When are admin privileges necessary in Matlab?

I have been asked to research why some users require admin rights on their PC. One thought I have is that they need it for programs that write/compile. Matlab Compiler comes to mind. Can I get a definitive list of what parts of Matlab need admin rights to run? - Note that I do not program, otherwise I'd just log in with no rights and write something and test. :-)

[Image Analyst]

Good question - I don't know. I installed on my main work computer and my home computer, and they work fine without admin privileges. I installed it last week on a second work computer and that one always asks for admin privileges before it will start. I have no idea why, or what's different from the other two computers. I just launched from the icon in the Start menu that the installer made.

Answer 1

[Walter Roberson]

On MS Windows, installation of MATLAB (or new toolboxes) requires administrator access, as MS Windows protects the standard installation directories from unauthorized access as a security measure.

Sometimes (but not always), Activation of MATLAB on MS Windows requires administrator access. This will not always be obvious as it may appear to succeed (but then the next time you start MATLAB it again asks for activation...)

In rare cases such as this example it might be necessary to modify the stored MATLAB installed files.

It might be the case that accessing some hardware devices requires administrator access; there are a lot of different possible third-party devices, some of which might require elevated rights for more efficient hardware access.

Compiling does not require administrator rights (short of the development of new drivers), as the files being produced are in user space.

There is a Simulink Real Time mode, usually known as "xpc", that requires administrator access because it involves essentially booting a different operating system.

I could easily have missed something in this list, as I only boot MS Windows "at times of special celebration" (Share and Enjoy!); this is what comes to mind at the moment.

[Alan Shechter]

Thank you!

[Fredrik Gustavsson]

Walter, I just posted a question regarding if it is possible to set administrator previleges on Matlab compiled executables programatically somehow. My executable will not run without admin rights (I guess beacues it communicates with devices, changes files etc) and I would not like to leave this task to my users, many of whom are not very experienced with computers.

[Stephen23]

Fredrik Gustavsson's question:

https://www.mathworks.com/matlabcentral/answers/298445-always-run-as-administrator-attribute-on-matlab-compiled-executables

[Tongyao]

I think I solved my problem:

When MATLAB loads the activation page, IT admin log in, then I log in with my MATLAB account for the license, and when clicking through the steps, there was a computer account / windows owner? something like that, make sure to change this from IT admin to my own account (might need to click on "Advanced" option).

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Hi Walter,

My admin has given me full (read, write & execute) permission to the matlabroot folder (and made sure the subfolder has inherited permissions). However, once I open MATLAB, it promps me to sign in as an admin everytime to activate (which requires elevated access), and even if we signed in as IT admin and activated MATLAB, MATLAB simply do not start. And next time I open MATLAB, it requires elevated admin sign in again.