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#15 getting YahooPOPs! to work for any user in Windows 2K/XP

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nobody
None
5
2012-10-09
2003-11-05
BurnDark
No

This is not a fix for the problem, but a workaround which
does what I need it to do. I'm writing most of this from
memory, but it should all work as written:

1) get the newest version of YahooPOPs! and install as
normal (as a member of the administrators group). Be
sure to configure it to start when Windows starts.
2) get this VisualBasic script:
http://www.freewebs.com/burndark/vbrunastemplate.vbs
3) get the Microsoft script encoder at
msdn.microsoft.com and install it. (not necessary but
enhances security)
4) modify the script as desired, save it in the directory
where YahooPOPs! is installed. Run it to be sure it
works.
5) encode the script using the script encoder. Run it to
be sure it works. Delete the original script.(not
necessary but enhances security)
6) With Windows explorer go to where the Startup start
menu folder is stored for the user that installed the
program (usually c:\documents and settings\%user\Start
Menu\Programs\Startup). Move the YahooPOPs! icon to
c:\documents and settings\All Users\Start
Menu\Programs\Startup.
7) Right-click on the icon you just moved and select
properties. On the shortcut tab, change the shortcut to
point to the encoded script.
8) To fix the icon, click on the Change Icon button and
then Browse. Browse to theYahooPOPs! executable.
Select the one of the globe and email.

Now, YahooPOPs! should work for any user.

Discussion

  • BurnDark

    BurnDark - 2004-01-13

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    I have attached the Visual Basic template script.

     
  • BurnDark

    BurnDark - 2004-01-13

    Visual Basic Runas Template

     
  • BurnDark

    BurnDark - 2004-01-15

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    user_id=874857

    I noticed that these instructions cause the YahooPOPs!
    configure dialog to pop up when you log in under the account
    that installed it. To fix this, start up the YahooPOPs!
    configure dialog. Click on miscellaneous.
    Uncheck "Automatically start YahooPOPs! when Windows
    starts." Click OK. Now the dialog should not pop up.

     
  • UnTiTLEdUdE

    UnTiTLEdUdE - 2005-08-28

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    user_id=1336379

    uhm. i dont know much about the visual basic thing so could
    you like just post the script? thanks.

     
  • BurnDark

    BurnDark - 2005-08-28

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    The file is attached to this item. Go to the bottom of the
    page. Click download. Select save, pick a spot to save it,
    and go from there. Once you have it downloaded, browse to
    where you have it, right-click the file and select edit.

     
  • UnTiTLEdUdE

    UnTiTLEdUdE - 2005-08-28

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    user_id=1336379

    ok. i dunno what to put in the put command here part. what
    do i type in?

     
  • UnTiTLEdUdE

    UnTiTLEdUdE - 2005-08-29

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    user_id=1336379

    and i now its outta the topic but how do i add to yahoo
    accounts in tbird? im having problems creating the second
    one. its gonna be on the same winxpaccount.

     
  • BurnDark

    BurnDark - 2005-08-29

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    user_id=874857

    Perhaps I should take this question as an opportunity to
    discuss why the script was needed and what it actually does.

    In earlier versions on YPOPs, the program assumed that the
    user running it had Administrator rights. Therefore, it
    attempted to do things that only members of the
    Administrators group could do. I don't know what exactly it
    did, or what error message was produced, but at any rate the
    result was that you could not run it unless you had
    Administrator rights.

    On my own system I could easily bypass this by giving myself
    Administrator rights. However, this would open up other
    security vulnerabilities. However, there is a command in
    Windows 2K/XP calld the 'runas' command. This allows you to
    run a command as another user. That is, using this command,
    you could have standard user rights and run commands as an
    administrator by providing the proper username and password.
    Anyone familier with Linix/Unix will recognize this as
    rougly equivalent to the SU command on those systems.

    The problem that using runas presents is that it must be run
    every time you want to use that program. That is, you must
    manually type in the username/password each time you run the
    command. You must also select what program you want to use
    runas on.

    However, since runas can be run from the command prompt, it
    is possible to call it from a script. That means that you
    can automate the whole processs. That is in effect what
    this script does. If you look at the script you can see
    where runas is called. The script's functionality is not
    limited to just YPOPs, but can be used to run any program as
    any other user.

    Since the script stores the username/password of a user in
    plain text, it is reccomended that you go through some means
    of hiding this information. That is why setting up the
    script encoder is in the instructions.

    And now for the answer to your questions. You want to put
    in YPOPs.exe for the command, as this is the YPOPs
    executable. The YPOPs site and the Thunderbird
    documentation should tell you how to set up the account. As
    far as I know, setting up a second account should work just
    like the first one.

     

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