Is there a way?

jcoutts

jcoutts

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Justin
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Hi,

No novice to I.T but wondered if there was any experts out there in the know regarding the latest technology. My company has heavy restrictions and group policies in place (XP) to stop us installing software on our PCs :shake: which I sort of understand.

Anyway, I don't want to crack anything (I could probably do that anyway :lol:) - but is there a way I could run an application from a USB Flash Drive. :thinking:

What exactly would I need? If its possible. I'd like to put Dreamweaver or Say Photoshop on a portable device and run it from that so I can do some little messing about when things are down/low at work.

Can this be done? Has anyone tried and been successful? :shrug:


Thanks
 
jcoutts said:
Can this be done? Has anyone tried and been successful? :shrug:


Thanks
Click to expand...

Yes, there are several virtualisation vendors around that enable you to do this, although I don't know of one that's available as a single user license..

However, you're still going to run into licensing issues with the app itself, as the likes of Photoshop are only licensed per device (so you'd have to license it for that laptop) and not per user.
 
jcoutts said:
Hi,

No novice to I.T but wondered if there was any experts out there in the know regarding the latest technology. My company has heavy restrictions and group policies in place (XP) to stop us installing software on our PCs :shake: which I sort of understand.

Anyway, I don't want to crack anything (I could probably do that anyway :lol:) - but is there a way I could run an application from a USB Flash Drive. :thinking:

What exactly would I need? If its possible. I'd like to put Dreamweaver or Say Photoshop on a portable device and run it from that so I can do some little messing about when things are down/low at work.

Can this be done? Has anyone tried and been successful? :shrug:


Thanks
Click to expand...

I would urge caution here, if your company has these restrictions and policies in place they are there for a reason particularly with regard to introducing external media devices which is one of the main areas responsible for data breaches and/or introduction of inappropriate content which could cause damage. That is the reason many organisations actually disable the USB ports on internal computing equipment and those that don't often have monitoring tools in place to detect such behaviour.

By knowingly breaching the policies you could end up facing a disciplinary hearing or worse.
 
Hi Hacker,

Thanks for your concern, and yes you are right there may be some risk. However, I am assuming that this would be safer e.g. running directly form the jump drive (So long as the drive is virus scanned) and the PC has very comprehensive Virus protection anyway.

FYI I am in the data exchange business and so I am able to use many applications, software and devices in my business - The USB drives are live ;)

There just isn't a "Business Case" for the use of Photoshop or Dreamweaver in my current position. I'm sure if I use carefully at lunchtimes etc. it should be fine.
 
A U3 flash drive runs apps direct from the drive - Sandisk make them - can't comment on whether PS will run from one though...
 
Two of the main options for running software from pen drives (not counting U3 that comes preinstalled on some drives) are PortableApps and Liberkey they both have hundred's of free applications including The Gimp an image editor similar-ish to Photoshop
 
Hacker said:
I would urge caution here, if your company has these restrictions and policies in place they are there for a reason particularly with regard to introducing external media devices which is one of the main areas responsible for data breaches and/or introduction of inappropriate content which could cause damage. That is the reason many organisations actually disable the USB ports on internal computing equipment and those that don't often have monitoring tools in place to detect such behaviour.

By knowingly breaching the policies you could end up facing a disciplinary hearing or worse.
Click to expand...

indeed. i have put some rules such as this into our corporate network which are enforced via the HR dept..
 
Two of the main options for running software from pen drives (not counting U3 that comes preinstalled on some drives) are PortableApps and Liberkey they both have hundred's of free applications including The Gimp an image editor similar-ish to Photoshop
Click to expand...

Thanks Rudders i'll check them out - Gimp maybe an option just to play around with some stuff at work. Sounds good. Hadn't heard of them. The name suggest they might be for Ipod/Apple or is it O2 app thingymebobs :thinking:

Anyway will check it out - :thumbs:
 
I'm what could be described as an IT professional:geek:. Our network runs with many restrictions including the disabling / monitoring of USB ports. If you were caught running an app. on one of our PC's - even without installing it, you'd be sacked. No if's or but's.:thumbsdown:

The only IT safe way of doing it would be to take in your own netbook (if you're really not that busy). But if you were caught in our organisation doing anything similar in company time - you'd be sacked for that too.:thumbsdown:

I appreciate that not every employer is quite so vigilant. But if you put yourself in the position of a tribunal panel member. Could you see a defence for someone doing this at work?:rules:
 
I wouldn't risk it, a young IT lad (just started) was sacked from my brothers work place for plugging a usb device into a company pc.
 
Justin,
You are on a very slippery slope to getting sacked very rapidly, and, in this day and age that is not a good thing.
I am an IT manager and if you were found even attempting this you would be escorted out of the building by security, your desk would be cleared of your personal stuff and delivered to you sobbing on the pavement outside.
You may see us in a tribunal, if you were lucky, but you would probably lose and blow any chance of getting a reference.
Don't even think about risking it and lets hope that none of the 'hierarchy' in your company are members of this forum and are reading all this.
 
all this talk about getting sacked is a little excessive. try talking to the IT department at work (some are human) they might be able to help you rather than you trying to get around what they are actually doing.

I work at various companies with very different levels of security from places like national probation service down to small maintanence companies and and retailers and tbh i never found any that wouldnt give better advice then dont do it, ask you might be suprised (although personally i would be worried if work so slack i got time to go on photoshop etc how long until redundancy might appear).
 
Or install logmein on your home pc and then just use the logmein website to connect and operate your home pc from work. Its fairly slow to redraw but would avoid you installing or having to license anything seperately on your work pc. And you only need the free version.
 
You can get around group policy which is how your company will apply policies but will this not be against your companies IT usage policy.

I know where I work any group policies I apply to machines or restrictions which are put in place that are circumvented result in a visit from HR and depending on the nature of incident sometimes sacking.
 
martyncoup said:
You can get around group policy which is how your company will apply policies but will this not be against your companies IT usage policy.

I know where I work any group policies I apply to machines or restrictions which are put in place that are circumvented result in a visit from HR and depending on the nature of incident sometimes sacking.
Click to expand...

itll also depend on what level of logon you have on the local machine.
 
Yeah spot on Neil, but you can see the name of the policies applied on your machine to see if anything would restrict it. You can use the gpresult.exe tool from the command line to output the policies which are applied on a Computer and User level.

You can also try gpedit.msc and secpol.msc to open the Group Policy Editor and the Security Policy Editor (XP Pro and above). Although any systems admin who's locking stuff down properly will lock out these tools to standard users.
 
martyncoup said:
Yeah spot on Neil, but you can see the name of the policies applied on your machine to see if anything would restrict it. You can use the gpresult.exe tool from the command line to output the policies which are applied on a Computer and User level.

You can also try gpedit.msc and secpol.msc to open the Group Policy Editor and the Security Policy Editor (XP Pro and above). Although any systems admin who's locking stuff down properly will lock out these tools to standard users.
Click to expand...

gpresult will only give you the name of the group policy that has been applied though, it wont give you any specific details on what the policy does and does not allow.

any sensible admin would lock out the policy tools. any sensible user would not even try to use them, if i found that somehow a user was circumventing group policies i would not fail to report it..
 
neil_g said:
gpresult will only give you the name of the group policy that has been applied though, it wont give you any specific details on what the policy does and does not allow.
Click to expand...

Yes it does, gpresult.exe /v is verbose mode, this shows you what settings are defined and what properties are set.
 
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