This tutorial details how one can take a limited account in Windows XP and change it into an account that has some privileges to install applications, but not full rights to the whole machine. This account type is called the Power User type. The screen shots for this tutorial have been submitted as a tool called Power User Screen Shots.

1. First go to start->admin tools->manage computer (See Fig. 1)
2. Under System Tools go to Local Users and Groups (See Fig. 2)
3. Next open the groups directory
4. Double Click on Power Users and it will bring up the Power Users Properties (See Fig. 3)
5. Click on the Add button
6. In the text box type the user name you want to give power user status and then click the Check Names Button to make sure the user name exists. (See Fig. 4) Or hit the Find Now button and it will locate all the groups and user accounts on the machine. (See Fig. 5)
7. Click ok and you should see the user name that you just added to the Power Users Group

Now just log out and log in as that user account and you should have Power User status. You should be able to run almost anything and be able to even install some programs unless they require the administrator, and if it does it should pop open a box for you type the administrator password to run the install, similar to su - in *nix.

Again I have submitted the screen shots in a separate file and posted as a tool named Power User screen shots.

Good luck with creating Power Users and if you have any questions just let me know and I will try to answer them for you.