Autostart doesn`t work.

[didiI7]

Hallo ,
then I set start HDS with Windows (10) in the preferences , it doesn`t work.
I tried a lot but nothing works.

So i create a new task in the taskscheudler to start HDSentinel at windows start. That seems to work for now.

I use W10 and HDS 4.71 at an I7.

Greetings

[hdsentinel]

Sorry for the troubles. Yes, creating manually a new task may help, but usually this should be not required.

I can confirm Hard Disk Sentinel does 100% this, exactly because this works: when the auto-start with Windows option enabled (enabled by default) it creates a new task in task scheduler to configure itself to start when Windows starts and the actual user with admin rights (who installed the software) logs in.

Because of some unknown reasons, this may not work if the computer name and the actual user name is similar. Not sure if this could be the case now.

[RobbyB]

I'm a registered user of HD Sentinel Pro and have a similar problem. I cannot get the application to autostart under a standard users account in Windows 10. I always login as a standard user for best security, and that's how I installed HD Sentinel Pro. I do have an administrator account & password when that's needed.

I have spent the whole day trying everything I can think of, using both the standard user and elevated (Admin) credentials in each case. These include:

Autostart setting in HD Sentinel itself
Shortcut in the Startup folder
Task Scheduler task (all conditions, privileges, triggers; both new and cloning existing tasks)
Batch file "RunAs" with and without elevation
AutoIt script "RunAs" with and without elevation.

I've probably rebooted thirty times today, and am going to give up.

Surely I am not the only person running HD Sentinel as a standard user under Windows 10! I hope you will figure out how to do this and post the info for your customers. Note that I can uninstall the app and re-install it as Administrator (haven't tried that) - but I need it to autostart when I log in as standard user.

Thanks.

[hdsentinel]

Thanks for your message and question.

I'm afraid no, this is not really similar problem, but normal behaviour: to access disk status information, generally administrator user account is required.
As described on the system requirements page, Hard Disk Sentinel Pro requires administrator account in order to run (generally to access a hard disk and its status, perform tests, diagnostics and use disk-specific functions, etc.).
It is not possible to start with standard user rights.

Please check http://www.hdsentinel.com/hard_disk_sen ... quirements
for more information, which shows "System administrator account" required to be started.

There is a workaround, as mentioned there (and on the Support -> Frequently Asked Questions page): to use the software in service mode.

If you install and launch (as administrator) Hard Disk Sentinel, then (after possible configuration, settings, etc.) you can click

Configuration -> Integration -> Use as service

button. This switches the software to run as a service, in the context of the local system account.
It means that it is active even when no user logged in or when a user with limited user rights use the software.
Then (for the actual, standard right user) the software is not visible, runs in the background (and can perform alerts, e-mail notifications, can provide status remotely etc. if configured).

And this user can use Hard Disk Sentinel Tray shortcut in Hard Disk Sentinel program group to display hard disk temperatures, status in tray icons and get detailed status information.
As this user has limited rights, he can't change/modify configuration, can't perform tests - only check the status information.

Please check:
http://www.hdsentinel.com/faq.php#q6
and the Help of the software ( http://www.hdsentinel.com/help/en/330_c ... ation.html )
for more details.

[RobbyB]

Your description of requirements is: "System administrator account (in service mode, it is possible to use without administrator rights and without even user logged in)".

That's misleading because having access to an Administrator account is not enough. What you should say is something like this: "Must be running as Administrator, not Standard User, for the graphical interface to function. In Standard User (running as a service) only pre-set system tray notices will function and only if manually started on login."

I understand that HD Sentinel can do very-low level disk manipulations and so requires Administrator privileges. What puzzles me is that if I run it as Standard User (but not as a service), and provide my Admin password at the UAC prompt, it will run fine. But I can't find any way to automate this.

The closest other example I have is the Macrium Reflect disk image program (excellent and free). That works at a higher level, true, but still requires Admin rights. Even when run under Standard User it has no problem auto-starting the main program and a service, and providing a graphical interface, and integrates itself nicely using Task Scheduler.

So I think that you haven't tried hard enough on the auto-start integration under Windows 10. I say this because (1) HD Sentinel can be run as Standard User (non-service) if manually started and (2) other programs manage the auto-start of apps needing highest privileges.

[hdsentinel]

Sorry for the possible confusion but no, it is not misleading. Administrator user rights required for installation (and to first run and switch to service) and then it is no required in order to work, monitor, issue alerts, provide status in all possible ways (for example by automatic XML reports to be processed, by WMI and so).

Hard Disk Sentinel can run in the background as a service even when no user logged in or when user with standard user rights use the system.
So even no user is required at all when Hard Disk Sentinel runs a service.

The idea is that user with standard user rights should not access the software options, functions to prevent modification of important options (for example network access, alerts, notifications upon problems, perform disk tests - as some of them may be even destructive).

That's why yes, as you can see, if you use as a standard user, you can launch the software (by supplying the administrator password).
OR: if the software previously configured to run as a service, the user can check the current status and report by the Hard Disk Sentinel Tray Application - but without the opportunity to use any functions/options which should be available for administrator user only.

The only other way would be to have a completely separate service and user interface - which then yes, can work.
But it would issue different problems, for example would not work in safe mode, PE environment, live Windows, etc.. But the goal of Hard Disk Sentinel was to work even in such environments to provide diagnostics, testing, repair - even if the original system damaged.

Sorry for the possible confusion again.