Punkbuster "Inadequate O/S Privilages" FIXED!!

[Thunderbolt1003]

Finally, there is a complete fix for this wretched error, if you havn't been infected by that VX2 virus.

If you have not checked for the VX2 virus or have not modified the key security settings that Punkbuster requires (Windows 2000 and XP Professional only), click this link:
http://www.evenbalance.com/index.ph...=faq-bf1942.php
and scroll down to the problem, and if that fails or you have Windows XP Home edition, reread this article.

For those of you who have done this or have Windows XP Home Edition and scanned for the VX2 virus continue on:
Boot up Windows as per usual, but before executing the game, make sure Punkbuster is updated, via pbweb.exe (found at www.evenbalance.com for the newbies, place it into C:\Program Files\EA GAMES\Battlefield 1942\pb) then run it.

Traverse up a folder and right click on "bf1942.exe" and click create shortcut, if there is no shortcut on your desktop, then drag the shortcut out onto your desktop.

To be able to play on PB enabled servers you must do this "ritual" every time.
Right click on the shortcut, click on "RUN AS".
Click on the second radio button which enables the username and password dialog.

Select ADMINISTRATOR and not an account with administrator rights (Yes there are differences) and type in the password. Note if your administrator password is blank, you cannot continue until you set it.
Windows XP Pro and 2000 users can simply head to User Accounts in Control Panel, or the Microsoft Management Console. Windows XP Home users must reboot in Safe Mode (Hit F8 repeatedly before the XP loading screen shows, then use the arrow keys to select Safe mode).
Login under the newly discovered Administrator account, set a password, reboot and perform the ritual once more.

After you have entered your password and hit OK, you should now be able to play on PB enabled servers like there was nothing wrong.
You must perform the ritual every time to play on PB enabled servers.

Why does the internal administrator account work and accounts with administrative rights not?
By right, All accounts labeled as an administrator should be the same. This is not the case.
Think of it as a Police Sargeant and a Constable. Theyre both considered police officers, and they both carry the same badges, but the Sargeant has more power over the constable.
This is the same with the Windows XP internal administrator account and accounts with administrative rights. The internal account will always have complete and unrestricted access, but the accounts with administrative rights will always have a restriction here and there.
Not allowing Punkbuster into certain areas is one of them.

For once, Punkbuster and Even Balance are not to blame, it's Microsoft's lack of documentation on this matter.
I bolded the Windows XP Home texts, to show that this procedure can be done with that version of the operating system, despite it's security strip-downs Microsoft put in-place.


P.S. If someone could make this a sticky, I would really appreciate it.

Justin "Thunderbolt" Savidge
Wow, all this from a 16 year old!