See even if you are a standard account and downloading software they will require admin privileges (aka sign in as admin and enter password).Quote: " Avecto analyzed data from security bulletins issued by Microsoft throughout 2014, and found that the number of Microsoft vulnerabilities (242) with a critical severity rating increased 65% over the previous year. Furthermore, 80% of all Microsoft vulnerabilities - regardless of severity ranking - could be mitigated by removing admin rights.
The results also revealed that removing admin rights would mitigate 98% of critical vulnerabilities affecting Windows operating systems, 95% of critical vulnerabilities affecting Microsoft Office and 99.5% of vulnerabilities in Internet Explorer. "
Source: Removing admin rights mitigates 97% of critical Microsoft vulnerabilities
Should answer your question and just did on one of my own in another thread about guest accounts.
Like @Chromatinfish 123 said above that article is based on a business running a number of seats not the home user.Why would the home user want to block access to their own settings on their own PC? Of course if you have a family member as a standard user or guest accounts that is fine.The question at hand though is will a standard user account prevent you from becoming infected and the answer to that is no.Quote: " Avecto analyzed data from security bulletins issued by Microsoft throughout 2014, and found that the number of Microsoft vulnerabilities (242) with a critical severity rating increased 65% over the previous year. Furthermore, 80% of all Microsoft vulnerabilities - regardless of severity ranking - could be mitigated by removing admin rights.
The results also revealed that removing admin rights would mitigate 98% of critical vulnerabilities affecting Windows operating systems, 95% of critical vulnerabilities affecting Microsoft Office and 99.5% of vulnerabilities in Internet Explorer. "
Source: Removing admin rights mitigates 97% of critical Microsoft vulnerabilities
Should answer your question and just did on one of my own in another thread about guest accounts.
I quote from microsoft.com
"Although an administrator account provides complete control over a computer, using a standard account can help make your computer more secure. That way, if other people (or hackers) gain access to your computer while you're logged on, they can't tamper with the computer's security settings"
and quote from howtohaven.com "So why then, you may ask, should you bother to set up and use a standard user account? The general thinking among those security experts is that even though you can still be infected and your data harmed or stolen from a standard user account, the number of possible ways malware can infect your system is fewer in such an account than in an administrator account. Barring bugs in Windows itself, theoretically, the malware cannot do things it traditionally does, like modify your Windows system files"
Ok then Go aheadThank you so Microsoft & majority of other online advice is correct , running a Standard account for daily pc is a vital extra safeguard in protecting the pc system. I seem to remember Littlebits stating this also .The vast majority of the programs and downloads including practically all my security programs I use, do not require an admin password , only Revo & Spywareblaster do so on my pc .