What is the Standard User Analyzer?

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Applies To: Windows 7, Windows Vista

The Standard User Analyzer (SUA) enables you to test your applications and to monitor API calls to detect potential compatibility issues due to the User Account Control (UAC) feature.

UAC, formerly known as Limited User Account (LUA), requires that all users (including members of the Administrator group) run as Standard Users, until the application is deliberately elevated, by using the security prompt dialog box. However, not all applications can run properly with the Standard User role, due to the application requiring access and privileges for locations that are unavailable to a Standard User. SUA provides specific information about potentially problematic files, registry keys, INI files, tokens, privileges, name space, processes, and other issues.

There are two ways to use the Standard User Analyzer:

  • Standard User Analyzer Tool. A robust, full-function version of the tool that enables you to perform an in-depth analysis and to fix your issue.

  • Standard User Analyzer Wizard. A wizard that enables you to follow a step-by-step process to locate and fix your issues, without the analysis options.

Common Scenarios

The Windows Vista operating system strengthened the rules regarding user access, forcing all users (including members of the Administrator group) to run as Standard Users, until the application is deliberately elevated, by using the security prompt dialog box. The following section provides information about the most common scenarios.

Both of the SUA tools enable an IT professional to review the installed applications in his or her organization, for potential issues related to UAC and the Standard User role. Additionally, an IT professional has the ability to fix the located issues and then to create an MSI file for the fix, which can be applied throughout the organization, or can be added to an existing list of MSI files that can be applied, by using the Compatibility Administrator as a global, customized database.

Both of the SUA tools enable an Independent Software Vendor (ISV) to locate potential UAC-related issues in his or her software as it runs on the newest version of the Windows® operating system. However, we recommend using the SUA tool instead of the SUA Wizard because of its ability to analyze your data. With the SUA tool, a software developer can locate and review many of the specific details related to the UAC issue. For example, he or she can review the stack trace information to determine where in the code the problem occurs, and then fix the issue before the software is even released to the public. Additionally, the software vendor can apply any of the already created fixes on behalf of the end user, again, before the end user experiences any issues.

The following section provides information about the technologies that are related to both of the SUA tools.

Compatibility Administrator

The Compatibility Administrator enables you to create and to deploy global, customized databases for use by your entire organization, based on your SUA application mitigation packages.

SUA Dependencies

The SUA tools require the following tools and components to be installed to function properly.

Application Verifier

The Application Verifier (AppVerifier.exe) tool is a collection of tests that runs in SUA user interface (UI). The Application Verifier helps identify potential application compatibility, stability, and security issues, by monitoring an application's use of the operating system, which includes the file system, the registry, the installed memory, and the called APIs.

.NET Framework 3.5 or Newer

The .NET Framework is the managed code programming model that is used by SUA for secure, seamless communication. When you download the .NET Framework 3.5, it will install the .NET Framework runtime and its associated files.

See Also

Concepts

Standard User Analyzer Technical Reference
Standard User Analyzer