The fundemental issue here is with UAC.
If you have UAC turned on and run a script from Explorer RCing on it then selecting "run as administrator", it WILL NOT have access to anything in the C:\Winnt\System32 dir including dll's for powershell, vbs, printers, etc.
If, however, you do a Runas into CMD.Exe then run it from CMD.EXE first, it runs fine. This can be scripted if you like and knowing the scripting method to make it work is a pain in the rear to research so I'll give it to you below.
Runas /profile /user:fabrikam\kenmyer "cscript.exe \"C:\Documents and Settings\kenmyer\Scripts\test.vbs"
See that \" there? That's one of those awesome undocumented things Microsoft likes to throw into your life to make it miserable. This "security functionality" in UAC is another instance of that, as is the "highly secured" temporary internet files
directory. Mount a windows HDD in linux and look there, then go back and look at it under explorer in windows; notice explorer hides things then gives very creative errors whenever you try to get in there? Yeah, that's a drawback to the Windows
98 days when you could go into IExplore.exe and type in C:\ and, using the same exact binaries as explorer.exe, open up C:\ in the same window because they were the same program. That's what enabled websites to install viruses on people's machines in IE 5
and 6. It's the same deal as with Office 2003 and Office 2007; in 2003 outlook uses the same binaries word 2003 uses to type up e-mails, in 2007 it's a completly seperate set of binaries. Why? Say I wanted to inject Normal.DOT with a Macro....
The above is part of the reason reregistering the vbs dll works, but only part of it. Microsoft has taken steps to ensure applications run through explorer.exe don't get to access the gooey internals of windows because explorer.exe is a walking target
board.
My Universal workaround is to place a windows CMD/CLI shortcut into C:\Windows\System32 called SUDO.cmd and you RC on that guy and hit properties, under the advanced button tell it you want it to always run as administrator. That way I can hit Windows
Key +R, type in SUDO, I hit yes to to the prompt and I have an admin console in front of me from which I can run admin tasks e.g. appwiz.cpl or compmgmt.msc, or run scripts without an annoying and broken runas.
AFAIK, Microsoft has never patched this "security feature" but given the history of security of MS Software I leave UAC on and leave it broken hoping some enterprising haxxor never figures out how to bypass it. I also run everything from runas.exe or
similar.
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