"Need to be an administrator" Error Message

Question

Level 1

0 points

"Need to be an administrator" Error Message

This question refers to software I purchased called MavisBeacon Teaches Typing 17 Standard. Supposedly it works for Mac and Windows. Their tech support is clueless about Macs. I have an eMac, OSX10.3.9, 1.25GHz PowerPC G4.

I try to install the program from the CD and get the message "you need to be an administrator to install this program." The product paperwork says "administrator privilages required for use on Windows 2000 and Windows XP."

Does anyone know how to get around this error message?
The product DID install ok on our iMac which is OS9.

eMac, Mac OS X (10.3.9)

Posted on Aug 23, 2006 8:51 AM

Reply

Answer 1

Kappy

Level 10

362,007 points

Aug 23, 2006 9:29 AM in response to ChicagoKaren

Does your account have admin privileges? If so and you still have problems, then you need to contact the publisher for support.

Reply

Answer 2

ChicagoKaren Author

Level 1

0 points

Aug 28, 2006 10:29 AM in response to Kappy

I'm not sure what "admin privilages" are -- when I have installed or removed programs I usually get a window that has our account name and I have to type in the password. However, when trying to install this program, I get a window that says I need to be an administrator but does not lead to a place where I can type in the account name and password. How do I "tell" this program that I am the "administrator" ?

Reply

Answer 3

Kappy

Level 10

362,007 points

Aug 28, 2006 10:53 AM in response to ChicagoKaren

Admin privileges are assigned in the Accounts preferences when you set up an account.

Again, the problem is with the software so you need to contact the support people for the software - the publisher.

Apple's forums do not provide any support for third-party software or hardware, so you need to go directly to the software publisher for their support with this problem.

Reply

Answer 4

cornelius

Level 6

17,826 points

Aug 28, 2006 11:55 AM in response to ChicagoKaren

Karen:

" The product paperwork says "administrator privilages required for use on Windows 2000 and Windows XP."

The above seems to suggest that the software you are trying to install may be a Windows version. Check the documentation and the software package again to be sure that you got the right disk(s).

Good luck.

cornelius

Reply

Answer 5

Kappy

Level 10

362,007 points

Aug 28, 2006 11:58 AM in response to cornelius

How would the installer run on the Mac if it were a Windows-only installer?

Reply

Answer 6

cornelius

Level 6

17,826 points

Aug 28, 2006 12:08 PM in response to Kappy

Kappy:

Apparently the installer is not running. The quote suggests that for Windows an admin password is required. No mention is made of that being the case for installation on a Mac OS. Indeed, no mention is made in the quote about installing on Mac at all. Since it is asking for a an admin password, that suggests to me that it thinks it is being installed in Windows. None of this is entirely clear, so I mention it as one possibility.

cornelius

Message was edited by: cornelius

Reply

Answer 7

Kappy

Level 10

362,007 points

Aug 28, 2006 1:15 PM in response to cornelius

In Karen's original post she said she tried installing from the CD and got the error message about needing to be an administrator. I took that to mean she ran an installer, but I could be wrong.

Reply

Answer 8

cornelius

Level 6

17,826 points

Aug 28, 2006 4:35 PM in response to Kappy

Kappy:

My statement is based on my interpretation of incomplete information and could well be wrong. It seems to me, though, that whether Karen were installing from a Standard/Restricted or Admin account she would get an authentication screen, which does not seem to be the case. I know that in Tiger one always pops up for me. Do you recall if that is so in Panther as well?

cornelius

Reply

Answer 9

Kappy

Level 10

362,007 points

Aug 28, 2006 4:51 PM in response to cornelius

All I know is what she originally posted, so you can infer from that. My inference was that it was the installer that gave the error. Were that the case then the installer could not have been a Window's installer, hence that was my assumption.

Karen,

Perhaps you can clarify all this for us both?

Reply