> The main reason is to manage rights, to protect the operating system (most
> malwares have limited impact when running in non admin). Managing rights 
> is to
> ensure that a user will not do something dangerous such as installing a
> spyware-based program in a corporate environment and transform a single 
> computer
> in a spam server.

Indeed, which is why it seems absurd that a program installer should use 
special means (which are apparently not fully supported by the OS 
manufacturer) to try and install anyway even without these rights.

> In a home computer, most users are admin by default, and if not, they can 
> be
> admin when they need. So, if a user wants to install POVRay at home, he 
> doesn't
> need to ask the admin "hey, can I install POVRay", he can run the software 
> as
> admin.

Actually I found on my Vista and Win7 boxes that usually when a program 
wants to do something like install or update itself, a box pops up asking me 
to give Admin rights for this operation.

> Okay, you win. I will manage to create a portable POVRay, i am downloading 
> the
> source code now... For sure, if I have enough time and this works, I'll 
> share
> the trick here (or not if the POVRay team releases a portable version 
> before
> me!).

I don't really know what you mean here.  My idea is that POV installs just 
like any other program, which requires Admin rights to install in the usual 
place "Program Files".  Why the big effort and hacky workarounds to allow 
POV to be installed without Admin rights into some bizarre location?

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