreuziger — Thu, 01 Dec 2016 22:01:30 GMT

I agree 100% with this request but it's already 4 years since the request was added and still no enhancement. Anyway, there is a kluge workaround that I don't have enough still to program. ArcMap and ArcCatalog can be started up in any of the licensing levels by using batch files where a variable named ESRI_SOFTWARE_CLASS is set to Professional or Viewer. But when using the method a user has to navigate to MXDs only after starting up the ArcMap / ArcCatalog.

Does anyone know how to add options to the right button click action in Windows Explorer to show two options for files with a .mxd extension, one for the Advanced and another for Basic? I think that would be useful workaround since ESRI can't or won't do the requested enhancement.

Thanks

Re: ArcGIS Administrator should work without admin rights to computer

ChelseaRozek — Fri, 18 Oct 2019 15:14:33 GMT

I just used this guide to add Open License Switcher (.bat file) from the .mxd context menu: https://www.howtogeek.com/107965/how-to-add-any-application-shortcut-to-windows-explorers-context-menu/ You could make simple bat files for Basic and Advanced with this help article: https://support.esri.com/en/technical-article/000011374

Re: ArcGIS Administrator should work without admin rights to computer

JeremyHayden — Wed, 12 Jan 2022 22:32:38 GMT

@ChelseaRozek

I understand the approach (both), but for those of us with very locked down permissions, we won't be able to edit the registry either? So I'm assuming this won't work? Can you confirm the simple bat file approach involves editing the registry?

Re: ArcGIS Administrator should work without admin rights to computer

LorindaGilbert — Tue, 05 Apr 2022 20:05:04 GMT

I know this is old, but what about when your license manager server changes. Admin rights to change that as well? Come on. There should be a way of changing the license manager without calling out your army of computer specialists that have to log on as admin to update. And don't even get me started on an 'all user' install of ArcPro that requires you to be admin to get the updates.

Re: ArcGIS Administrator should work without admin rights to computer

DarbasDarbas — Mon, 19 Feb 2024 10:50:49 GMT

Any news regarding this topic, because still strugling void this situation without administrative permisions? !!!

Re: ArcGIS Administrator should work without admin rights to computer

JoshuaBixby — Mon, 19 Feb 2024 16:30:26 GMT

@DarbasDarbas, ArcGIS Desktop/ArcMap reaches Mature Support in a couple weeks, and for all intents and purposes development has stopped on it. In short, it isn't going to get addressed for ArcGIS Desktop/ArcMap, and it isn't an issue for ArcGIS Pro.

Re: ArcGIS Administrator should work without admin rights to computer - Status changed to: Closed

ValeriaChavez — Wed, 04 Mar 2026 15:44:48 GMT

Hi @AdrianneBlack

Concurrent Use license type and ArcGIS License Manager were deprecated July 1, 2025. To align with modern licensing standards, ensuring secure, permission-based access and consistent management of GIS content within ArcGIS, the primary method to access ArcGIS Pro moving forward is through an ArcGIS Online or ArcGIS Enterprise user type.

Thank you for taking the time to share your ideas. We truly appreciate your contributions to continuously improving the software to help you do your work and look forward to what ideas you have for ArcGIS Pro.